Fatto Bar and Cantina

** Before I start this post I just wanted to say thank you for coming back and reading my blog. I have had a long, unplanned hiatus for a number of reasons which I won't bore you with but I am very excited to get back into regular blogging.  There are a couple of restaurants I visited last year that I will be reviewing but rest assured that I will be making sure my comments and data are still relevant.** 

Fatto Bar and Cantina
100 St Kilda Rd
Southbank

What do you think about pre-theatre menus?  I am not a fan as I often feel like they are rushed and don't represent good value for money.

Last year my sisters and I went to a concert at Hamer Hall so we booked Fatto Bar and Cantina for dinner, which is located next to the concert venue. To ensure we were finished on time we went with their pre-theatre menu. The set menu was 2 courses (with choices) for $45 per person. I don't think that was an unreasonable price however the meal had a few issues.

The menu is split into Small Dishes, Medium Dishes and To Finish. We all chose from the first two selections.

From the 'small dishes' or entree section I selected the Bruschetta with Broccoli Rabe, Bagna Cauda and Chilli. 

This was not very successful. It was served cold and would have been better warm. It was also very cold as if it had just come out of the refrigerator and would have benefited from being brought to room temperature at least.

J had the Whipped Ricotta, Poached Nectarine, Pistachio, Pane Carasau.  She was underwhelmed and felt the different elements didn't really work well.

K chose the Seared Tuna, Zucchini Noodles, Pine Nuts, Vincotto, Nasturtium which she enjoyed.  

For main J and I had the Roasted Beetroot Risotto, Goats Curd, Walnuts, Chervil.  This was quite tasty and visually very beautiful although I don't think it photographed well!

K again went with the seafood option and chose well -  King Salmon, Zucchini, Salsa Verde, Hazelnuts, Orange Zest.

We shared the Roquette, Fennel, Pear and Pecorino salad which was nice.

Overall this meal was nice but it didn't wow me and I wouldn't rush back to Fatto despite the convenient location.

Pinot Grigio

I think if we'd arrived early, ordered one of their pizzas, (which by all accounts are traditional and delicious), to enjoy with our wine my overall impression of Fatto would have been very different. 


So, are you a fan of the pre-theatre set menu?  Any recommendations to change my mind?

Yak Italian Kitchen

Yak Italian Kitchen & Bar
150 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000

The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Express Restaurant lunches are a great way to try a new restaurant (or visit an old favourite) on a budget. For $40 you get the choice of 2 courses, a glass of wine and coffee.

I generally like to try a new restaurant and so I met a friend at Yak Italian, on the corner of Russell Street and Flinders Lane. I have been past this corner many times but never really noticed this restaurant.  

To begin we were served warm bread with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and olives.  How gorgeous is the crockery! The speckled gold plates and bowls are beautiful.

My friend and I ordered the same items so unfortunately I don't have a variety of meals to show.  In the battle between what I want to eat versus what would be good for the blog post, the want won this time.

Handmade potato gnocchi served with a rich meat ragu

For entree I had the Gnocchi of the day.  It was divine.  The gnocchi were light and fluffy and very moreish.  The sauce was ok and to be honest not what I imagine when I read the words rich meat ragu but the gnocchi was really the star of the dish.

The other entree option was a Caprese salad.

Pan seared fish fillet served with a seasonal vegetables salad

For main, I ordered the Fish of the day.  The pan seared barramundi came with a selection of seasonal vegetables and fennel foam.  It was beautifully presented and the fish was cooked perfectly.  The vegetables were interesting, the fennel strands were quite crisp and the fennel foam was very tasty and perfectly complemented the dish.  

The serves weren't large but they were perfect for lunch.

I enjoyed a class of Little Vespa Pinot Grigio from the King Valley with my meal.

The alternative main option was Veal Ossobuco Milanese served with chargrilled buckwheat polenta.  I did like the sound of this however it was a really hot day so I decided to go with the lighter fish option.  I did not apply this logic to the entree because gnocchi!

Good coffee finished our meal.

For those with a sweet tooth the dessert offerings were Italian style doughnuts filled with pistachio ice cream, baked orange and cinnamon or Tart of the day.

Yak presents tasty, interesting food.  I'm glad I finally 'discovered' it.      

