Monday, April 28, 2008

Vue de monde

I had an experience of a lifetime last Saturday.....
I dined in one of the world top 10o restaurant
This particular restaurant has no menu.
Every diner is catered to individually by the chef.
Vue De Monde is the name of the restaurant.
Shannon Bennett, the restaurant owner has won numerous award
has recently monopolise the awards given out in Australia to the best restaurant for 2 years straight.

with all this impressive background, you would have thought that the restaurant would stand out along the little lane that it is situated in.
But me and George nearly walk passed it when we first arrive.
So Melbourne, was the phrase when I arrived at its doorstep.
Standing in front you wouldn't have thought that this is one of Melbourne's best restaurant.
Just like everything in Melbourne you have to have a really good eye before you can spot the gems of this city.


The entrance...
We were really lucky to have a table in the restaurant in the weekend of a public holiday
Even luckier when we got the best table of the whole restaurant....
The table I am mentioning is situated beside the kitchen.

Now...you must be wondering
How is that the best?
Because the head chef will create a menu specifically to that table itself
while the other diner has some good enough chef to cook for them....
However, I think our lucky streak came to an end when we were told that the head chef
Shannon Bennett wasn't cooking that night cos he is still on the plane back from Adelaide...

The table... Lam,George,Me, Joe,Vanessa,Jen, Jason

and the kitchen view from my seat...
Our menu consist of 10 course meal...

and this is not the first course....George was really relieved about it...lol

Tartare with pea soup in a champagne glass...
as a cleanser to provide a clean slate for the chef to start our experience of good food for the night.

The soup is prepare in front of us using a coffee infuser. the pot is filled with fish broth while the top is filled with herbs and cray fish...tomato....etc
It is cooked using a candle that is lit up for 5 minutes...
during this 5 minutes, the soup travel up through the tube that connect the upper part
which the flavor of the ingredient will infused into the fish broth.which is why they call this dish
5 minutes Bouillabaise~ Tartare of crayfish and buffalo milk skin finish with aromatic herbs and caviar
The waiter told us traditionally bouillabaise is prepared through cooking the broth in with the ingredients for a long period of time....but Shannon discover an easier way to have the same taste...how ingenious and easy is that.
This is definitely the best soup I have ever taste....
the flavor of this soup is carefully blend together...you can taste all the ingredients of the soup really distinctly and yet they all work really well together...
up till now I still can taste the soup in my mouth...Just Wish I can have another bowl of this
then i would die a happy woman .....hehe



2nd dish is served in a plate that has the nicest mosaic pattern....
the reflection of the lights on the plate is so nice..it almost divert my attention from the food itself.

Risotto served with shaved black truffle and white truffle sauce.
This was my favourite out of all the 10 dishes.....
best risotto I have ever had...
while we are eating the kitchen is busy preparing next dish for a few other tables...
the concentration put into every dish is amazing...
we reckon there is at least 4 chefs working on one dish at the same time....
around this time our third dish is served up by one of the 2 head chef for the day
the name of this dish is called

Parfait de Foie D'oie
Basically this dish is made from goose liver that is grind into powder, nasturcium leaves(no idea what is that), crispy rice and Thai capsicum curry
This dish has a unique flavor to it and I have to admit after a few spoon full of the liver..
it has start to fill me up.

by now we start to lose count of the dishes that is serve to us up till now....
the 4th is...

Cannelonis A La Tomate Au Jambon
Alright, I am a bit lazy now to really describe the whole thing ...
so why dun you just enjoy all the photos then...


5th dish....



and a cleanser called...
Consommé Froid A La Tomate


Tataki de bu Wagyu
The noodle is actually made of soy sauce...we think...hehe
Wild Hare and Lamb Tenderloin

Goat Cheese Platter with sugar coated rose petal
Fruit salad, as a cleanser after the cheese platter

Pistachio Souffle
Petite Fours
there is plenty more photos form last weekend will upload all of it soon.
sorry for the lack of narration....a bit lazy...hehe

Thursday, April 17, 2008

you will be going away soon.

It seems like it was yesterdray when I heard the news.
That you will be going away soon.
Sooner than I thought.
But why does it have to be next month?

When it is our month to celebrate the things we both appreciate so much.
Melbourne will be so different without you
Just thinking that by next month you will be in sydney
and I will be here alone in a place fill with so many memories of you and me

Times flies by a blink of an eye
Farewell parties for you will be looming out soon
boxes will come out of no where
for your belongings and get it ready to be sent off

it's like a story unfolding in front of my eyes
one chapter is coming to an end
while the new one will start off for you and me

your room will be empty
you will be on the plane
and I will not visit 612 Queensberry st anymore

I wish I can be on that plane too
and I wish those boxes are for me to put in my things too
but this is real life.

Fairy tale never seems to last long,
after a year reality starts to sink in.
is it possible that fairy tale and reality will work together?
For us, only time and determination will tell.

one thing is for sure
I will miss you terribly.
Really terribly.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Kiama, Sydney.... photos.


Haha...Jason and George showing me their moves...





The whole Kiama behind us
george look like an old man here......

we stayed here for the night....

Jason' s gf, Jason, Lam, Bo

Me,George,Vanessa,Joe(birthday boy)

at the beach

My first win in poker..... yay..look at the chips
But no one gave me my winnings that night...
Stingy friends george have got.... lol