May 2010

Grey But Good

A city of secret gems

No one would ever go to Melbourne for the beaches or river. “Grey” and “brown” are the only words to describe these two puddles. I come from Perth and we use words like “sparkling, dazzling, iridescent and spectacular” to capture our glorious (oops, there’s another one) waterways.

But Melbourne's eating and shopping — well that’s a different story. A recent brief visit saw me seated at Shannon Bennett’s Vue de Monde fine French restaurant. I wasn’t paying but even if I had, I might not have minded, such is the warm and rosy memory I now have of the experience. Its location on a hill has given the restaurant a unique and charming set up — just reaching our table was an adventure. The waiters were oh-so-polite, well-informed and professional but still charming. After a lengthy explanation of the menu we opted for the set menu. The menu is a bit of a challenge and mysterious; “Cinderella’s Carriage” was pumpkin with someone’s liver (stepmother?). We played it a wee bit safe, but everything — from the homemade bread rolls to the most divine trout to ever melt in my mouth and the cherry ripe soufflé for dessert — was wonderful. What a fabulous way to spend lunch.

Slightly sozzled — thankfully an adorable waiter led me down the steps — I then went shopping (danger, danger!). I decided to visit just three of my favourite shops: Little Salon, Corky Saint Clair and Quick Brown Fox. These stores carry cool indi' Melbourne brands and most items are under AU$100. You can imagine how thrilled I was to score a great find at every store. Along the way I passed shops specialising in chocolate, Russian stacking dolls, Italian paper products, Brazilian clothes, cup cakes and wigs. Such is the attention and appreciation of artisan products here.

That night I ended up at Cumulus tapas bar. My friend and I perched at the bar, which gave us a good view of the kitchen in full flight. Another challenging menu and a decidedly less amiable waiter (sorry, no I don’t fancy blood sausage), but we ordered up a stack of yummy treats anyway. Highlights were the slow cooked octopus, kurabouta prosciutto and the potatoes in lemon (it was way better than it sounds). We wrapped our night up at the alfresco Supperclub, admiring the surrounding roofscape and grand views of Parliament. What an outstanding way to end a successful day in this city of surprises.