Skull Island Prawns

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Marmelo – Melbourne, City – Saturday 8 March 2025 – Dinner

Once a year it is tradition for the boys to go out for a fancy dinner following the races on the March long weekend, formerly known as Super Saturday. In fact, it is such a tradition that referring it to as “the boys” was once quite reasonable, but now it is better monikered as “the gents”. We’ve had some beauties! Memorable meals, and memorable moments; some even infamous.

When a group of men turn up to a restaurant for dinner there is a different mannerism that comes from the entire service experience, from the greeting, to the banter during dinner, to the ending, which has been fuzzy in our memory on occasion. Tonight it is almost all positive, with a nice pace and vibe to the evening. Marmelo is definitely a good place for a group.

We arrived early and went below to try the bar, Mr Mills. We already knew we were in for an expensive evening, and the drink prices at Mr Mills confirmed our expectation. Somehow, there is no cucumber downstairs or upstairs, so Chef immediately took off a point, but lime in a Hendricks is fine in any case. My Voyager Chenin Blanc was a nice cleansing start after several beers and champagnes at the races.

Once upstairs, by now we were technically a little late, but for some reason we still had to wait a bit longer for our table. Any minor complaints about the evening ended here, as the forthcoming food, drinks, and service were all terrific. We had some epic starters like the Murray cod croquette that is sure to be a continual feature, to the utterly divine spanner crab tart. The Portuguese offerings pack plenty of flavour given the star ingredient of the tart is known for its subtlety; the prominence of the spanner crab showing excellent technique in the kitchen.

Turning to one of the themes in this restaurant, fire takes centre stage upon the delicate skin of calamari, and elevating it to greatness as a result. Alongside, the Skull Island prawns are diced in an acorda (diced bread, coriander, garlic, and egg), with scallops, and pipies. It’s nice, and it’s different, but out of the dishes for the evening it is my least favourite.

Washing these dishes down to begin is a grape variety that I have not tried to my knowledge before. This Encruzado comes from the Dao region of Portugal, and is by Impecavel. It is vibrant and versatile with the starters and entrees, and thoroughly enjoyable. Next we turn towards an equally versatile Italian red for the mains, which is luscious, in the form of Centanni Rosso, consisting of Sangiovese and Montepulciano.

The mains were all impressive. The highlight was the O’Connor rib eye. Thoroughly seasoned, licked by the flame, and every bite was melting in my mouth. I could give or take the peppers with it, but they were nice enough. The Kurobuta pork promised to be just as tender, and it certainly was. This must be the best value offering on the menu. Throw in a delightfully cooked fig, and you have a wonderful pig and fig dish.

Last but not least, the wood roasted cockerel reminds us of the impact the Portuguese can have on perfectly cooked chicken, that in some people’s eyes is closely on the border line to undercooked. The result is juicy deliciousness. I had enjoyed so much food that sides were not a priority, but special mention to the chickpeas and spinach which Jarrod rated as one of his favourite dishes of the night. The potatoes, while perfectly cooked, didn’t need the sauce, making for a soft texture when some crunch would have been appreciated.

It was time for dessert, and even with a generous amount of food through the savoury courses, we were ready to get stuck in. Chef Simon and I shared the wood fired olive oil cheesecake. It was big and rich, and could easily satisfy four people having a taste of dessert. We also had a “pastels de nata” which was the most delicious and most overpriced Portuguese custard tart you can imagine at $16. I guess you need some give and take!

Guy loved his tiny chocolate cup with house made ginja berry liqueur and Amarena cherries, and Jarrod also enjoyed the “Textures of milk”. Some Malvasia Madiera hit the spot with dessert, as a further nod to Portuguese wine (this time one of its autonomous regions). Needless to say we were all pleased with a tremendous dinner, not least of all Simon who had picked the restaurant for this year’s edition of our traditional catch up.

Marmelo
https://www.marmelorestaurant.com.au
130 Russell Street, Melbourne
Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner
03 7035 2999
@marmelorestaurant

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Cafe Paci – Newtown, Sydney – Saturday 25 January 2025 – Lunch

One of our superpowers when it comes to restaurants is taking recommendations. When combined with personal research, it is hard to go wrong, especially in a town like Sydney. Taking recommendations is not blind, and filtering them is, similar to research, the most important part.

I have a handful of friends, and acquaintences, who I intently listen to when offering thoughts on their restaurant experiences. After many years, there are many others I know when to follow their advice, or divert. It is often a matter of understanding what is important to the person offering advice, and finding those who align with your preferences.

Introspectively, I know that people do not listen to my advice when it comes to value for money. I’m someone who gets asked once or twice a year by some people for a special occasion; not where the best burger joint is (though I am interested if you know!)

On a three night holiday in Sydney there are a plethora of options, and the stars aligned when I noticed a friend had loved Cafe Paci, and their meal was around the time I flicked through the Australian Gourmet Traveller restaurant guide, and saw it had taken out their top spot in NSW. The way it was described was compelling, and the offerings were not necessarily what I have become used to with the winners in the AGT guide. I was curious.

Catherine, Sydney, and I, headed to Newtown by train, getting off at Macdonald, which is a stroll to Cafe Paci and the vibrant neighbourhood that is Newtown. The thin rectangular restaurant with tables down the right, and a long inviting bar down the left, doesn’t scream fine dining, but it does announce itself as smart casual and contemporary. It is comfortable, not luxurious; a short stay, not resort accommodation.

When we start with a wine it comes out immediately, poured by the waitperson who served us. It’s a nice touch, and the service style, a balance of relaxed and professional, continues along this path for the entirety of our meal. We are made to feel at home in a way a wine bar often does, especially when any stuffiness or pomp is removed.

The menu is diverse, though not outrageously, and narrowing down our selections is a delicate pursuit. To begin, Catherine opts for the devilled egg with trout roe; I with the rye taco with ox tongue and sauerkraut. My ox tongue snack is outstanding, and Catherine’s devilled egg is nostalgic (and filling).

Snapper ceviche is dotted with nectarine and radish that requires a keen eye to decipher between. The flavour matches the presentation, along with the Garganuda Soave. Moving through to glasses of the Marsanne blend from the Loire Valley, and the Rasa Sal Vine Vale Semillon (SA), we are served the Skull Island king prawns. They’re not cheap, but there is a generous serve of utterly beautiful large prawns split in two, with lashings of black pepper butter and lime.

Next, Black Angus steak frites comes with sauce Diane. Intuitively I know what Diane is, but if you asked me to explain its history and ingredients I would have no clue. In simple terms it is a mushroom cream sauce with plenty of pepper, and originally served with venison (and containing truffles rather than mushrooms). There’s a bit of a nod to the old school here, and it is coolly executed. An Emilia-Romagna Sangiovese washes it down, and a leafy salad with a sweet vinaigrette cuts through the richness.

At this stage of proceedings we are more than satisfied, but dessert beckons. It’s yet another mild surprise in a meal that has presented fairly straightforward and delicious food, but always elevated an aspect, whether it be presentation, flavour, execution, or a bit of all three. Here it is the trickles of caramel that add a burst of the sweetness we yearn for, with amaretto ice cream and peach granita balancing each other wonderfully.

The whole experience had been a pleasure. The final surprise was the bill, which in my book is value for money, but I’m not always the greatest judge!

Cafe Paci
https://www.cafepaci.com.au
131 King Street, Newtown, Sydney
Dinner Mon-Sat 5.30pm to 10pm; Lunch on Saturday
Email: info@cafepaci.com.au
Tel: 0402392189