Everything Fine at LuMi Bar and Dining | Pyrmont
Dining at a restaurant that’s right on Sydney’s wharf and sampling a cuisine that’s Japanese with an Italian twist is something you cannot forget. At LuMi Bar and Dining you’ll be able to maximise the experience as it has a beautiful open kitchen to watch chefs delicately construct your dishes or you can you sip on a cocktail and watch the Sydney view.
Hello LuMi Bar & Dining!
For a weekend lunch, we opted for an 8 course plus snacks which absolutely works for people who’d prefer to seat at the wharf on a sunny day and have a long lunch. First up the snacks arrived at our table with a glass of sparkling NV Rustico prosecco.
Snacks
We kicked off with the zucchini pancake with generous sprinkles of grated parmesan. This tiny pancake of zucchini had me questioning how I was going to lift it up with my fat fingers as it looked very delicate. One sudden move and it could collapse!
Zucchini Pancake
It was quite an unusual snack but had a natural sweet taste to it. The parmesan cheese added an extra level of creaminess consistency, which I liked, a lot. Zucchini-haters will enjoy without them knowing this baby contains a vegetable in it.
Look at that delicate piece of zucchini pancake.
Next up, we were surprised to see the diced tuna wrapped in a thin crispy sweet potato cone. In some cases, tuna is not always a favorite option of mine but serve it like this and I’ll be hunting the chef down. A very satisfying snack that pleases all ages. The tuna was well seasoned and the sweet potato was paper thin. I already feel healthier devouring this and you would too.
Tuna with sweet potato cone
Chanwamushi is a delicate savory Japanese dish that’s simply steamed hot egg custard bathed in dashi, soy sauce and mirin.
Moreton Bay Bug Chanwamushi
At LuMi, the flavors are quite different yet it does keep its original texture as a silky-smooth tofu pudding yet with a hint of Italian. It contained moreton bay bug juice, yuzu dashi and shellfish oil. Not a bad way to blend the two cuisines together into one as it was pure harmonious flavors in a cup.
OH MAN! This chanwamushi was super silky.
We received the housemade rye & spelt brioche. I giggled at the brioche as it looked like one of the Queen’s Royal crown. The brioche was beautifully golden, soft and perfectly puffed outside.
Here comes the Royal Crown rye & spelt brioche.
We smothered the warm toasty bread with easily spreadable burnt butter mascarpone. Add those two combinations together and we’ve created CARB HEAVEN.
I’m telling you…you’re in CARB HEAVEN after having this.
Open kitchen where you can witness the Chefs plate their food art work.
To our next course the tomato & strawberry was fresh fermented strawberries with skinless baby tomatoes. The flavours are zesty and simple, topped off with garden herbs which gave a burst of freshness.
Camouflage, can you guess which one is the tomatoes and which one is the strawberries?
Talk about bugs and everyone will start screaming but when it comes to moreton bay bug, LuMi does a terrific dish that will let you forget about the name!
Moreton Bay Bug
The edible meat was certainly something I’ve never encountered as it was served semi raw but well-seasonally cooked in texture.
Best moreton bay bug dish I’ve had so far!
It certainly brought a strong district flavor to the table which made them a perfect ingredient to marry with the seaweed crisp circular shell and heavily powered with what appeared to be green tea was seaweed powder. GODDAMN IT!!! I want to order another hundred of these.
Just look at this green beauty!
Couldn’t help but order the Yuzushu Sour ($18) just because. A very light, not overly sour cocktail as it contained a mix of Cointreau and Yuzu infused Umeshu. My tongue could feel the delicate hints of yuzu and perfect acidity to refresh my palates for the next course.
Yuzushu Sour ($18)
Here comes some pasta action and we were greeted with four mushroom agnolotti. It was overwhelming to see an oversized plate holding four delicately handmade pasta dumplings as this dish made me feel like I was giant, haha.
Mushroom Agnolotti
Each agnolotti was thin and smooth holding a warm liquid center filled with a pool of manchego and a hint of truffle oil. Now it made perfect sense why the portion size was served as is. All four parcels delivered an incredible fantasy of pure delicate mushrooms with a surface of creaminess that tastes a gazillion times better than it looks, no offence.
