Melbourne City

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Aru – Melbourne, City – Wednesday 23 March 2022 – Lunch

Walking into Aru we have the strange feeling we’ve been here before. Is it the old Review on Little Collins? If it was, it is remarkably changed, and we are happy to try it on, just the same way Catherine has tried on many a Review dress back in the day.

The long rectangular room has sleek furnishings, mainly wooden, with a metallic curtain divider giving a modern, clean feel, much like the forthcoming food, and smooth service. The bar looks inviting for another time, maybe an evening cocktail and snack.

Duck sausage sanga, leatherwood honey, onion, peanut; torched salmon sea succulents, horseradish, orange kosho

We are in the mood to celebrate and enjoy a big lunch out in the city. Bookings are not easy to get these days and we got this one a few weeks ago. We must admit it wasn’t the first we tried to make, checking sister restaurant Sunda (only open for dinner) as part of our efforts. Now we are here and we are ready!

We have a new floor person today about three weeks in. He’s keen and is ready to extend the hospitality of the restaurant with a smile on his face (under the mask). It’s okay to be nervous if you are caring and hospitable and he certainly is.

We begin with the duck sausage sanga. This is genuinely a snack not to be missed, and another time at the bar is in our not too distant future. I’ve heard it is a take on a Bunnings hotdog, but it is far prettier and much tastier, leaving no feeling of guilt.

Skull Island prawns, native curry, blistered tomato

Next, the scorched salmon is meltingly good, and we are getting on a roll. By this stage we are on to our next wine. We have a terrific sommelier who has already poured us a Reserve Gosset Champagne which is a rare offering, and a first for us at a restaurant. It sets us on a path with this very expensive wines by the glass list. The Chardonnay by Salem & Co (Oregon) is exceptional with elegance and complexity from low/no irrigation. The Fiano from Campania is also a beautiful expression, despite the price tag.

Skull Island Prawns hit the table, introducing some subtle heat and deep flavour, with generous prawn meat. Having negotiated hard on potential side options, we erred on the side of indulgence with the spanner crab fried rice and it was unmissable in hindsight. This is a beautifully executed rice dish.

Spanner crab fried rice, white kampot pepper, sweet corn; Hiramasa kingfish, buttermilk dashi, desert lime, lettuce

The side took the limelight, but the actual main was still delicious. The Hiramasa Kingfish may have been the lesser of the various savoury dishes, but it went to show the overall abundance of quality here. The buttermilk dashi lifted it, but perhaps it was on the pan for half a minute too long.

Tapioca pudding, butterscotch, banana, wattle honeycomb; scorched pavlova, coconut, passionfruit, cultured cream

Dessert arrived in the form of a tapioca pudding, and a pavlova, which we shared. Both have excellent attention to sweetness. The tapioca felt richer and deeper in flavour with the butterscotch and wattle honeycomb. The pavlova was beautifully presented, with the usual visual appeal of careful blowtorching.

It is starting to feel less unusual getting out and about, and we couldn’t be happier about that. We were ready for a great meal and it presented itself in an odd spot on Little Collins. Our experience at Aru was outstanding.

Aru Restaurant – www.aru.net.au
Tuesday to Saturday – 12pm to late
Phone +61399398113
Email info@aru.net.au
268 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

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Patsy’s – Melbourne, City – Saturday 8 January 2022 – Dinner

Would I have done this ten years ago? Most probably not. There are two main reasons: quality; and perception. Back then the quality was nowhere near as good, and the perception was bad.

So as Catherine, my toddler Sydney, and I, walk into Patsy’s, why is dining at a vegetarian restaurant no longer a faux pas. Why are we comfortable (actually excited), and why do we have reasonable expectations?

Personally, my main reason is because some of the best dishes I’ve had in recent months are vegetarian, and over the years I’ve had many experiences where those dishes have been extremely good. Catherine is excited because she really likes the sister restaurant in Flinders, Donna Maria, which does quality Italian (but is not vegetarian).

Patsy’s is on the big round-about close to Queen Vic Market on Franklin Street. It is filled with vintage furniture, simple quaint decoration, and a white and green courtyard backdrop. Instantly I feel comfortable.

It’s not a big place, and sells itself as a wine bar too, with that friendly but professional enoteca type service. There’s no place for stuffiness, and that includes the customers.

On the menu there are a range of options, with the modern sharing style format. We decide to share the snack “Pinzimonio di Verdure”, which consists of various preserved vegetables with a hazelnut and olive bagna cauda, which is a traditional dipping sauce made of oil, butter, anchovies and garlic. It is a nice, fresh beginning.

A lot more decadent, the “Zlikrofi” is two Slovenian potato and chickpea dumplings, sitting in a sweet wine and rich shallot sauce. By the end I had ‘vinegar cheeks’ but was loving it; the firmness of the dumpling perfect for my taste.

We are certainly not big eaters, and mains were substantial as we had the Boudin de betterave along with two sides. The Burgundian beetroot sausage is an absolute full flavoured winner. With Cafe de Paris emulsion, and wrapped in vine leaves, it is just delicious. Some would say you better’ave it!

Kipfler potato mash, with its gorgeous smokiness, is a terrific addition. As is a collection of different chargrilled beans with ajo blanco, which is a Spanish soup (in this case more a sauce) made with bread, almonds, garlic, water and olive oil. This is a beautiful array of vegetarian cuisine.

While we are completely content, we are going to order dessert no matter what. At this stage we’ve really enjoyed the wine too. The native grape of Santorini is rare to find by the glass so we both indulged in a glass of Assyrtika (by Gaia Thalassitis), and by now I am onto the less complex, but deliciously juicy Xinomavro red which is also Grecian.

Dessert is curiously presented, but pretty, with the Fragole con Zabaione perfect after a substantial meal. Marinated strawberries, and strawberry ice cream, are served under the Italian combination of egg yolks, sugar and sweet wine.

Even at an early dinner, there is a great vibe here, and staff are atuned to it. We have a growing banter with the waitstaff and enjoy learning more about this culturally diverse restaurant in its early days. Vegetarian is no longer a restriction, and offerings like Patsy’s continue to make a case for its beauty. I even got to have a sausage!

Patsy’s
213 Franklin Street, Melbourne
Phone – 03 9328 7667
Bookings – OpenTable
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