An afternoon on the peninsula: La Pétanque

On the Saturday before mother's day I took my mum for a pampering afternoon on the Mornington Peninsula.

We started out with a decadent lunch at La Pétanque in the gourmet hamlet of Main Ridge (also home to Ten Minutes by Tractor). This was risky because nice restaurants have an innate ability to fail miserably when I happen to take my mum to them. Luckily that didn't happen this time. 

La Pétanque is a set in beautiful location is a posh meets rustic 'barn'. It also has a little spot to actually play pétanque while overlooking the grounds. 

The setting

We started with a delightful amuse bouche of saffron poached potato creme fraiche and salmon roe.

Our entree was an exquisite dish of dill cured salmon with blue swimmer crab with gin and tonic jelly. 

My mum had the crown roasted pheasant special that was resting on a cassoulet and topped with latticed potato. It was fantastic but slightly overshadowed by my main (which I of course shared). 

The Aylesbury duck breast is the best overall duck dish that I have ever eaten (and I have eaten a lot of duck). The breast was perfectly cooked: juicy, a bit pink and with crispy skin (but not so crispy that it was hard). The duck liver parfait was a richly spiced accompaniment to the duck that added that level of decadence that could make you feel guilty as you eat - if you were that way inclined. The rhubarb and sous vide beetroot added an earthy balance. There is a wistful tear in my eye just thinking about it as a write this. 

Our dessert was a wintry rhubarb ice cream with rice pudding crumbed apple.

Highlights: everything, the duck, the location, the service



We followed lunch up with a visit to Peninsula Hot Springs for more relaxation. I would recommend a visit if you haven't been. The hill top pool has a spectacular view and the facilities (which include a hammam steam room) are lovely.

MFWF Express Lunches: Taxi and Grossi

During MFAWF I roped a few of my colleagues into express lunches ($35) at Taxi Dinging Room and Grossi Florentino. The MFAWF express lunches are a great way to try out some of Melbourne's best restaurants without breaking the bank.

Grossi Florentino: the grill

Grossi Florentino is one of Melbourne’s best known Italian restaurants, run by Guy Grossi. It has three sections in a grand building at the top end of Bourke Street – the Cellar Bar, the Grill and the upstairs Restaurant, which is a grander affair. 

Upon calling to make my booking at Grossi I was assured that the grill was serving the same express menu to the booked out upstairs (I’m a bit sceptical about this). Nonetheless, the Grill was definitely a gathering place for movers and shakers that Friday lunch with gossip girl type sightings of a former test cricketer and a rather unpopular former immigration minister tucking into Italian fare.

We started out meal with good crusty bread with top notch olive oil and some herb blends for dipping. 

My colleague JP began his meal with a delightful salad of fig, prosciutto, rocket and pecorino. 

The other two of us started with a deliciously rustic trofie pasta with spiced Sicilian sausage. 

JP (maintaining his individuality) ordered the chicken with spiced pearl cous cous (served with a wedge of lemon), which was excellent despite its dull description. 

I chose the calves liver with onion and mashed potatoes, which was a perfect comforting winter dish.

We decided to get a dessert to share. The crème caramel was hugely underwhelming with substandard taste, texture and presentation that “makes me feel like I’m being punished” – JP.

 

Taxi Dining Room

Our express lunch at Taxi was my favourite of the two. Taxi Dining Room is set in a beautifully light and airy room with glamorous city views.

Our meal began with warm bread rolls.

My starter of sticky pork with roasted sea scallop, hot chilli dressing and apple slaw was excellent.

My main of crispy Szechuan duck with pumpkin, daikon salad and blood orange was perfectly cooked and well balanced. 

The other main of roasted barramundi fillet with soft shell crab with sriracha mayonnaise was reportedly also delicious. 

We finished with a good hit of caffeine to negate the effects of the wine.

Duck, Duck...... Duck! @ Old Kingdom, Collingwood

Last week I visited Old Kingdom on Smith Street in search of duck to celebrate a friend’s birthday. While Simon Lay is no longer a fixture (having opened a new restaurant in Box Hill South) Old Kingdom is still a mecca for the many duck lovers of Melbourne. It’s unapologetically lacking in fine dining finesse, which adds to its appeal for gluttons wanting their fix of crispy, fatty goodness in a pancake. The décor is simple, the tables covered in paper (you’ll see why) and the service cursory.

The duck must be ordered in advance (1-2 days) and is delivered in three courses for the paltry price of $55. One duck had me and my two dining companions well and truly stuffed full of duck-tastic awesomeness. The banquet began with the theatrical delivery of the whole duck to the table, where the optimistically white shirted server performed a deft dissection of the duck and explained how to make a Peking duck pancake (for the uninitiated). The pancakes were delicate and thin, the spring onion and cucumber crisp, the hoisin just right and the duck the right ratio of crispy skin to fat and meat. The duck meat itself was still juicy and the plate of duck pieces included the wings, legs and part of the neck for those who like to nibble. The waiter was happy to bring out extra pancakes and vegetables when we ran out.

 

The second course was, of course, going to struggle to live up to the decadent duck pancakes. However, the bean shoot and duck stir fry provided a refreshing follow up to the rich first/main course. It was delicately flavoured, smoky from the wok and the bean shoots maintained their crisp.

The soup was a warming and light cleanser to finish the meal. The duck flavoured the broth nicely and the tofu had soaked up the flavours of the broth and the slight spiciness of the mustard greens.

 Visiting Old Kingdom without being disappointed, has me forming grand plans of going on a duck odyssey a la Matt Preston’s effort for the Age back in the good days before he jumped ship to Taste in the Herald Sun.