Look how adorable is the mushroom agnolotti.
By now my body was asking for stomach expansion but the show must go on. For our last savory dish, we were served a piece of lamb that was nicely cooked as the meat would effortlessly part with not having to use much weight on the fork. There was an exquisite level of juiciness in the lamb and full of flavor that paired well with carrot mash.
Lamb
Don’t need no explanation for the kakigori as it magically looked pretty in pink on a plate. This was no ordinary simple shaved ice as it contained plum kakigori with basil, vinegar custard and lime sherbet. One of most interesting palate cleanser I’ve tasted. It was tangy and a burst of aromatic citrus in my mouth with a punch of vinegar, surprisingly a wow factor and an excellent way to semi end it.
You had me at plum kakigori.
To wrap up our tasting menu the salted geranium that included salted geranium ice cream, black currant reduction and a violet mousse was phenomenal. It was sugar-crusted but not to overwhelming and the violet mousse and black currant provided a touch of sweetness with the slight bitterness from the salted geranium. Very enjoyable dessert as I had the opportunity to play with my food by karate cracking the top shell with my spoon.
Salted Geranium
After 3 hours to get through our small tasting menu all I can say is it’s worth every calorie to visit LuMi Bar and Dining, but it does come with a $120 per person price tag, however you get to eat at one of Sydney’s wharf and see a stunning view. I’d say it’s a one of the greatest ways to spend your money on! I hope this becomes a permanent part of my weekend lineup. Okay…maybe I’ll just keep dreaming, haha.
Exquisite View at LuMi Bar and Dining
This meal was independently paid for.
Photos by Vanny Tang
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Kampai Yebisu Izakaya | Regent Place
Izakaya dining is one of the most fun experiences you can have at Yebisu Izakaya inside Regent Place on George Street Sydney as their menu serves a wide range of pub food that is based wholly on Japanese cuisine. Dishes are more for snacking while drinking but there’s no issue with ordering a bit of everything that can easily turn into a feast. Make sure when your drinks arrive even if it’s water, hold them up like brave samurai warrior after a fierce battle and shout “KAMPAI!” at the top of your lungs. (Kampai in Japanese means cheers)
Mini Spread of Yebisu Izakaya Menu
Lines are CRAZY at Yebisu Izakaya even on a week night.
We were greeted by a lovely Japanese waitress and she explained the menu as well how to use the touch screen to order. One highlight about technology is once you have finalised your dishes and beverages, you can go to the section where it indicates “total bill” and it will show you the total amount you spent. It’s a friendly way to keep track of your wallet so you don’t leave crying…haha.
Touch Screen Menus have landed at Yebisu Izakaya.
Hard Copy Menu just in case we ain’t IT savvy.
The takoyaki curry cheese fondue ($10.80) can melt any ones heart even on Valentine’s Day. It was quite a thick creamy mixture with cheese and seafood pieces served with takoyaki balls that were flawlessly golden brown all around. The bite-size takoyaki balls married so well with the fondue. There was definitely a bold curry flavour and a touch of sweetness from the cheese. Cheese is the spice of life as one would say.
Takoyaki Curry Cheese Fondue ($10.80)
I gave a lot of attention to the grilled cheese seafood gyoza ($12.80) as it similarly tasted like a pizza with a slab of tomato paste in the center that was buried by melted cheeeeeessssssse. Best part of this dish was pulling apart the filling with chunks of prawn and the CHEESE BABY THE CHEESE SAUCE.
Grilled Cheese Seafood Gyoza ($12.80)
Look at the cheeesssseee melt….THINK ABOUT THE CHEEEESE!
Complimentary wet towel when you get in a cheesy situation.
There was a whole variety of alcoholic beverages but we picked the fruity drink that was the fresh peach calpico chuhai ($9.80). It’s an easy sweet way to start the party as the fresh mashed pieces of peach swirled around the entire cup and the chuhai was strong and diluted well with the un-carbonated calpico.
Peach Calpico Chuhai ($9.80)
We opt for one of the simplest and tastiest dish salomon chazuke ($9.30) that consisted of nothing more than a grilled salmon piece and green tea with some herbs and to garnish fresh straws of spring onions.
