duNORD - CBD

Originally just a bar serving up little Nordic snacks, duNORD is now a full fledged restaurant and bar.

The dimly lit restaurant/bar is perfect for those wanting to try something a little different or even just for after work drinks. The space itself channels typical Scandinavian style by keeping things simple with subdued colours and blonde wood furnishings.The Scandinavian influence is also present in the food with Chef Matti Fallon (formerly front of house at Touche Hombre & Mamasita) using Scandinavian flavours and ingredients, like juniper, lingonberry and elderflower to create his own unique and inventive menu. 

For starters, we had Ocean trout, dill oil, linseed and caraway crisp with butter milk followed by Swedish meatball croquettes topped with a lingonberry foam. Both starters were excellent, with lovely combinations of flavour and textures. 

For my main, I had duck in a chocolate, lingonberry and blood jus with stone potatoes and foraged leaves. The duck was perfectly pink on the inside and the jus complimented it nicely. The plating was very beautiful - the duck breast was plated amongst foraged leaves and stone potatoes, that resembled smooth pebbles upon the ground.

Our other main was Venison with cacao poached apples, smoked potato puree and sour leaves. The venison was cooked really well, it had a lovely char on the outside whilst the meat was ridiculously tender and melted in your mouth.

To accompany our mains, we had Charred cauliflower in soubise, horseradish and mustard foam. It was a gorgeous cauliflower covered in a rich, creamy sauce with a hint of horseradish and mustard for an exciting kick. A moreish but refined take on your average cauliflower and cheese.

Finally after our meal, we were ready to order dessert. To our delight, our wonderful waiter had informed us that our dessert had already been arranged. Fallon sent us out a very pretty Parsley parfait with pineapple and shortbread. The parsley flavour was very subtle and I loved the gorgeous shade of green. The textures of the dish were fantastic, the creamy parfait  paired well with the crisp and buttery short bread.

*************************

My night at duNORD was excellent. The staff were so kind and attentive and the food is exciting. Fallon has done very well interpreting Scandinavian food into his own individual style without falling into the trap of being too Noma-esque. His creativity and generosity is enough reason to go back. I'm definitely looking forward to the spring Menu and seeing just what ingenious new creations Fallon will come up with. 

367 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 

ph: (03) 9642 0052
www.dunord.com.au

Nieuw Amsterdam - CBD

Nieuw Amsterdam located on Hardware street has a distinct old school New York vibe with its dark wood finishes and exposed red brick. Above their dimly lit bar is a stylish restaurant area, where diners can enjoy a selection of mains and sandwiches or something from the Pitt grill, such as their succulent Smoky beef brisket with a carrot remoulade.

For the indecisive diner, the $50 Nieuw Banquet is an amazing deal. You get a ridiculous amount of food (2 entrees, 2 mains, 2 sides and dessert) and it's all decided for you by head chef Nick Stanton (previously at Woods of Windsor). 

Along with the owner, Michael Roszbach (from Cookie) Stanton has created a menu that is undoubtedly American but I detected a slight hint of Asian and French influence. The kingfish ceviche had a light dashi dressing and our grilled eggplant was served with grilled tofu whilst the carrot remoulade helped to cut through the richness of our beef brisket.

We of course had to add their famous chicken and waffle dish to our banquet, rich pate and a chicken terrine atop a waffle with a orange caramel to add sweetness.

Desserts were also a huge hit at the table. We quickly devoured our silky chocolate delice with a liquid chocolate centre topped with sticky honeycomb before promptly tucking into our warm fluffy pumpkin donuts with a Kentucky bourbon cream. Out waiter was kind enough to instruct us on how to best eat the donuts without melting the cream. The trick is to split the donut in half, smother the insides with cream and create a warm, creamy pumpkin donut sandwich of sorts. Brilliant.

The drinks and service were lovely. Our food came out very quickly and I simply adored our waitress. She was very friendly and beautiful inside and out. It was a great place to have a drink, share a meal and catch up with friends.

(special thanks to Rachel Lung for providing some photos) 

Nieuw Amsterdam 

106-122 Hardware Street, Melbourne 

(03) 9602 2111

Hours 

Mon to Wed noon-1am 

Thurs & Sun noon-3am 

Fri & Sat noon-5am

nieuwamsterdam.com.au

Saint Crispin - Collingwood

Scott Picket and Joe Grbac, combined their impressive restaurant backgrounds and have partnered up to open the restaurant and kitchen they've always wanted. 

At St Crispin it's all about beautiful plates and seasonal ingredients. The menu is comprised of elegant and bold flavours at good value with 2 courses for $50, 3 courses for & 60 and a 7 course chef degustation for $120. If you're lucky they might test some new desserts on you, like the banana souffle I had. 

I always enjoy sitting at the bar. There I can sip on some refreshing cocktails whilst I watch all the action in the kitchen where chefs are serving up some succulent Bannockburn chicken or fresh yellowfin tuna with watermelon and caramelised yuzu. 

A noteworthy dish is their wild mushroom dish with slippery jacks, a hen's egg, wild rise and parmesan. An absolutely luxurious and flavourful creation and undeniable  proof that vegetarian food can taste good. 

