St Kilda

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Monk Bodhi Dharma – St Kilda – Saturday 20 April 2019 – Breakfast

I’m entering into dangerous territory writing about vegan / vegetarian food, like a meat-eater watching Dominion. Is there an ulterior motive in the friendly greetings, and the attentive morning service? Based on some earlier coffee / pastry only experiences I can conclusively say there is not.

This is a safe place. There is no need to push an agenda; the agenda is superb coffee and excellent food. Looking around Monk Bodhi Dharma (the cafe, not the person who brought Buddhism to China) you can tell this isn’t your normal cafe. For a start it is not all sleek lines and modern Scandinavian influenced minimalism; it has character. Wooden (read sustainable) stools, benches and tables are jam-packed into a small intimate space.

Chai latte

Suggestively, like bringing Buddhism to China, I have entered a vegan cafe and I’m willing to give myself to it for a meal. I am confident I will not be let down. For a start the coffee is delicious as ever, and two long blacks is a minimum requirement.

On the menu there is a variety of the usual breakfast staples. It is one meal where certainly meat is not a pre-requisite, and the inventiveness or initiative taken in the dishes is dashing. If Catherine didn’t order the zucchini hotcakes, there was a very good chance I was going to, especially having seen another couple of diners enjoying them.

Zucchini hotcakes

They are served in a stack of three, along side beetroot relish, and pickled cucumber dressed with chilli oil, with a side of vegan sour cream (made of mainly cashew, along with soy). The beetroot relish is a winner, with the raisins adding this defined sweetness that lifts each taste of the fritters. The only issue for Catherine was the chilli which is medium, but impossible to get around (because it seeps into the fritters too). If you are not into chilli take note.

Umami mushrooms

I took no time in ordering the umami mushrooms instead. A combination of king oyster, shiitake, oyster and Swiss brown mushrooms are served on pumpkin and polenta bread. A sauce of goats cheese, thyme and red chilli oil, surrounds and engulfs the main elements, making it feel like a close cousin to baked eggs. I took a few bites to decide that I like this dish, and had no trouble finishing. The query I often have with vegetarian food is the liberal use of chilli to add flavour. My only suggestion would be a bit more salt and a bit less chilli, but that is personal preference.

It was an added bonus that Catherine’s chai latte was just as good as my couple of coffees. This place is famous for the quality of its coffee, and certainly that introduction gave me confidence that the food would not let it down. There are several other dishes that we would be happy to try on the likely repeat breakfast visit.

I’ll never be a vegan or a vegetarian but I could survive on this type of existence. As much as I love meat, it is often nothing more than a filler to better elements in a dish. Several times a week we eat vegetarian at home without even thinking about it as such. In a world where excesses, combined with reducing quality of food to meet supermarket demands is the norm, I truly believe we all need to change our habits. Breakfast at MBD is a great way to start!

Monk Bodhi Dharma Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Cafe Di Stasio – St Kilda – 8 November 2017 – Dinner

Classic should never be interpreted as boring, though in our fast-paced world, it sometimes has a double meaning. Done well, the classics, and classic places, reveal some of our favourite experiences.

It is certainly not that I forgot about Cafe Di Stasio. It appears year after year on the list of restaurants I want to go back to. Unfortunately it is a very long list, such is the quality we enjoy in Melbourne.

The cliches come thick and fast for touristy St Kilda. It’s one of those places that I’ve always enjoyed, but rarely get to. There isn’t the edginess that Fitzroy has, or the dynamic nature of the city. Perhaps it feels too much like the places I grew up in – beachy, safe and friendly like Perth.

Somehow, in the busiest part of Fitzroy Street, as you walk through the doors of Di Stasio you are transported thousands of miles to an Italian oasis. Yes, there is a St Kilda vibe of calm, but there instead of laid back beach charm, there is the sophisticated charm that only profession and experience can create. If it sounds like I am bubbling with praise for this institution, I am!

Capisante Gratinate – scallops baked in their shell with bread crumbs, parmesan and parsley

I’ve been here with groups, and by myself, but tonight it is with Catherine to celebrate the anniversary of our first date. Several years later we really combine well for dinner, knowing each other’s dining habits intimately. By virtue of that understanding, it doesn’t take long for us to agree to share a starter, pasta, main, and dessert. This isn’t for everyone, but too many times people miss the balance between trying several courses and dishes, and feeling uncomfortable at the end of the meal.

The first dish we select is the scallops baked in their shell, with a simple parmesan crumb. Done well this can be an outstanding dish while on the other hand it can be a good way to ruin a great scallop. Here, it has been done thousands of times and the result is delicious. After a great start we next choose the fresh pasta of the day with a mushroom sauce.

Freshly made spaghetti with mushrooms and sage

Draped with sage, this is the ultimate of mushroom sauces over a spaghetti that doesn’t get much finer when made fresh, though I wouldn’t have described it as angel hair like the kitchen had. The depth of flavour, without going overboard on seasoning, is exceptional from the first bite to the last. Sharing is not an issue to presentation either; the chefs happy to plate separately without being asked.

Agnello alla Romana – lamb slow cooked with white wine, anchovies, rosemary and garlic bruschetta

Our love of pasta means our main was never going to top our previous course, but the slow cooked lamb is beautiful anyway. With a generous grilled garlic brushetta to mop up the white wine, anchovy and rosemary sauce, this was a perfect expression of rustic fine dining. Halving the serve (again being plated separately) meant our final tastes were not stretching our stomachs and there was plenty of room for dessert.

Torta di Vaniglia – White chocolate and mascarpone tart

Throughout our meal I enjoyed some well selected wines by the glass, which is expected given Di Stasio has a bar that is as frequented as much as the restaurant. Service had been excellent too. The only exceptions were later in the meal trying to get a red wine before my main arrived, and organising the bill. These are only minor, and had a bit to do with our awkward table position, but still probably shouldn’t happen.

There are some nice sounding desserts, and while none jumped right out at me, Catherine had her eye on the white chocolate and mascarpone tart. Simple, not “deconstructed”, and full of flavour, I was glad to have tried the tart. It’s a beautiful dessert, and while rich, it is an excellent way to finish a superb meal.

Café Di Stasio Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Stokehouse – St Kilda – Thursday 23 March 2017 – Dinner

There are a host of reasons we love to go out to eat. In a relative sense, there are not many restaurants that create more than the experience itself. Every now and then though, something more comes out of a visit. For Catherine and I, our first date at Stokehouse continued through to marriage!

Yellowfin tuna ceviche

I remember our lunch far better than I normally would. It was an incredibly hot November day. So hot that I brought a backpack with a towel so I could have a swim afterwards. St Kilda was pumping, and my taxi took at least 20 minutes just to get down Fitzroy Street. Catherine looked beautiful and had gone to a heap of effort.

We started off with oysters and I had no idea it was the first time for my guest. The things you do on first dates! The restaurant had a celebratory feel the day after Stakes Day at Flemington. Every aspect was wonderful and it goes without saying that it was the best first date (and the last) I’ll ever have.

Poached marron salad

When we found it had been razed by fire there was a sudden sadness. We knew with such an iconic place, rebuilding was likely, and that is why we are here tonight, a few months after the reopening. It is modern. These days, recreating the original would probably be as difficult and expensive as making a bold new statement. The design is stylish, making great use of the beach view, with enough detail inside to keep interest in both.

Our greeting, through to the goodbye, were warm and friendly. It seems the floor has found its feet. We took up the offering for a drink on the terrace to begin. Watching the sun go down is one of those added extras that is difficult to value. As long as the view doesn’t outshine the food, or give the restaurant something to hide behind, it is extremely valuable to the way you are feeling as you begin your meal.

Heirloom tomato salad

Once seated and reading through the menu, I realised that Stokehouse wasn’t primarily about seafood anymore. In fact, only two of the six mains are fish. I was in the mood for seafood and ordered both the special ceviche of yellowfin tuna, and a couple of Sydney Rock oysters to begin, plus the fish and chips for my main. Catherine ordered the marron salad which would have been my choice, and also the market fish of Barramundi. We were undoubtedly going to try dessert too.

Fish and chips

Our sommelier was particularly helpful at providing alternatives to the bottle I was thinking of, but in the end we stayed on course with the Louis Michel Premier Cru Chablis. He was right that the wine is quite light for a chardonnay, but it is exquisitely made, and was a pleasure to drink, especially with our entrees. The yellowfin tuna ceviche showed off the star ingredient. It had a pleasant amount of citrus, and was superbly presented. Interestingly the dusting on top was bayleaf, and that worked too. The Sydney Rock oysters were exactly what you want to eat on the beach and would be a great entree alone this evening. Catherine’s poached marron salad with a motley of fresh vegetables, was a brilliant way to start. The marron beautifully cooked and working nicely with the finger lime cream and rhubarb vinaigrette.

Barramundi with smoked almond puree, beurre noisette and carrot reduction

The fish and chips are not my usual order at a restaurant like Stokehouse but tonight I really felt like fish, and I wanted to try something different to Catherine. Her Barramundi was a perfect serve with a good fillet of fish, perfectly cooked, in a smoked almond puree, with a beurre noisette (brown butter) sauce, and carrot reduction. Each bite I tried was delicious, though I was very happy with my own choice. The lightly battered whiting, on top of a picket fence of thick chips in a pool of tartare sauce, was exactly how fish and chips should be, but rarely are. Our waitperson had suggested the heirloom tomato salad to cut through the oil, and that was a good idea, with several kinds of tomatoes all exhibiting good flavour. A simple enhancement would be some more basil throughout.

‘The Bombe’

We definitely had room for dessert, and we needed it! Catherine’s ‘The Bombe’ was a terrific take on the classic dish. The white chocolate parfait in the centre, next to the strawberry sorbet, all housed in a well executed meringue, were all delicious and beyond. We like desserts that don’t hide the fact that they are sweet and this was a prime example, without being sickly (though it is a large serving). On the flip side, my dried lime cheesecake, was more restrained on the sweetness, but still delivered in spades. This version wasn’t your classic, but it wasn’t so much deconstructed as just not having a base. The mango and coconut curd are friends with the creamy cheesy lime, and while again it was a good serving, I could have kept going.

Dried lime cheesecake

The original Stokehouse felt a bit more sleek at times, but the new version is still finding its feet. One thing is for sure, all the floorstaff were eager to make our night memorable, and they succeeded. The food we ate was up to scratch for what you expect of a place with the reputation Stokehouse must carry. That reputation creates expectation so we were careful, but it is impossible to not be excited by the potential embodied by this restaurant. Thinking about the experience brings a smile to my face.

Stokehouse St Kilda Beach Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Fitzrovia – St Kilda – Monday 26 December 2016 – Lunch

img_6405We are fickle. It is like going out to bat in cricket. You make a long walk out to the middle; get your bearings by taking centre; and if you don’t perform you make that long walk back to the pavilion, sometimes never to return to the middle. It might be a stretch but that is a metaphor for a café’s first performance.

There are a range of customers that allow café owners to make a profit. The base, or annuity if you like, is the regulars. The cream is the others. Those who come once but recommend to others (who themselves will hopefully visit more than once), and those who are patrons, but just less regular.

The regulars are easier. If the café walks out to the middle, bats a bit too far out of their crease, and makes a wild shot only to be caught out, they’ll still get selected to return and give it another crack. Some of the less regular patrons might even do the same. But what about when there is an off day, or an off section of the café, and a potential multiple visitor comes in?

We visited Fitzrovia for the first time on Boxing Day. It took us some time standing at the entrance to be greeted by the ticket seller. When we eventually sat in the stand we noticed others had better views of the wicket. Fitzrovia went out to bat and seemed to defend its wicket in a reasonable manner.

It was like we were watching a different game though. The flashiness we’d heard of in the reviews was missing. There were no wild shots being made, but eventually the tired forward defensive shot led to an edge, and Fitzrovia was caught in the slips, making a walk back to the pavilion that was no more memorable than any of the other batsmen I’ve seen in the tail. The performance left a lot to be desired and it’s unlikely they’ll be chosen to bat again. Maybe they can carry the drinks?

This might seem harsh. The toastie was great; a generous serving with cheese oozing out like you love, and plenty of meat. The thing is there are hundreds of great cafes that can serve the same quality of food. The coffee was good, without any frills or any flavour note that piqued my interest. The point is that there are too many cafes in Melbourne that are killing it, to go back to one that should not be open on Boxing Day.

The holiday period is important. There are less options meaning there is more of a need to experiment with new places, or travel for the privilege of a decent meal. That means there are more first timers coming through the doors. In other words, if you are going to stay open, performance potentially matters more over the Christmas holiday period than any other time during the year.

Contrast that with staff who would probably rather be doing anything other than working, on the day after Christmas (which can be a very tiring day). The question is whether I should be apologising for going for a post-beach feed on Boxing Day? I have decided I don’t. It is incumbent on the café to provide as close to the same performance each time a customer steps in.

Today we waited for a long time to be seated which is fine normally, but several staff saw us and didn’t approach or even gesture. We actually thought it must be full and we would have to wait for the manager to put our names down but it wasn’t. There were several tables upstairs completely empty. Then we were seated by the one person who seemed to care, but it was not her section so no menus came until we asked for them. In fact, it felt like the section was not part of any of the floorstaff’s portfolio, so it was again up to the one staff member to come and take our food order. We left to pay before the plates had been cleared.

Looking at the reviews (that attracted us to going to Fitzrovia in the first place) this is not the usual experience. Unfortunately it was ours and there is unlikely to be a reason to go back again. Fitzrovia has been retired from our Starting XI after one uncharacteristic performance.

Fitzrovia Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Lau’s Family Kitchen – St Kilda – Sunday 27 November 2016 – Lunch

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When I first started doing some serious travel to Melbourne for the big events, like the Melbourne Cup, one of the restaurants I had to try was Flower Drum. There is an awe to dining here for the first time; an intangible in the institutional surrounds that gives your experience an entirely different air.

Like a drop of perfume, the feeling from Flower Drum wafts lightly through Lau’s Family Kitchen. It is seen with the flourishes of silver service, the multiple greetings and goodbyes, and the positive response to each and every request. It may be an unfair adjective to describe the cooking as “clean” but there is a purity in the flavours, and the fashion by which the kitchen expresses complex technique in simple presentation and fewer components on the plate, is superior to most Cantonese restaurants I’ve eaten in.

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Today, on my first visit for years, and Catherine’s first ever, we had a light lunch but the two dishes we shared highlighted where Lau’s is better than most. The first subtle, but distinct, higher quality feature, was the wrapper on the pork siu mai. Dumplings are great, in that even average dumplings are still normally comforting and satisfying. But like many simple things in life, you can easily detect when something is better. Like stepping up from a nice pinot noir to a Burgundy, the wrapper here (and the filling for that matter) is memorable.

The second clearly higher quality aspect was the care in execution of the stir-fried fillet steak. In Western terms I think of stir-fry as a delicious jumble of several ingredients including at least one protein, in a soy / oyster based sauce, that is almost impossible to present elegantly. Here, you have simply and beautifully cooked fillet steak on the rare side of medium-rare, a deeply flavoured sauce with medium chunks of garlic and ginger dispersed, and some lightly touched baby snow peas. It is an eye opener when you realise that less is a lot more, and it feels like Chinese food suffers more than most with over-complication.

We had decided to see if we could get in to Lau’s at 1.30pm on a Sunday and were pleasantly surprised they could fit us in at 2pm. I expect that we were lucky. While it is by no means cheap, for a light lunch with a couple of drinks it is certainly not expensive despite the fillet steak being $45. Besides, just like trying a fragrance when browsing at a department store, that drop of Flower Drum in our dishes was completely free.

Lau's Family Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Luxembourg – St Kilda – Sunday 2 November 2014 – Lunch

Prawn special

Prawn special

My friends and I have a tradition on the Sunday after Derby Day to go for lunch together to recover from the highs and lows of what is always a great day. Each year there is a good amount of banter on where to go, who gets to choose, and then on the day whether the current lunch is up there with the best.

It is a group lunch, often only with the guys, and normally follows the same script. We get there quite hungover, tough it out through the first drink and first taste of food, and then get back to celebrating one of the great weeks of the year anywhere in the world. Following a successful day the talk is all about the horses who won, who had the most successful bet, and the near misses.

This year we wanted to go to Stokehouse – a restaurant I am very familiar with, but my friends have not tried. However, the temporary city venue was booked for a function so in quick time we decided to try Andrew McConnell’s latest and greatest, Luxembourg. From what I had heard, Luxembourg is a reasonably priced European bistro that has honest classical dishes that are good to share, perfect for a group of close friends.

1kg dry aged O'Connor T-bone, béarnaise, onion rings

1kg dry aged O’Connor T-bone, béarnaise, onion rings

We were seated on the front left window looking in, which is a great spot to watch the world go by, and in a way, a little bit separated from the rest of the restaurant. As the seven of us settled in to our first beverage, talk turned to the meal ahead. I’d heard the roast chicken was amazing so that was locked in, and the waitperson described the roast t-bone as one of the feature dishes which would be our main. Pigs ear scratchings, beef carpaccio, whole prawns, oysters and some salad and chips to go with the steak were all ordered too. We were excited!

Pigs ear scratchings

Pigs ear scratchings

We also ordered a very reasonably priced Soave to go with the seafood, and a 2010 Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley to go with the steak which was opened immediately. The bread was excellent like you expect from a good bistro, especially one overseen by Andrew McConnell. The oysters were all beautiful; Sydney Rock and Pacific oysters are all incredible at the moment. The beef carpaccio was a bit too generously sliced for my taste, but was good nonetheless.

Roast chicken, bay leaf cream, broad beans and gizzards

Roast chicken, bay leaf cream, broad beans and gizzards

Next came the whole prawns which were more the size of langoustines. Really juicy meat still sweet and flavoursome – easily one of the highlights of the meal. On the other hand, the squid salad, whilst cooked perfectly, lacked flavour. The tentacles were nicely chargrilled and had good seasoning, but the main tube of the squid had almost no flavour. The end of the entree was my favourite dish of the day. The half roast chicken is immaculate. You will not taste better roast chicken. Glistening crisp skin giving way for juicy, just-cooked meat, touched by an angel.

To finish the savoury courses, the dry aged O’Connor T-bone is a classic bistro dish. Beautifully cooked steak, smothered in béarnaise (I have a heavy hand when it comes to béarnaise), golden onion rings and frites, some leafy salad on the side. Seven of us shared two of them and were very fulfilled. There is a Tuesday night BYO policy and I have it on my list to bring a good bottle of red and just order the steak and a couple of sides for an indulgent midweek meal!

Chocolate tart with creme Chantilly

Chocolate tart with creme Chantilly

The service had been good throughout, though I think by the end our group was pretty boisterous and were left to our own devices a bit. It is noteworthy that the restaurant was not very busy, which may have been because of the extended long weekend for Melbourne Cup Day. We ordered dessert and most either had the mille-feuille with cultured cream and strawberries, or the chocolate tart baked to order with creme Chantilly.

Mille-feuille, cultured cream and strawberries

Mille-feuille, cultured cream and strawberries

The mille-feuille was delightful. It is a technically challenging dessert that looks simple on the plate, but was nicely executed and packed with freshness. The chocolate tart was delicious, the creme Chantilly really adding some balance to the richness. Oozing chocolate is always a good look and that softness on top of a perfectly baked tart never gets old. Another winner for the weekend!

We’ve had some great lunches to recover. The old Circa comes to mind, Cafe Di Stasio, The Graham, The Grand Hotel have all been terrific, but this was definitely up there challenging the best of them.

Luxembourg on Urbanspoon