Salomon Chazuke ($9.30)
My tongue was so spellbound by the teas flavour blending with the salmon base making it a light broth. Now the real hidden treasure was the Japanese rice because it had soaked up all that broth and fish flavours.
Spotted a salmon piece in our Salomon Chazuke.
The Japanese wagyu beef skewer ($7) didn’t need to be heavily tossed and turned with salt as its natural flavour, obviously coming from the fat was incredibly rich to showcase on its own. The beef was exquisitely marble for peak juicy flavour and grilled to perfection that turned out to be an A+ for us.
Unfortunately I wasn’t into the chicken breast ($4.50) as it didn’t captivate my tastebuds due to the lack of flavours, however the ume sauce gave it a sting which was slightly zesty but sadly didn’t match my jam.
The chicken meat ball ($6) that was almost the size of a corn dog comprises a mixture of flavours and textures. When I popped the wobbly poached egg it was like watching a horror film. It oozed out slowly and my face would look traumatised when the chicken meat ball was dunked into it. There was a happy outcome to it as it tasted garlicky, slightly salty but covered with egg yolk added that delightful sweet palate.
Left to Right: Wagyu Beef Skewer ($7), Chicken Breast ($4.50) & Chicken Meat Ball with Poached Egg ($6)
Very popular at Yebisu Izakaya!
Apparently every hour there’s a sake trolley that comes around just to remind you how you should party like if you were in Japan.
We don’t usually have sake but tasting a shot of Nanbu Bijin Sake sure introduced us to a whole new world of flavours. There was a clean fragrance and flavour that reminiscent to green pears that easily made us want another shot. As for the Uonuma Sake this is best well known for their style to be dry but light texture with a crisp clean of savory taste.
Nanbu Bijin Sake & Uonuma Sake
There was a lot of heart and soul in the Tom Yum Goong Roll ($9.80- 4P) as it looked garden-fresh with tempera prawns rolled in a swimming pool of fish roe and decorated with all sorts of greens including lettuce and coriander with large dollops of Tom Yum sauce. Definitely the most unique flavour roll I’ve come across but I would much prefer my tastebuds to try something more traditional in this case. Overall great efforts if you like all things chilli.
Tom Yum Goong Roll ($9.80- 4P)
Our final main had arrive and we were already up in the air like we just don’t care after a few sake shots, but the show much go on and for today’s sushi plate ($19.80) was a pleasant way to finish. This to share plate included four pieces of salmon and avocado roll, salmon nigiri, tamago nigiri, scallop nigiri, tuna nigiri and yellow tail nigiri. It was an easy way to finish as all the nigiris flavours naturally came from the fish itself and yes it was mighty fresh.
Today’s Sushi Plate ($19.80)
That spread of wine and sake. Need a wall like that at home 😀
If you’d like to watch what’s happening in the Yebisu Izakya kitchen then sitting at the sushi bar area would be the best seat in the house for that experience.
Yebisu Izakya is a great place to chill for small to large gatherings or even after work humans. If you’re not in the mood for alcoholic drinks and prefer eating then this would be the spot as there menu is so extensive, you’d want to order it all as it is catered to share. Price wise is fairly okay however we’d suggest to go with at least four people if you’d like to try a bit of everything but overall fantastic hang out as the decors and atmosphere feels like you’re in Japan.
Photos by Vanny Tang
Disclaimer: Nessy Eater plus guest attended Yebisu Izakaya thanks to SD Marketing Global and Washoku Lovers.
Opinions are however, Nessy Eater’s own.
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Let’s Meat at LP’s Quality Meats
LET’S MEEEEAT! So it seems we were all feeling a little peckish for meat and so the journey begins at LP’s Quality Meats in Chippendale. To enjoy your experience here I’d suggest to wear something super comfy for example wear fat pants or perhaps bring a pair and put it in your handbag because if you don’t you don’t you’ll be walking like a model who has a twisted stomach or something.
It’s a meat post!
We arrived 10 minutes after the restaurant had opened and already there were hungry peeps huddled up around the bar thinking about what they should for dinner. Whilst making those tough discussions it was wise to order an alcoholic beverage and soak in the the LP vibes.
