Picky Piggies: Fine Dining

Our experience with fine dining is that it almost always starts high and ends low. Entrees are usually good and innovative, mains are typically standard and boring, and desserts are hit-and-miss. It is for this reason we have been to Bennelong bar several times but never the restaurant. We had to tick this one off our list, and we are glad we did as Bennelong proved the exception where we enjoyed all dishes.

A 3-course menu is available for lunch & dinner at $145, a 2-course menu option is also available for lunch. We went with the 3-course.

House Sourdough

Wild Kombucha by Ballsy $15

We are not big fans of the convenience store Kombucha variety, as it is usually made with black tea which we find too strong even for tea-lovers as we are. However, we have enjoyed several green tea/oolong Kombuchas at restaurants, which can be great options for non-drinkers. This one was clean and refreshing, almost like an exotic sparkling wine.

Badu Gili - "Water Light" $16

Badu Gili, what a beautiful name for a beautiful mocktail.

Moreton Bay Bug Dumpling

This dumpling was perfectly cooked with the bay bug tender and sweet, which was only bettered by the cabbage, which was so well seasoned and had fully absorbed the essence of the brown butter sauce.

Heirloom Summer Salad

Always a safe and vibrant entree for tomato lovers!

Sashimi of Coral Trout

An unusual combination and an excellent way to draw out the natural sweetness of the trout.

Red Prawn & Roasted Rice Congee

An interesting textural combination of gluey congee with crunchy roasted rice. We found this slightly too salty, which overpowered the sweetness of the coral prawn.

Slow Cooked Pork Belly

This pork belly is like a sponge soaked in umami and the smoked broth, completely rendering away in the mouth. I only wish it was bigger!

Blue-Eye Trevalla

Well executed pan fried fish with an interesting nutty sweet finish.

Steamed Local Pink Snapper

Compared to the trevalla this steamed snapper was a lighter dish, but not boring with a silky sauce and a touch of saltiness from the sea succulents.

Roast Wagyu Rump Cap

This thinly sliced wagyu rump cap was cooked to a beautiful blush, perfectly showcasing the marbling meat. Whilst rump is a tough cut, this was super tender and juicy. The Yorkshire pudding was a star on its own, with a surprise centre as the sweet onions and mushroom puree elevated it to another level. The horseradish emulsion gives it that zing element, and balanced out the meatiness.

Cherry Jam Lamington

This is the dish that we always look forward to the most when visiting Bennelong. We would have enjoyed it more if the coconut shavings were thinner/smaller, as they were on previous visits, to create that instant melt-in-the-mouth effect. We won't spoil it any further, this is something you have to try for yourself!

Green Mango Granita

A light and refreshing alternative to the lamington.

Creme Caramel vs Mille-Feuille

A decomposed creme caramel with salted caramel snaps. There is nothing to fault this dessert, but everyone's had creme caramel and this was not on par with the lamington in terms of impressiveness.

Petit Fours

Rather than the usual chocolate truffles, Bennelong's Petit Fours were a welcome conclusion to the meal. This moist spongy cake taste like brown sugar, which paired well with the coconut cream filling. This is something we'd happily order if it became a permanent addition to the menu.

Comparing to its older sister Quay, we prefer Bennelong's younger and more modern twist. As far as fine dining goes, this is one of the best we've been to and hands down the best in Sydney.

Food: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Atmosphere: 8.5/10

Highlight:

Wagyu rump & the Hermes of Yorkshire pudding was a great combo

Lowlight:

Lamington not the same as before

Website: https://www.bennelong.com.au/

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With several awards under its belt, Shoya Nouvelle should come across as one of the top Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. Despite some of the negative reviews online as well as advise from personal friends who have visited the restaurant, we still decided to give this place a go.

Kani & Hotate Filo Age $10ea

The shredded filo pastry was an ingenious move. Crunchy at first, it then melts in the mouth, revealing the scallop inside. The scallop roe added a touch of creaminess and the shiso leaf hidden inside added another dimension to the dish. We also enjoyed the monk fish liver sauce, too bad there wasn't enough to go around. If we had to be picky - admittedly this is a tricky dish to execute - the filo was a bit greasy, and 2 out of the 3 scallops were slightly overcooked.

