With 2017 arriving at our door steps, the commencement of this year's food adventures have finally begun with another surprise date - hooray!
Powering through the sweltering Melbourne heat was a journey in itself, as we dragged our feet through isolated streets and lane ways to arrive at a humble looking entrance. Following the cue, we walked down a set of stairs; partially in doubt that the place would be open since it was so quiet. But thankfully, at the bottom of the stairs we were invited in by the sensored door which opened at our arrival. It seemed like the perfect movie scene, now, looking back, for Hansel and Gretel - except in this case, all we were searching for now was relief that only air conditioning could provide.
The theme: American meat/ BBQ @ Meatmaiden.
I will not lie, this option was not my first preference. But after contemplation on convenience, I had decided to make a reservation at this eatery. The restaurant bar was large and spacious, but made to feel busy with the layout of tables. It is a little dark with the use of blacks and leather browns; suggestively fitting in to a more relaxed environment. Displayed near the entrance was a row of meats and against the wall was a set of more private enclosed booths. Bubba and I, as a party of usually two, are never fortunate enough to get rights to sit in a more private booth tables unless we go to Pancake Parlour. So when we were given a booth, I was beyond ecstatic (definite brownie points were won here).
While the staff were gracious, welcoming and very friendly - it was clear communication was a bit of an issue and disjointed. However, it was all very forgiving from their down to earth nature, despite causing little hiccups in flow of service to us. For drinks, I grabbed the Grapefruit Gimlet while bub had the Southern Lemonade. The gimlet had a refreshing citric taste with the gin sitting harmoniously as an undertone; adding a slight wood like texture. The lemonade was wonderful and well balanced - sweet, but tangy to suggest it had been freshly made earlier.
To begin our dining experience, there is nothing better (as I have harped on with previous posts) that I prefer than oysters. So based on predictability, we began with freshly shucked oysters served with a smoked fennel dressing and lime. The dressing gave a piquant flavour of anise. Together, with the lime and oyster, it was the perfect way to begin dinner on a warm summer's evening.
For mains we took to the 20 hour smoked brisket from the Rangers Valley, and a 30 day dry-aged scotch fillet. The brisket was well smoked, and came with crisp vegetables to counter the flakey nature of the meat. It pulled away so easily with the knife and fork, but was unfortunately fairly dry and heavily relied on the sauce to hold the dish together. The sauce was lightly acidic; cutting through the aromas infused into the meat.
The scotch fillet was probably more enjoyable on my part. There were no real accents of funkiness from the dry-aged meat, but the mustard and a cream (of some sorts - don't ask me what it was, I wouldn't have a clue) on the side added an interesting smoking and tartness to the meat. The gelatinous fatty bits in the scotch fillet added another layer of flavour and made it more enjoyable.The meat was cooked well to medium rare, but there was just no accompaniment to take the dish to a new level.
For our side, we ordered the lobster mac n cheese. I had a lot of high hopes about this particular dish, after reading many reviews and seeing plenty of photos of this delicious carb-loaded dish. I anticipated my first mouthful to be a moment of new discovery; to introduce my palette to a combination that would leave me lost for words and would tempt me to order a second serving despite it being such a heavy dish.
It did not.The pairing, was in itself interesting. Perhaps what lead me to not feel this way, was perhaps the preconception I had formed in my mind about what it would taste like - I had imagined it to be slightly more seasoned and cheesier, with the lobster meat still inhabiting its integrity through its flesh; buttery, delicate, sweet and subtle in flavour. The dish needed a bolder statement I feel, to sell it. However, it was still well seasoned and enjoyable.
Dessert, was a smooth recovery from the lower lights of mains. To finish the night, we ordered charred stone fruit with fermented blueberries,served with a smoked curd granita to share. The granita, was heavily similar to the flavours of yogurt. The muesli gave character against the sweet stone fruit and bursts of blue berries. The charred flavours were not really present. The dish was quite sweet with the accompaniment of syrup to the bowl but still reasonably balanced. It somewhat reminded the both of us, of cereal.
Perhaps a year or so ago, I would have been raving about this place and have a lot more enthusiasm at what was served. But through experience and growth from flavours and refinement of my taste and respect for food, it did not reach the higher levels that I was hoping for. You will leave relatively happy in terms of food, but not taken away (unless like me, you have wonderful company). My highlight for the night, apart from the countless giggles, being blessed with the Godsend air conditioning and booth seating, was perhaps the oysters and my cocktail.
Each plate of food was good, but there was sometimes an absence of love being translated. Food was well timed,and staff attentive but at times perhaps, a little too much. It is a respectable option for a casual dinner and well suited for larger groups, but for a special night out I would perhaps advise to search for a different alternative due to the livelier atmosphere. Regardless, it was still a beautiful night. And just the beginning to another year of too many food adventures, both nationally and internationally.
Next stop - New Zealand.
Meatmaiden
A: 195 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: 9078 7747
A: 195 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: 9078 7747