The early hungry birds that get the worms
What’s for dinner folks?
Of all possible poultries to sample we opt for the chicken liver pâté ($16), which I thought would be a great starting point. To our surprise we had complimentary sea salt butter, marinated olives, gigantic green jalapeño looking all innocent next to the English mustard.
Chicken Liver Pate got me saying OOHhhh & Ahhhh.
Oddly enough I was shocked to have enjoyed the house-made sour dough with the chicken liver pâté together. The bread was soft and spongy with the heavenly spread of pâté.
House-Made Sour Dough Bread
On the face of it, the pâté looked tasty with its blushing pink colour and smooth honey coating with sprinkles of black pepper. It certainly was flavourful and wasn’t overpowering or thick in texture rather light and smooth. We all agreed that it wasn’t short on chicken liver flavour. It was a real winner for the table!
Can’t have it in any other way…
Wasn’t sure if I could finish what I had started because I could feel my soul in a ball of fire as soon as I took a tiny bite out of the green jalapeño that was at least 10cm tall, YIKES! I was on Struggle Street as the chilli range went from moderately to extremely hot, call the fire brigades guys!
Life is like a jar of jalapeños, you never knew which one is going to burn your tongue.
Didn’t want to be a party pooper and not order the gin ($18). It was a great introduction to explore this classic drink and with its acquired subtle sweet tangy taste, I sure wouldn’t mind going for another round.
Forgive me for I have ginned.
In between our starter we noticed a few undercover visitors headed towards the kitchen and gathered around the smoking machine where the meat dreams come true.
Look who we have here…is it the LP Meat Gods?
The beef tongue ($18) had awakened my tastebuds as I never knew that part of the beef with smoked beef fat vinaigrette could be so well married. This was by far the best warm starter dish to order if you fancy a twist.
Beef Tongue with Smoked Beef Fat Vinaigrette ($18)
It may look slightly frightening for some as it looked raw but flavour-wise, we all enjoyed it, especially with the bathed chopped Spanish onions and fresh parsley in the vinaigrette added that extra oomph to it.
Now that’s a really thin beef tongue slice.
I was excused for one moment whilst the Toronto Maple ($18) spun me right round, baby right round like I had entered the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy had somehow got swirled into the mystic clouds. The drink had strong notes of alcohol which I felt it had cleansed my insides so thoroughly that I could only take tiny sips at a time. On a fun note if you’re looking for something wicked on a Friday night then this is the go to.
That Toronto Maple sure made my head spin.
The smoked beef short rib ($48) deserves a special place in my heart and I think it’s important for people who like meat are made aware this badass of a rib exists. You want to know more, don’t you? Well you gotta continue reading…so scroll down!
Smoked Beef Short Rib ($48 -Left) & Smoked Sausage ($14-Right)
Hallelujah in my mouth was the smoked beef rib! I felt like I had a connection with that thick juicy piece of tender meat and it may sound like I was overreacting but surely you can agree with me if you were there to witness and taste it yourself. I was in disbelief that the rib was so tender and completely balanced with smoky flavours all around that I didn’t need the English mustard, tomato sauce or chimichurri. I couldn’t and wouldn’t stop when I had my first bite; however the only problem for us was we demanded more of it but bear in mind the price tag, so we had to end it here.
Let us meat again, pretty please?!
Time is a funny thing because when we had ordered the bread roll ($2 p.p), we had thought of a clever idea and built our own beef rib burger without any extras required. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to provide proof of this as I was in a bit of a sticky situation, but imagine having two of your favourite things – meat & carbs put together and then VOILA! You know you want it…haha.
You see me bread rolling…you’re hating.
Finally for the smoked sausage ($14) the texture and smell were promising, as was the enticing glossy smoky look. Without being overpowering with spices it was a taste we’d all enjoyed as the texture was neither too firm nor soft and tasted gourmet.
You’re looking smoking hot LP sausage!
A highlight at LP Quality Meats was everything on their menu are all hand made in- house, which means what you pay for is what you get. The MUST HAVE I’d recommend include chicken liver pate, beef tongue and smoked beef short rib. Everything on their menu is for sharing and it would be best to go with no more or less than 4 hungry humans, just so you can try a bit of everything. To the LP Meat Gods out there, please take me with you on your journey to the meat land as I really enjoyed all the dishes we ordered.