Unagi Canape $12ea

"Grilled eel with miso topped with wasabi crab meat mayo, salmon caviar and black truffle" - for a foodie you practically can't put more buzzwords in one sentence. The chef's creativity should be applauded. However, while the combination of ingredients was fancy and unique, the dish didn't work for us. The flavours were confusing, and the truffle was pre-mature (as can be seen by the lack of any marbling) and we couldn't really taste it. The eel had a tough chew, and we were also distracted by the scales and crab bones - easy mistakes that should've been avoided.

Hokkaido Crab Tempura $33ea

This giant crab leg needs little description. It was tender and plump, and not rubbery at all. There was a good amount of batter, which wasn't too thick, although it could've been more crunchy. The only downside was that the leg wasn't deshelled all the way through and the utensils provided didn't help. A messy dish to eat, although looking clumsy eating it is a worthy price to pay.

Grilled Swordfish Cheek $105

Knowing swordfish isn't a small fish, when the dish arrived we were still shocked by the scale of it. It was a true team effort as we carved the fish. It was so meaty it felt like we were sharing a steak as opposed to fish. The meaty bits were surprisingly tender as the fish oil had completely rendered into the meat. But the best part was the skin which had a charred smokiness.

We don't normally comment on service, but we feel like Shoya could definitely work on this. The waitresses were not attentive, and forgot to tell us that the cheese pork katsu that we ordered is actually not available for lunch. We only found out when we chased them for the dish.

The grilled fish cheek of the day is on the menu for $30+. We thought the Swordfish cheek was likely to be quite a bit higher than the entry price, but felt the waitress still should've confirmed with us the portion and price before placing the order. Whilst we enjoyed it, we wouldn't have ordered this dish had we known.

For a lunch at $90pp, we were expecting the restaurant to change the plates, particularly when they had become full with bones. It wasn't a particularly busy day and the waitresses made no attempt to check how we were going. We were also served a smelly hot towel, the smell could've been picked up from feet away.

In conclusion, we had a mixed bag of feelings towards this place. The good was the overall creative menu, the bad was the food was hit-and-miss, with certain areas poorly executed. The worst was the poor and inattentive service, certainly not a good match for the price.

Food: 6/10
Service: 3/10
Atmosphere: 5/10

Highlight:

Swordfish collar was impressive
Crab legs

Lowlight:

Eel was comprehensively underwhelming
Bill shock from the Swordfish cheek
Service and atmosphere didn't live up to the price

Website: http://www.shoya.com.au/

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Since our first visit to Minamishima, we've been looking forward to coming back ever since. It is our most anticipated restaurant of the year and a big draw for us visiting Melbourne. We thought Minamishima would be one of the last restaurants to change as it upholds the highest standards in sushi making. Did it meet our expectations? Keeping reading to find out...

The Omakase is $185pp.

Counter Seats (only take bookings for 2 people)

Eating at the counter allows the diners to develop a personal connection with the chef, as the chef gives a brief explanation of each sushi. And if Minamishima san is not too busy he might even have a little chat with you. For the full Omakase experience, I highly recommend the counter seat. However, counter seats can only be booked for groups of two guests (we didn't get them this time as we came in a group of three).

Table Seats

Whelk

Whelk is the hero ingredient of the first appetiser. It is served in a seasoned seaweed dressing, made with yuzukosho, sweetened soy sauce and Japanese extra virgin olive oil, and then topped with fresh radish and flying fish roe. The whelk had a nice chew to it, which paired well with the crunch from the radish and fish roe.

Chawanmushi

A one-two punch with a hot appetiser immediately following the cold whelk, the chef was awakening our taste buds. The steamed custard was silky smooth, and taken to another level by the smokey powdered millet roe and dried seaweed flakes. Just when you think you've reached full umami, the salmon roe bursts in your mouth and kicks in yet another wave of umami.

