Vue De Monde ★★★★★ $$$$$

My best buddy's girlfriend who flew all the way from Singapore visited us so we decided to have dinner in Vue de Monde to welcome her arrival. She was really excited about it as she has been raving about trying out this place. Reservation is essential for this place as it normally takes 1 to 2 months booking in advance and we were lucky as we managed to get seats. Upon arrival, we were buzzed up to the 55th floor which was actually hidden and not accessible without guidance.

The place was spacious with a spectacular city view.

It is an opened kitchen hence we were given the opportunity to see the whole cooking process and what the chefs do best.

Potato Crisp [Left], Pumpkin [Right] and Crispy Venison Sandwich [Bottom]

For starters we had potato crisp with a special sour cream dip. Then came the Amuse-bouche to excite our taste buds. First was the pickled pumpkin which was sour and refreshing with a crunchy texture. Second was the Venison Sandwich which had a thin crisp and well balanced savoury filling. The filling had a similar texture to a steak tartare.

Smoked Eel

Third was the Smoked Eel which had a fine-tuned smoke taste with a very fine white chocolate coating topped with Caviar. The white chocolate gave a pleasant sweetness and also an extra crunch to the semi-firm eel.

Oysters & Lemon

Oysters & Lemon were perfectly balanced. No fishy taste at all and it melted instantly in your mouth.

Crabe, Avocat, Citron Vert, Caviar

Spanner Crab, Avocado, Lime, Caviar and Radish. Spanner Crab was fresh and tasty. The blend of  ingredients were refreshing and soothing with a delicate taste.

Consomme De Champignon

Pine Mushrooms, Walnuts and Bird's Cress in Cona Infusion. The Mushroom Consomme is brewed with a Cona Vacuum Coffee Maker. It is infused with herbs which gave a very strong mushroom essence. The dish had a salty touch to it served with fresh Pine Mushrooms.

Ecrevisse Corned Beef Sandwich, Emulsion Beurre Noisette

Marron, Corned Beef Sandwich and Brown Butter Emulsion. Marron Crayfish which had a similar texture to a lobster was fresh and springy. Dipped with the Brown Butter Emulsion was a superb combination as it really brought out the sweetness of the Crayfish. The Brown Butter was tasty which gave out a rich and fragrant butter essence. Corned Beef was smooth and the crisp was excellent.

Oeuf De Canard, Ris D'Agneau, Oignon, Truffe

Fried Duck Egg, Lamb Sweetbread, Pickled Onion and Cauliflower Puree with a generous amount of shaved truffle. Duck Egg was smooth and runny. What was most impressive was that the base of the egg yolk was actually a Cauliflower Puree instead of egg white. It had a smooth buttery texture to it and worked well with the egg yolk. The Sweetbread was crispy and when blended with the rest of the ingredients, it tasted wonderful. The truffle was an excellent complement to the dish as it brought out the fragrance of the dish accompanied by the olive oil. The pickled onion was crunchy and had no sign of any raw onion taste. An excellent savoury dish. Would say its one of my favourites.

Sorbet Au Concombre

Cucumber Sorbet and Crushed Herbs frozen with Liquid Nitrogren. Served as a Palate Cleanser. The Sorbet was so refreshing and eaten with the herbs soothes your throat. It had a hint of pleasant sweetness. It also had a smooth and icy texture but wasn't hard at all.

Thon, Fenouil, Wasabi, Herbes Des Plages

Southern Blue Fin Tuna, Fennel, Wasabi Foam and Beach Herbs. Tuna was fresh and had no hint of fishiness at all. The texture was smooth and soft. Never had Wasabi foam before but it worked well with the fish as the Wasabi taste was faint hence not overpowering the fish taste. Sea Urchin paste was magnificent as it had a creamy savoury taste with a slight hint of sweetness. Fish Stock Jelly (Orange/Yellow round jelly) was special as it was not fishy at all.

Beuf, Coing, Artichaut

Blackmore Wagyu Beef, Quince, Artichoke Foam, Mustard and Bone Marrow. Perfectly cooked Medium-rare Beef. Meat was succulent and tender. It had a savoury taste which had a similar garlic fragrance.

Kangourou, Radis, Rutabaga, Navet

Kangaroo, Radish, Swede and Turnip. Another perfectly cooked medium-rare Kangaroo meat. Thought that it would have a rough texture but it was juicy, succulent and tender. Very well seasoned. Was much better compared to the beef. One of the best dishes of the night.

Assortiment De Fromages

Assortment of Bread, Cheese and Jam. Fig, Onion and Tomato Jams. Lemon puree, Rhubarb and Apple shreds. Each cheese had its own flavour and texture. It worked well with the Jam and Bread. A mixture of savoury and sweetness.

Entremet Sucre

House-made Lemonade, Frozen Toffee Apple, Popping Candy. We were advised to take a bite of the Frozen Toffee Apple followed by a sip of the Lemonade. The Toffee was sweet and sour which had a smooth sorbet-like texture coated with Jelly. It was really refreshing after a sip of the Lemonade as it gave an extra punch to it.

Meringue Au Citron, Chocolat Blanc, Persil

Lemon Meringue, White Chocolate and Parsley. Superb dessert!! The sweet firm and smooth meringue worked well with the sour Lemon Curd. The White Chocolate shavings sweetness was just right and not overpowering. The Ice-cream had a smooth but nutty texture with a hint of lemon to it. The twist to this dessert was from the Lemon Curd which made the dish really special and kept us wanting for more.

Souffle Au Chocolat

Chocolate Souffle with Creme Anglaise. The Chocolate Souffle was topped with a very rich and smooth chocolate cream. The Souffle was very very very light and fluffy. It felt as though we were eating air. The Creme Anglaise was a complement to the dessert as it balanced the chocolate flavour.

Sweet Delights

Mint Marshmallow, Mini Golden Gay Time Ice Cream, Lamington, Lemon Jujube. The Marshmallow had the right amount of sweetness topped with mint leaf. It had a fluffy and chewy texture. The mini Ice-cream on stick coated with nuts tasted just like Golden Gay Time Ice Cream which was delicious. This Lamington was different as it was made with chocolate mousse instead of fluffy sponge cake. Topped with Raspberry Jam. Lemon Jujube had a jelly-like consistency with pleasant sweetness and sour, coated with a layer of sugar.

Verdict (Highest-10)

Food: 9.5 (Exquisite!! I was impressed with the cooking techniques used which I've never seen before.)

Service: 9.5 (Very good service. The waiters were patient and could explain thoroughly about the food served.)
Ambiance: 9.5 (Spectacular view with a serene and comfortable atmosphere.)

Overall: 9.5 (A must try dining experience. The dining experience took about 4.5 hours long. A perfect place if you want to slowly enjoy and savour your food.)

Price: $60 AUD for 2 course meal (Lunch Only)
         $150 AUD for 5 course meal (A La Carte Menu)
         $250 AUD for 10 course meal (Degustation Menu)

Address

CBD

Level 55 Rialto Towers

525 Collin Street

Melbourne 3000

Melbourne

Australia

Tel : (03) 9691 3888

Working Hours

Lunch
Tues to Fri and Sun
Reservations from midday to 2pm
Dinner
Mon to Sat
Reservation from 6pm to 9.15pm


View Larger Map