Watched the LP Boys Work Work Work Work
Photos by Vanny Tang
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Finding my inner Flower Child at Westfield Chatswood
The first thing you’ll notice about Flower Child Café is the ambience and the decor as everything is so florally. I just couldn’t help but smile as it just looks so peaceful. And what a stunning place to eat at with their brekkie, brunch or lunch menu options available all day.
Just on Anderson Street in Chatswood Westfield entrance you’ll easily spot a crowd full of hungry humans waiting around for a table. One thing I’ve noticed about brunch places is that if there’s a line it must be good. And boy I am glad my hungry instincts got this right.
Flower Child Cafe Entrance
As soon as we scored a table we quickly knew what to order and after a short conversation, everything had arrived. What drew me to the Flower Child French Toast ($19) was the lovely garden of fruits which included a scoop of banana mascarpone, freshly sliced banana, crumbs of dark chocoalte, baked peacan pieces, fresh mixed berries and a spread of salted toffee & maple syrup ($19). The toast looked evenly fried on the outside and soft and fluffy inside which made me think this could easily be on my comfort food list.
Flower Child French Toast ($19)
For the benedict fanatics the Eggs Benedict ($19) was quite a cheat day treat with two poached eggs covered in burnt butter hollandaise served with espresso & house made tomato jam with proscuitto. What was fun about this dish was it came fashionably buttered and toasted on a freshly baked croissant. I had a ‘moment’ alone with this because it was hitting all the right notes with the butter and creamy flavours. With the croissant it had the perfect layered crisp and crunch that married so well together with the savoury prosciutto. This is really something you shouldn’t be sharing folks.
Eggs Benedict ($19)
Feeling thirsty for something fruity? Well the freshly squeezed Pineapple Juice ($7) was a summer pleaser as it had a mix of pineapple, pear, apple, mint and a hint of ginger. We were trying to pretend to be healthy…haha.
Pineapple Juice ($7)
Next up the Barramundi Burger ($19) that came with a thick piece of crumbed barramundi schnitzel, red cabbage slaw and was drenched in kewpie mayo sauce on a sesame seed milk bun served with a basket of salty French fries.
Barramundi Burger ($19)
The burger grabbed my full attention as I could easily taste the freshness of that evenly golden crumbed barramundi. It was beyond my expectation and certainly a burger I’d like to order again.
B…Burrr…BBarramundi Burger
Trust me when I say this burger is worthy for your tastebuds to enjoy. The red cabbage slaw with mayo combined flawlessly with the burger as it had bold cruciferous and peppery flavour.
Side view of the Barramundi Burger
In between meals you might want to give their coffee a try as all their coffee beans come from The Grounds of Alexandria. So we opted for Moccamaster ($4) which was a batch brewed filtered coffee resulting in a heavenly clean sweet taste. You won’t get your usual bitterness but great option for filter coffee starters.
Moccamaster ($4)
And if your heart is set on the traditional brekkie dish then look no further because Breakfast Plate ($21) can sure be a real hearty meal as it includes two poached eggs, grilled chorizo, chunks of avocado, goat’s curd, roasted truss tomato, sprinkles of pomegranate, quinoa salad and on the side sourdough toast. I don’t think you need to eat dinner after this as it was an endless spread of all things nutritional.
Breakfast Plate ($21)
I could happily look at the Acai Bowl ($16) all day as it was just too pretty to eat. This so called bowl but served on a plate contained half sliced strawberries, generous sprinkles of blueberries, a piece of banana, chia seeds, crushed almonds, shredded coconut & the most importantly granola. It was all high in antioxidants and incorporated into this sugar-free and healthy breakfast. Winning for the health junkies out there!
Acai Bowl ($16)
At Flower Child Café on the weekends you’re best off dining in groups of two or four as it’s quite a train long wait. As for service it was surprisingly efficient and hassle free when ordering. Now for the food and beverage it was reasonable for what you pay for and I was quite surprised how the Barramundi Burger tasted, thumbs up.