Takiawase

A simple looking dish that hides the amount of effort behind the scenes. Takiawase is a traditional Japanese culinary technique where each element is cooked separately before assembly. The taro, which was simmered for 3 hours at precisely 86 degrees, was sweet, soft and mushy. The black cod was tender, yet firm enough to hold its form, and had a hint of smokiness. A dash of yuzu juice added a subtle fragrance and tied the elements together. A good combination of colours, tastes and textures.

Charcoal Grilled Wagyu

Unlike typical steak or barbecued wagyu, we were pleasantly surprised at how light and flavourful the wagyu was. We are pretty sure the wagyu was meant to be the highlight, but somehow the eggplant stole the show. It's easy to flavour eggplant - just add lots of oil! - but this eggplant was not greasy at all and packed with flavour. A couple dollops of foamed wasabi creates an interesting contrast.

Strawberry & Sakura Sorbet

If you thought this was a peeled tomato then you are not the only one. A palate cleanser before the sushi course, we wish there was more of this sorbet and would have absolutely enjoyed it as a dessert. We couldn't really taste the sakura flavour, but never mind, the strawberry flavour was so intense, eating this sorbet felt like taking a tongue injection of a concentrated dose of strawberries.

King George Whiting (L) & Hapuka (R)

We began the sushi course with a couple of pieces of mild fish. The King George was paired with a plum sauce and shiso, while the Hapuka was topped with pickled daikon and ponzu.

Braised Octopus Sashimi

We were not big fans of this octopus. The texture was slightly on the rubbery side, and the miso didn't help to enhance the octopus's natural flavour. Mr Piggy was also sad to find one of his pieces a bit stenchy and bitter.

WA Amaebi (L), Seared Hokkaido Scallop (M), and Seared Flounder Skirt (R)

We were excited to see a return of the seared flounder skirt and were ready to order a few more. It was our favourite sushi on our previous visit, and sent us on a pursuit of this particular sushi wherever we travelled. This time however it was more firm, and we would have preferred the softer, melt in your mouth texture. The amaebi was soft and sweet, and surprisingly only to be surpassed in sweetness by the Hokkaido scallop.

Akami (L), Toro Aburi (M), Maki with Dried Gourd (R)

The Akami set the scene with a full-bodied deep oceany flavour that was clean and sharp, whilst the Toro had a softer texture and creamier taste from the melted fish oil. However, we missed the Otoro, which would have completed the full tuna experience.

Uni $22ea

We enjoyed the uni, but a crispy nori would have created a better contrast.

Kanigohan

The rice had fully absorbed the crab essence and was paired with porcini and carrot for added depth and sweetness. It was a subtle dish to end the savoury part of the meal.

There was also a stingray soup with a smoked dashi broth, which went done so fast we forgot to take a picture!

Tamago $10ea

This tamago was more cake than egg. The charred skin provided a caramelised bittersweet contrast to the fluffy and moist centre - an enjoyable dessert sushi.

Kuri Wagashi

Wagashi is a traditional Japanese confectionery that focuses more on the aesthetics than taste, but this one challenged our preconceptions.

Resembling the shape of a chestnut, this dessert was a concentrated bomb of chestnut flavour, crafted to immerse you in the full chestnut experience. The sweet runny custard centre matched perfectly with the nutty chestnut paste.

Tea Chocolate

We took our time to savour each chocolate and our final moments of the omakase experience. The distinct flavours of matcha, genmaicha, and hojicha highlight the skills of the chef in exemplifying the various aspects of a simple ingredient.

Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10

Highlight:

Desserts
Mostly impeccable dishes

Lowlight:

Significantly fewer pieces of sushi than before
You have to pay extra for the uni and tamago, which should have been included in the course
Barely enough food after paying extra for additional pieces of sushi
A table of noisy diners disturbed the calm atmosphere of the night, and the staff did nothing about this

Website: https://minamishima.com.au/
Address: 4 Lord Street, Richmond, VIC 3121, Australia
Hours: Mon closed
Tue-Sat 6-10pm
Sun closed

Phone: (03) 9429 5180

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