Lobster – Baked Lobster; Creamy White Corn Polenta; Red Wine-Gumbo Sauce
Wonderful meals are one of a smattering of events that you will never forget. Vivid memories of the best food imaginable, while already in the throes of a relaxing holiday, linger long after the occasionally enormous bill has been paid.
One of the conundrums I have as an eager writer of my restaurant experiences, is when to put the figurative pen to paper. Too many months later and the feelings are still there, but the ability to paint the picture has diminished. Too soon and I might be still basking in the glow of the glorious food (and wine!) I must admit, with my memory, usually without photos or notes I might as well just share someone else’s review.
On this day I can still remember the unrelenting heat. A holiday walker from way back (I did 25km in this incredible city in November in one day) I usually refuse to get transport, but it is very warm, and with a jacket required in the dining room, walking would potentially ruin the day. Even getting out of the Uber and walking to the front door, a curiously unassuming entrance, I was starting to perspire.
I can remember looking around as Catherine, looking amazing as always, and I, walked in to a business-like atmosphere. If it wasn’t for the flashes of ornate furnishings, and comforting banquettes, you could be transported straight from a holiday Monday lunch to a boardroom table sandwich listening to the latest corporate training. The trick, which is not difficult, is to focus on my wife, and not on the boisterous chest-thumping discussions nearby.
Crab – Dungeness “Crab Cake”; Old Bay Crisp; Shellfish-Cardamom Emulsion
I am not making a point here, except that the meal is so vivid. The reason is the whole package is irresistible for anyone who loves the best in food and dining. Gladly lunch involves a prix-fixe arrangement that is not extraordinarily expensive.
Besides the immaculate presentation of close to an entire lobster, the main memory I have of Le Bernardin is the depth of flavour in each dish, and the exquisite sauces that bind the elements together. There was the shellfish-cardamom emulsion that surrounds sublime Dungeness crab cake, topped with a crisp to add both an accent on the presentation, and some texture. There is the colour of barely cooked Faroe Islands salmon, dressed with miso-horseradish emulsion; each taste naturally melting in your mouth.
Lobster – Lacquered Lobster Tail; Tagliatelle; Black Truffle Sauce
Tagliatelle that could not be bettered by an Italian restaurant we have been to, has to share a starring role with lacquered lobster tail, a black truffle sauce gloriously combining the two in an Academy award winning performance. Yes, Catherine was in love with her dishes, but when my own baked lobster arrived there was no envy, just applause. Not only is it the most lobster I’ve enjoyed in this kind of setting, it is the most delicious. The claw looks so good it is difficult to interfere with, but once I have, it is addictive. In between, more than several tastes of the tail, polenta, and red wine gumbo sauce, have me in rapture.
Banana S’more – Warm Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Banana, Smoked Meringue, and Coquito Sauce
As you can sympathise with, dessert could not be better than the savoury courses, but it was not overshadowed by them. Catherine’s banana s’more, and my coffee caramel crémeux, were both insanely good too. Rich, flavour packed, indulgent desserts, are our style, and these ticked all the boxes. The warm chocolate cake, meringue and coquito sauce, are a marriage in heaven; the crémeux, with roasted almond mousse, and bourbon froth spooned at the table, is presented so beautifully that you are initially torn to break in.
As you would expect and hope for, service was utterly professional and pleasant throughout. The aspects that you want from a three Michelin Star restaurant are here and are seemingly effortless. As Catherine puts it “you didn’t want for anything” because it was already there. There is a calm, business-like manner in the dining room, and that is not surprising given this is a Monday at lunchtime.
Sometimes when I get to almost a year after an experience I do not feel I can provide an account of that experience authentically. Here the memories live in a special place because the quality of this meal puts it firmly into one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.
We have come from Brandy’s Piano Bar in the Upper East Side and life is incredible. There are certain times you have a meal and the first thing you think about as you go to bed is how you could ever do justice to describing it to your friends and family. Well tonight I’ll try before bed.
As I drink a sour beer from the craft beer shop down the road I am thinking of how to put the experience at Daniel into words. Firstly, it was not perfect, thank goodness. If there was not one small error made I would have nothing to strive for in dining terms. The imperfections were incidental and minor, so this is an absolutely huge night out.
Carotte – chilled carrot veloute with Peekytoe crab, chemoula cream, confit ginger and lovage oil
I’m thinking about the carrot veloute with Peekytoe crab. A cold carrot soup that is indescribably deep in flavour, showing off reasonably generous portions of crab, and slithers of carrot that are heavenly. Combining with the Premier Cru Beaune chardonnay (we got a half bottle), I am in my own little heaven.
