modern

Brandade doughnut

There are not many people I’m completely comfortable with choosing where I am dining. There are times where Catherine and I will sit in a hotel room for close to an hour before we have decided. It is that care about food that means we rarely have a bad meal, but it does cost us time, and it is obsessive.

Tonight, we are in trusted hands. My mate is introducing us to his new girlfriend and it is naturally his pick. He has good taste in food, and if there is ever a time to pick the right place it is early in a relationship! It helps that I know he has trusted advisers (ie guides and a good grip on the latest and greatest).

We finish drinks at Bad Frankie (we’ll be back for the jaffles at some stage) and there is a bit of surprise as we enter Hell Of The North. Fitzroy is grungy. There is amazing food on offer, but it is often very casual. This place has Hell in its name, but there is nothing reminiscent in the look and feel of this restaurant that in any way speaks of Hell.

Baby beets, sheep’s milk curd, candied pecans

In fact, the space is designed beautifully, with a mix of heritage style from the building, and new world comforts, that are smartly put side by side. There is a large bar and we are on the left side that feels a more intimate space, but looking around and walking through the back, it seems they have managed to get that type of feel across the restaurant. After the maitre’d giving me a metaphoric slap for suggesting some restaurants take diners more seriously when they decide to have sparking water (rather than tap) we have a bit of a laugh and we are on our way. As you would expect from that interaction, service continues at a good quality through the evening.

It is for this reason that we put ourselves in the hands of the restaurant to select what we eat ($65). To begin we try the brandade doughnuts, and rabbit, pork and black garlic terrine. Brandade is a combination of potato, baccalau (salt cod), garlic and olive oil, but in this case comes served with squid ink in the confines of a beautifully fried doughnut. It’s a start you would have to repeat on any future visit. The terrine is also excellent quality, but there is no slant on this classic.

Snapper

Next we are served a variety of baby beets with sheep’s milk curd, and particularly delicious candied pecans. I am waiting to become sick of beetroot dishes and have decided they are so simply incredible (subject to produce) that they are less of a fad, and more of a genuine modern classic. We also get served a nicely grilled snapper dish.

Ballotine of Milawa chicken, sage & pistachio, jus gras

For our main dishes we are presented with a great looking chicken dish featuring crisp chicken skin on top of perfectly cooked juicy chicken, with carrots, and a jus that we were going back for. It was at this stage that I started thinking it would be good to have just slightly bigger servings between the four of us. Not that the amount overall was too little, just some of the dishes were ones that you could have more than a few bites.

Bavette, pommes puree, sauce tarragon

The bavette of beef was a good finish to the savoury courses. Stacked on plenty of potato puree and soaked in a great tarragon sauce, this was a filling course. Also known as flank steak, bavette is not quite as tender as other cuts, but has excellent flavour when treated right, and this one is very nice. The Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon we are drinking has some good structure to go with the beef too.

Creme brûlée

We had a couple of desserts, but the creme brûlée was the definite highlight. Served in a shallow wide dish for extra toffee goodness, renditions like this one show there is always a need for the classics.

While much about tonight’s meal was unexpected, surprises like what Hell Of The North dishes up are extremely pleasant. Next time I would probably order a la carte to focus on a few dishes, but trying a broad spectrum did deliver some benefits, most notably the brandade doughnuts to start, and the brûlée to finish, both of which I may not have ever tried. Yet another reason to get to Fitzroy regularly.

Beef carpaccio, harissa, pedro ximenez

Every business trip to Perth is exciting for several reasons. Having lived in Perth most of my life there are opportunities to catch up with family and friends. It might be Monday tonight, but some of my closest friends have made the effort to get into Northbridge after work for a quick feed and a couple of beers.

The number of new restaurants and bars popping up in Perth is incredible. I like to walk for many reasons whether at home or away, and one of those reasons is you can come across great places to eat or drink that you may have not noticed driving by. Our visit to The Standard has resulted from previous walks down Roe Street which has changed remarkably since I first started going to Northbridge.

The guys are already in the restaurant when I arrive and embarrassingly, they have asked our waitperson to hold off doing the spiel until their blogging friend arrives. If nothing else, my embarrassment has led to a good rapport, which continues for the night and translates to good service.

The spiel is the usual for these types of modern sharing restaurants. There are tiny plates, small plates, and large plates, that are all designed to share. With five blokes the all important guide is how much to order. We follow the suggestion to order four of the small dishes and three of the large.

First comes the “beef carpaccio, harissa, pedro ximenez” which is pretty. Presented differently to the tradition, the beef is tender and subtle, combining well with the other ingredients and providing a promising start. Next comes the “broccolini, hazelnut, shallot, cranberry” which is a good fresh dish, but we probably should have asked for it to come towards the end with the larger dishes.

Glazed pork cheek, crisp jowl, broad bean, brussel sprout

The mushroom doughnuts provide the most conjecture for the night. Some are a bit turned off by the sweetness, and inconsistency in the amount of mushrooms offered. Personally, I think it is an interesting take, the doughnuts well constructed with the mushroom filling, the paprika sugar sweet, but not overly sweet, and the lemon and chive curd enhancing the taste and texture. However, while I enjoyed one try, I wouldn’t order the dish again. I think on this one experience it was three for, two against.

Our last small dish, the free range BBQ chicken wings, again have sweetness from the marinade. They are nice, but nothing special, and I find the Granny Smith apple component is a bit lost. After a short break we are on to our three larger dishes. To begin, the chicken grill with rice noodle, peanuts, herbs, and nuoc cham, is an excellent combination. Jason particularly liked the Vietnamese flavours and for most it was one of the better dishes. I thought the rice noodle was expertly prepared for a restaurant that doesn’t specialise in any one type of cuisine.

Beef brisket, brioche, pickle, russian dressing, buttered cabbage

The two meatier dishes were hit and miss. The beef brisket was tender and had a good amount of meaty richness. The toasted brioche was a bit hard and plain, but the other accompaniments such as the buttered cabbage, were perfect to break through some of the richness. On the other hand, the glazed pork cheek and crisp jowl with a salad of broad beans and brussel sprouts, could be improved. A few more brussel sprouts (whole as the leaves provided little) would be good, and the pork cheek probably needed the injection of more flavour and cooking.

The amount of food was generous and most of us didn’t even think twice about dessert. With a good beer selection there was a better alternative to finish with. Around the table most of the group would definitely come back, and the personable service helped on that score.

While it is important to carefully order at The Standard, it is a comfortable place to eat. I can imagine the outdoor area in the back is pumping in summer, and the option to have a nibble while drinking, or enjoy a more substantial meal, seems to be equally attractive.

BLK's Food Blog

100% independent views of restaurants in Melbourne and beyond

Hell Of The North – Fitzroy – Saturday 16 April 2016 – Dinner

Please share:

Please share: