Updates

I've added a "rant" about Melbourne restaurants in one of the Movida posts here and in one of the Vue de Monde posts here.

And a big thanks to cuz Nick for showing us around Melbourne on Saturday. And Happy Birthday to Moira again.

Movida and Melbourne laneways

Updated 21/09/2009: Let me start by saying Movida is very good. Very very good. But I'm starting to think Melbourne's restaurants are overrated compared to Sydney. Not by much, maybe by a point or so. If a Melbourne restaurant has 3 Hats knock a hat off and it will be about right. Movida is a case in point. As I said, very good, but 2 Hats? I dunno, maybe 1 Hat would be about right. Is it a full 2 Hats better than Bodega in Surry Hills? I don't think so. Same goes for last night's Vue de Monde. One of only two 3 Hat restaurants in Melbourne. Having 3 hats suggests it is up with Tetsuya's, Quay, Pier or Marque in Sydney. Sorry, but no way. 2 hats might be a fair call. Unfortunately they charge 3 Hat prices (they charge more than any of the 4 Sydney restaurants I mentioned) especially for the Grand Gourmand menu ($250) and frankly most of the 9 courses we had didn't have that "wow" factor a genuine 3 hatter has. What we had was very very good and the risotto, for example, was one of the best we've had but it was just a risotto (give Michelle a truffle and her risotto is just as good). Both Moira and Michelle thought our Spanish Don Juan sommelier at Vue de Monde was cute though. Flirtatious sod he was. ;-)

Vue de Monde 5

Well I'm well and truly stuffed. At around 1k I'd better be.
Happy birthday Dob.

Update 21/09/2009: Vue de Monde is one of only two 3 hat restaurants in Melbourne. Ooh and don't I have a rant about this. If you click here to the post about Movida you can read my 2 bob about overpriced overrated Melbourne restaurants. Let me also state that meal we had was very very rich and very good and we had a great time. I mean, I must've had a great time. My indigestion lasted for almost 2 days. ;-)

BOULE DE CARAMEL FOURRÉE À LA MOUSSE DE FRUITS DE LA PASSION
Passionfruit foam set into a caramel sphere with white chocolate cage and frozen white chocolate soil
2008 Punch Noble Riesling Berrys Creek Vineyard Gippsland, Victoria

BISCUIT AU CHOCOLAT
Michel Bras' classic self-saucing chocolate biscuit with chocolate sauce, milk powder and iced double cream
NV Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 Montilla Moriles Cordoba, Spain

NOTRE SÉLECTION DE CAFÉS, THÉS, INFUSIONS ET PETITS-FOURS
A selection of coffee, teas, infusions and petits-fours

CHOCOLATS À SAVOURER À LA MAISON
Handmade chocolates to take home

Vue de Monde 4

AGNEAU RÔTI ET RIS D’AGNEAU
Poached loin and rillette of lamb with caramelised sweetbread and Pedro Ximenez reduction
2006 Dry River Syrah Lovat Martinborough, New Zealand

FROMAGE
Jean Faup chèvre served with three textures of honey
NV Larmandier Bernier Blanc de Blancs Zero Dosage Vue de monde Champagne, France

ENTREMET SUCRÉ
Lollipop

Vue de Monde 3

JUS AU VERJUS
Liquid verjus at - 8°C

CANARD AUX ABRICOTS FARÇIS
Duck breast topped with apricot stuffing accompanied by cromeski of leg meat, chestnut purée and spherification of Balsamic and cherry
2009 Torbreck Grenache Natural Wine Project Barossa Valley, South Australia

Vue de Monde 2

RISOTTO AUX TRUFFES
Classically inspired truffle risotto
NV Barbadillo Oloroso Dulce 30yo Jerez, Spain

PAIN PERDU ACCOMPAGNÉ DE FOIE GRAS
French toast, green apple purée and foie gras with eight spice and jamon Joselito Iberico
1996 Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Kellerberg Wachau, Austria

KINGFISH AUX DOUZE ÉPICES
Fillet of kingfish crusted with potato scales served with vegetable carpaccio and twelve spice sauce
2007 Wood Evesham Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Oregon, USA

Vue de Monde

AMUSE BOUCHE
Flavours of oyster, abalone, mussel and pea

TRUITE FUMÉE
Ocean trout with horseradish and baby beetroot, smoked at the table
2006 Château de l’Hospital Graves Bordeaux, France