Pigeonneau – roasted squab breast with oats, confit legs, barley risotto, fava bean savoury coulis, “Sauce Forestiere”
There is the second ten out of ten course in a row for me with the squab (pigeon) cooked medium rare, crusted in oats, with the most astonishing barley risotto I have ever tasted. The first thing I tasted was that barley, and then the mushrooms, layer on layer of perfectly seasoned flavour making me metaphorically blush for my own attempts at risotto. Then there are the several types of mushrooms accompanying the pigeon, and the chicken jus that is drizzled by the waitperson in a seemingly frivolous manner, but is as important as any other element. The burgundy chosen by the charismatic sommelier tops off the combination but in reality the wine is a bonus.
Saint Jacques – ceviche of Maine sea scallops, finger lime-wasabi vinaigrette, cilantro, avocado mousseline, white sturgeon caviar
At this stage Catherine is pretty much twenty out of twenty too. Her scallop ceviche melts in her mouth. This is not ordinary seafood. Again the seas have swept something special up, and Daniel Bould has elevated it with avocado, finger lime and white sturgeon caviar. The follow up is a fish that is new to us, Arctic Char, that is covered in avocado, and married with asparagus, fennel and sorrel cream to provide another intriguingly familiar but different experience.
Omble Chevalier – Arctic Char poached in a star anise “Court-Bouillon”, fennel, wild asparagus and sorrel cream
As we enjoy our third course, it is childish for me to say that I had a slight envy for Catherine’s wagyu even though I was enjoying the most beautiful medium rare veal tenderloin enveloped in gorgonzola that I’ve ever had. Along with the fregola and veal jus amongst other elements I was not in a position to be jealous. The Nebbiolo dominant wine from Northern Italy was a perfect match too.
Veau – roasted veal tenderloin with chalkidiki olives, toasted fregola, spinach subric, Gorgonzola emulsion with oregano
Catherine’s wagyu was simply outstanding. Looking at the menu it sounds like beef, potatoes and mushrooms. It is and it isn’t. The mushrooms are provided on thin strips of beautifully crisp potatoes and in the form of a “mushroom quiche” that looks more like a mushroom mille-feuille. They are all quite extraordinary. And she got the Graves’ Bordeaux that is Merlot dominant too. A serious winning combination that could rival the pinot-duck and fish-chardonnay match if it was more prevalent.
Like interval at a performance, we were talking about where this particular meal stacked up. It is always difficult to determine at the time. All we can say is that dessert met (or was close) to its savoury counterparts. Catherine’s rhubarb dessert was superb from my one taste.
My dessert was more like a work of chocolate art. The first one I finished, but the last that I tasted, was the peppery chocolate ice cream such was its addictiveness. In between the mousse was gorgeous, and the Equadorian grand cru fondant was my start and end with the cream in the middle, and gold leaf, providing the extra edge. A Hungary tokjii was also beautiful to combine, in my humble opinion.
As the petit fours of chocolates (pineapple, bergamot, blueberry and raspberry), and house signature Madeleines came out, we were not daunted. We had gone toe to toe with the bread basket too – the baguette, brioche, three grain, and parmesan, all doing their bid for supremacy and the salted butter showing off the beauty of simplicity.
Our waitstaff were superb. To fault them would be nitpicking. There was care and attention; professionalism and attention; delicacy and humour. We simply had a wonderful time. It is crazy to imagine there are people out there who get to enjoy this on regular occasions. Unlike that wagyu dish that I want more of, there is no jealousy. We’ve just had an experience that feels like it is once in a lifetime.
Thank you for visiting my independent website that focusses on the best restaurants Melbourne, surrounds, and other destinations have to offer! Please add your email to receive new reviews (around one per month) or subscribe through WordPress.
On this day I can still remember the unrelenting heat. A holiday walker from way back (I did 25km in this incredible city in November in one day) I usually refuse to get transport, but it is very warm, and with a jacket required in the dining room, walking would potentially ruin the day. Even getting out of the Uber and walking to the front door, a curiously unassuming entrance, I was starting to perspire.
I can remember looking around as Catherine, looking amazing as always, and I, walked in to a business-like atmosphere. If it wasn’t for the flashes of ornate furnishings, and comforting banquettes, you could be transported straight from a holiday Monday lunch to a boardroom table sandwich listening to the latest corporate training. The trick, which is not difficult, is to focus on my wife, and not on the boisterous chest-thumping discussions nearby.
Sometimes when I get to almost a year after an experience I do not feel I can provide an account of that experience authentically. Here the memories live in a special place because the quality of this meal puts it firmly into one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.