Photos by Vanny Tang
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Vue De Monde – Personality on a Plate – Round 2
The last time I had visited Vue De Monde I was crazy impressed to know that my belly could not eat the next morning. Maybe it was because we had devoured an entire degustation menu, who knows. I was so convinced this time round that I’d know the menu off by heart but I was entirely wrong.
The adventure begins
Flashbacks appeared when I walked into the restaurant and was welcomed with Melbourne’s CBD view, but this time the night sky. Photos don’t do this restaurant any justice!
That view
We were first greeted with the pumpkin and all. Simplicity was a key for this course. Texture was whipped to perfection like I was eating air with hidden gems of walnut pieces to bring you to the crunchy side of things. The dip had a creamy outcome with a whiff of Indian cuisine and a tinge of curry taste. It went pleasantly well with the bite-size house made naan bread.
Pumpkin and all
So this is what it feels like again using top notch fork and spoon. This was the only time I would appreciate and carefully use utensils as I was told by the waiter it costs hundreds and thousands of dollars. I did my Google research and yeah I can confirm I would need insurance if I ever snapped these babies…YIKES!
Them baller cutlery
For our second course we had turnips with fresh milk curd and emu which had a variation of Asian herbal flavours that was topped with a few petite pieces of chicken skin crisps. This dish had a heavy fragrant of turnips and blended so heavenly with the milk curd
Turnips with fresh milk curd and emu
The third dish had arrived in a raw manner that I thought we were eating beetroot but I was fooled by the looks and only discovered closely that the dish had charred seasonal greens and buried underneath raw squid with smoked chicken fat, and fermented Davidson plum as a intriguing sauce. It was fascinating munching on these strings of charred greens as it somehow reminded me eating those packets of Korean seaweed snacks and the noodle like squid played well with the plum dressing.
Raw squid with charred seasonal greens, smoked chicken fat, and fermented Davidson plum
Full speed ahead and VDM train brought us Western Australian marron. The three ingredients ran and swirl so well together, amplifying each other’s flavour of pine mushrooms, macadamia and glued so well with the tender piece of marron sure got my belly squealing for some more, I almost shouted out “ENCORE”.
Western Australian Marron with pine mushrooms and macadamia
Uncovered the Western Australian Marron with pine mushrooms and macadamia
The world is your oyster when our cleansing plate of moonlight flat rusty wire oyster with lemon myrtle had arrived. I was fueled by the tangy, sour and vinegar flavours on my taste buds.
Moonlight flat rusty wire oyster with lemon myrtle
One would weep just to touch the crusty curves of the beer and fennel bread as it was still warm, crunchy and brown. Sitting beside was a rolled up cultured butter that compliments so well with the bread. Ahhh….Breaking Bread.Haha.
Beer and fennel bread with cultured butter
Next up was the Mark Eather kingfish with spanner crab and beach herbs, which I personally wasn’t a fan of due the the acquired taste of the beach herbs that had overtaken the spanner crab. On a happy note I was amazed by the tiny froth bubbles surrounded the greens which seemed like this dish was living on the wild wild side.
Mark Eather Kingfish with spanner crab and beach herbs
By now you can almost hear my expandable dress burst it’s last stretch but the show must go on and we had the bright and beautiful Kohlrabi with Yarra Valley salmon roe and a mountain of marron coral. This was seasoned to savoury perfection and made good friends with the beer and fennel bread.
Kohlrabi with Yarra Valley salmon roe and marron coral
Close-up of Kohlrabi with Yarra Valley salmon roe and marron coral
My eyes fell instantly to the Davidson plum sorbet with sorrel and flowers. It sure was a promising delightful taste. Picking up my silver spoon, I spooned out a dollop of sweet, tangy plum sorbet which was bathed in liquid nitrogen. The pleasant smoothness of the sorbet blended perfectly with the bitter-sweet taste of sorrel and flowers.
Davidson plum sorbet with sorrel and flowers
A unique flavor experience was tasting the raw kangaroo with figs and muntari berries.It wasn’t a typical dish you’d have on the menu but an eye popping experience for your tastebuds. I felt the figs and muntari berries overpowered the chunky cube pieces of kangaroo meat, however it’s a taste you’ll need to try it yourself to explore.