 

Woody P and Hugh!

Woody P
121 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000

My sisters and I met in Flinders Lane for a quick dinner before going to see Hugh Jackman’s Broadway to Oz (amazing!).  Chin Chin, had a queue (of course) and the last table had just been taken at The Meatball and Wine Bar so we headed into Woody P, not really knowing a lot about this contemporary Italian restaurant. It was a good move as the food was delicious.
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We ordered wine (1litre carafe $52) and the house marinated olives to nibble.

House marinated olives / $6

For main I had the Barramundi with kale and artichoke. It was delicious. The fish was beautifully cooked and all the flavours went well together. 

Barramundi, kale, artichoke / $38

One of my sisters got the Veal Milanese. Whilst it wasn't quite what she was expecting she enjoyed it.  

Veal milanese, shredded cabbage, parmesan / $30

The witlof, pear and walnut salad we shared was very nice. Crunchy, fresh flavours.

Witlof, pear, walnut/ $8

We had no time to linger over dessert and coffee - Hugh was waiting!!

Apologies for the bad phone photos.  It was a great concert. Hugh is an amazing entertainer - funny, talented, a great storyteller, good looking! The total package!  If you ever get a chance to see him perform live I highly recommend it.

"I still call Australia home" Spine tingling!

CHIN CHIN

Chin Chin
125 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000

I'm back!! If you are still reading thank you :)  

A couple of weeks ago my sister in law and I met up for lunch at Chin Chin.  Surprisingly neither of us have been there before, (I don't like queuing), so we went with the Feed Me option. For $69 they will serve you a selection of their favourite dishes. I must say I was a little nervous but it turned out to be a fantastic decision.  And the food just keeps coming!  It was definitely an indulgent long lunch and we enjoyed every mouthful.

To begin from the "Little Something" section we were served three dishes.

Kingfish Sashimi, Lime, Chilli, Coconut & Thai Basil

I loved the kingfish sashimi.  It was fresh, light and full of flavour. A great start.

Chin Chin Pork Roll Ups, Red Braised Suckling Pig, Pancakes, Slaw & Asian Herbs

The pork rollups were delicious and fun to make. I could have happily had more of these.

Spicy Corn and Coriander Fritters, Iceberg Lettuce, Chilli Jam

The third 'little something' were spicy, crispy fritters. I love the combination of corn and coriander and these crunchy little balls were yum. Wrapped in a lettuce cup with the bite of chilli jam - perfection. 

Our next dish was from the "Rice & Noodles" section of the menu. 

Pad Seuw of Six Hour Braised Wagyu, Gai Laan, Rolled Rice Noodles & Crispy Shallots

This is pure comfort food for me.  The noodles and beef were sublime, the coriander and crispy shallots the perfect finishing touch to the dish.

Crispy Barramundi & Green Apple Salad, Caramelised Pork, Peanuts, Chilli, Lemongrass

Next up was a salad from "Green Stuff". Not what I would have expected from something in that category but it was one of my favourite dishes. The pork was sticky, the fish tasty and the apple salad fresh and crunchy.  A lovely, refreshing combination.

By this stage we were getting quite full and thought we may have finished the savoury part of the meal but no, there was more - a dish from the "Curries" part of the menu.  The butter chicken curry was good but didn’t wow me like the dishes that came before it and I probably wouldn't order it again. As an aside though I must say I loved the bowl it was served in!

 

Butter Chicken Curry, Yoghurt, Green Chilli served with Rice

Our final course was from "Sweet and Refreshing Things".  This is not something I would have ordered but it was nice and a lovely way to end our meal. Actually I probably wouldn't have ordered dessert at all so I was glad it was a part of the Feed Me experience.  I particularly liked the sweetcorn icecream and the crunch of the wild rice.  

Coconut Sago, Sweetcorn Ice Cream, Praline, Puffed Wild Rice

I highly recommend the Feed Me option, particularly if you've not been to Chin Chin before.  It allows you to get a feeling for the serving sizes of a vast portion of the menu, it is great value and it takes the stress out of narrowing down choices when you want to try everything.

We left very full but happy.  Particularly when we saw the number of people waiting for a table.  I can't wait to go back to Chin Chin but I will definitely go early again to avoid the dreaded queue!