You can also go upstairs to their bar, Thomas and Olive for some liquor and snacks.

Northern Light - Collingwood

Northern light is a recently opened bar and eatery that is quickly becoming a new favourite on Smith street.

Adam Liston, co-owner and head chef was influenced by his time in Shanghai and has created a constantly evolving menu with Japanese, Korean and Chinese influences. 

Having fresh sashimi, succulent wagyu and grilled scampi being a few of its many offerings, I found myself ordering practically everything on the menu. Every dish is an ingenious embodiment of Asian street food flavours with just the right amount of finesse, but any chef that shares my love for Asian food and mayonnaise has already stolen my heart.

All the food is designed to be shared in the laid back atmosphere with exposed brick and mahogany surroundings, where one can knock back a few Sapporos whilst snacking on some bincho tan grilled skewers.

Make sure there's room for dessert though. Northern light's notorious ice cream sandwich was without a doubt amazing. A revelation that apparently took the chef several years to perfect. The bitterness of the dark chocolate biscuit with gooey caramel and green tea ice cream was a well balanced and heavenly combination of flavours, simply a must try

Storm in a Teacup - Collingwood

Storm in a Teacup is the baby of Sarah Cowell former tea sommelier at Vue de Monde, whom I had the pleasure of meeting when I had dinner there. Her tea knowledge and passion is inspirational and I am glad she could share her love of tea with all of Melbourne now.

Basically Storm in a Teacup is a Tea bar, so they are a bar but specialize in brewing tea as well. A place like this was a heaven sent for me, there are very few places in Melbourne that do their tea justice. Most 'tea drinkers' are happy sipping from a teapot crammed with too many leaves, filled with boiling water, steeping for much too long. At Storm in a Teacup, no matter which tea you select from their extensive list, you can be sure that the tea you are drinking is brewed with the utmost respect and care. The water temperature is perfect, the steeping time is exact and the ratio of tea and leaves is well balanced.

photo courtesy of: http://storminateacup.com.au

In simpler words, they do tea RIGHT.

They also do some pretty damn good cocktails as well. ;)

*******************************************************

I, of course could not resist their little food menu. I shared a charcuterie board and a vegie smash plate with my friend. Charcuterie boards are always great but what surprised me was the vegie smash. I really really enjoyed the flavours; there was an eggplant, beetroot and pumpkin vegie smash. Just really good simple flavours that I polished off in no time. All the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly so they can really help you decide on a tea as well as tempt you to try their selection of cakes.

They're always baking something new so pop in and have a look. 

**************************************************

If you're a true lover of tea, you'll love this place. It's just amazing that a place like this has opened, it's a reflection of Melbourne's growing tea community and the recognition of tea's importance in culinary society. 

I sincerely hope you guys check this place out, it's doing some great things.

Address:  

  48A Smith Street

  Collingwood, Vic. 3066

Telephone: (03) 9415 9593

Izakaya Den - CBD

Hidden away obscurely on Russel Street, Izakaya den is an incredibly stylish and modern looking venue with a lengthy bar that seems to go on forever.

The decor is minimalist and the menus projected on the wall add to its Japanese flair, which just emphasizes style and function. Not to mention it's small but well organised open kitchen where the many chefs prepare your meals right before your eyes. Nothing is more reassuring than knowing the kitchen has nothing to hide.

Moving onto the food!

These are scallops with garlic butter and soy 

Gotzinger Pork sausages

Wagyu beef with a side of pickled cauliflower 

Spicy Tuna Tataki (I LOVE TUNA)

Duck Liver Parfait with Crispy Wonton skin

Sweet Japanese Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. The scallops were succulent, the meat well cooked and properly rested, everything just bursting with flavour. My only fault would be that there wasn't enough wonton skin for the duck liver!

I washed our meal down with a lovely glass of Umeshu and Matcha tea, one of the few selections on their extensive drinks list. I highly recommend this place but try to go on a quiet night as they don't take bookings and the place can fill up fast.

Supernormal スーパー・ノーマル - Flinders Lane

Supernormal Kitchen's has relocated to its new and beautiful location on Flinders Lane. Adding another restaurant to Andrew McConnell's vast repertoire, Super Normal is his interpretation of Asian flavours inspired by his time spent abroad.

 

The space is modern and clean but with subtle traditional Japanese touches; especially because of the cloths hanging above the kitchen. McConnell has successfully encapsulated the unique Japanese style of blending traditional and modern aesthetics

Supernormal's menu is meant for sharing with a selection of raw dishes, dumplings or bao, veggies and larger meat dishes.

I thought the Pig head bao in particular was really good. He used an unconventional part of the pig but deep frying and packaging it in a Taiwanese bao was a great way of presenting it to a Western palate. The saltiness and spice of the sauce and the acidity from the pickles balanced out the flavours as well. We ordered a second helping before I even finished my first.

With McConnell in the kitchen, everything came out swiftly and beautifully. He did very well to capture typical Asian flavours, whilst eating I was reminded of my own travels through China and Japan.