Raw Kangaroo with figs and muntari berries
Just its aroma won me over was the sizzling wallaby snag and how can I not include the part where a chef comes out to greet us and cooks right on our table with a transferrable hot stone pot. We’re big fans of a good sausage (no sexual jokes intended ;P) but have you tried a wallaby snag before?
Wallaby snag with wattleseed damper and condiments
Wattleseed damper being cooked
After all the condiments had arrived at our table and the snags and damper were cooked, we had the opportunity to get our hands dirty and participate in DIY snag roll. And if you’re wondering do we get to eat it? The answer is YESSSSS!!!!
Wallaby snag with wattleseed damper and condiments
It’s hard to dislike this Aussie fusion snag because well…I’m a sucker for theatrical presentation. I was quite intrigued with the flavours of the sausage and the damper bread.
The finished result of a Wallaby snag with wattleseed damper
It wasn’t long the waitress returned to our table and greeted us with a very sharp knife to let us know the next course was about to arrive. Hmmmmm I wonder what do need this knife for?…
Have you seen this knife holder before?
Most desirable meat dish was the David Blackmore wagyu striploin. Each pain-steakingly selected ingredient contributed to the greatness of the dish. Wagyu melted in my mouth even before I could chew and the marron coral and cabbage puree had me salivating.
David Blackmore wagyu striploin with marron coral and cabbage
And oh did I mention during the entire degustation we had this spectacular 180 degree view of Melbourne CBD. Nothing special…haha.
Melbourne’s CBD Night View
What a way to start the dessert course was the moment a clay pot bursting with flames comes arriving at our table and I knew we’d be served with entertainment. I’ve got my fun goggle cap, have you?
Roasted marshmallows
You just could not go wrong with eating the roasted marshmallow with frozen pear hidden in the center. It tasted naturally sweet and matched so well with the warm fluffy marshmallow cover. The only sticky situation I had was it easily fell apart, but overall I was pleased with the flavours, it was pear-fect.
Roasted marshmallow
A tantalizing treat was the tea tree, mandarian, and desert limes. You cannot go wrong with something tangy towards the end of the degustation as it loosens up the bloated feeling I got after having a non-stop fulfilling meal.
Tea tree, mandarian, and desert limes
In between my desserts I got distracted by another roasted marshmallows but this time filled with cho cho choooc…you guessed it CHOCOLATE.
Roasted marshmallows filled with chocolate
The squiggly chocolate pieces were easy to crack into with my front teeth and the squishy soaked lime sponge cake had a refreshing taste, texture and fragrant of all things citrus.
Tea tree, mandarian, and desert limes
A chocolate treat guaranteed to make any chocolate lover beg for was the chocolate soufflé. You just can’t go wrong with chocolate especially if you are eating it in front of an amazing Melbourne view.
Chocolate soufflé
Couldn’t contain my excitement when the lamington and gumnuts had arrived. Oh I have missed my petite fours and there was no way on Earth I’d share this with anyone else besides me, myself and I. Each velvety bite of the lamington reveals chocolate mousse swirled with fresh raspberry compote.
Lamington and Gumnuts
It was a superb finish with the gumnuts as it was served frozen and it had a powerful minty flavour that was refreshing with every bite. This reminded me of an eclipse after every meal but a classier way to have it. Haha.
Gumnuts
Vud De Monde Lights
For the second time in a row the real star for the evening was when I was being farewelled with a paper bag of goodies called “For the next day”. I couldn’t contain my childish excitement when the waitress tried to explain what she’d be handing out to me at the very end. There’s a reason why this bag is called that because after we had exited the restaurant, we waddled back to the hotel in 9 inch heels. The bag contained freshly tea leaves, two fun-size croissants and muselli, which are all housemade from Vue De Monde.
Overall this was my second visit and again Vue De Monde is a very sophisticated theatrical fine dining restaurant with a sweet little price tag between $250 -$300 per person. Surprisingly this restaurant never ever ever fails to bore me and made me feel like a kid in an adult body. I have yet to visit other similar restaurants like VDM, but in the meantime I’d say it’s still my favourite fine dining place to eat in Melbourne.
“For the next day”
Photos by Vanny Tang
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