I’m going to start at the end when I’m writing about Trocadero.  I know it’s a little backwards of me but the desserts are really so brilliant at this new brasserie style restaurant that they deserve top billing.  Whatever you do make sure you don’t over order and run out of room or run out of time for dessert as it is so good it should be compulsory at Trocadero.

Chocolate pudding with milk toffee ice-cream at Trocadero

Trocadero has serious names behind it in the form of the Van Haandel’s (who own The Stokehouse) and  is leading the way in the move to establish the Arts Centre as a food destination as well as a place to see a show or concert.  I went there with MTV and my friend Lucy who was visiting from London on a balmy Saturday night when it was the perfect temperature to sit outside on the terrace and take in the views of the Yarra river and Melbourne skyline.  Keep it in mind if you have out of town visitors.

Triple cooked chips at Trocadero

For a cheeky snack to start the triple cooked chips at Trocadero ($11) are brilliant.  To make them even more decadent they are served with a truffle alioli and topped with shaved pecorino.  From the bar snacks menu  the lamb toastie is the perfect pre-theatre snack in the form of tender, slow cooked lamb sandwiched between two crisp pieces of toasted bread.

Tuna at Trocadero

The mains at Trocadero don’t have the same wow factor.  The tuna ($38) served rare on the inside and crusted with sesame seeds and miso crumbs was fresh and perfectly cooked.  It was teamed well with slices of eggplant and a citrus mayonnaise but the portion size was pretty miserly for the price.   While Trocadero’s minute steak ($28) was thin and flavoursome it wasn’t as tender as I expected and it was served as a single piece of meat with a garnish without sides or even an accompanying lone vegetable.

Trocadero’s minute steak

But it is when you get to the sweet end of the meal that Trocadero really shines.  The chocolate pudding ($18) is delicious with a gooey chocolate centre that spills open when you cut into the pudding.  It’s served with a seriously addictive  milk toffee ice-cream.  Even more spectacular was the caramel cooked cream ($18) which is layered in a glass with pear and chocolate and topped with a popcorn crumble.  It’s a taste sensation with that winning combination of salted caramel with chocolate and different textures on display as you delve into the dish.

Caramel cooked cream at Trocadero

The bar snacks and desserts at Trocadero are real winners.  The mains we tried didn’t reach the same heights but you could concoct yourself a pretty perfect pre or post theatre meal by sharing a couple of the snacks and then filling up on the sensational desserts.  It’s a welcome addition to the Arts Centre.

Essentials
Details: Trocadero, Hamer Hall, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne City 3000 (Ph 03 8698 8888) Open – 11am -11pm.
Damage: Pricey.
7/10

Bushrangers are back! Captain Melville is the newest place in the city housed in Melbourne’s oldest pub.  The old bluestone building was most recently called Mac’s hotel but has been reinvented as Captain Melville, named after one of Victoria’s most notorious bushrangers.

Slow cooked lamb in brik pastry at Captain Melville

I was invited to have dinner there and pushed open the front door of the building to see the old pub interior.  Walking through the back revealed a huge enclosed area with a glass roof and long tables leading to an open kitchen.  It’s a stylish design featuring lots of timber, glass and of course bluestone and there are well thought out details like burlap bags and jars of Australian wildflowers.  From a perch here you can see chef Shayne McCallum and his team work away in the kitchen cooking up pub classics often with a twist reflecting Shayne’s experience at top Melbourne restaurants including Blakes, The Botanical, The Kingston Hotel and The Graham.

Chicken on betel leaf, pinot grigio and the lethal curdled mik shot at Captain Melville

That experience shows in the sophisticated special of a small portion of shredded chicken cooked in masterstock and laced with coconut and chilli served on a betel leaf.  It was a really delicate dish and a great way to kick start a meal.  This dish isn’t listed on the menu so make sure to check the specials board to see if it is on it.  For something slightly more substantial tender slow cooked lamb was wrapped in crisp brik pastry and doused with a tangy smoked yoghurt sauce ($6.50).

Quinoa salad at Captain Melville

It’s not a Melbourne restaurant unless there is quinoa somewhere on the menu and Captain Melville does a cracking take on a quinoa salad ($16).  The quinoa is teamed with asparagus, broad beans and bright yellow beetroots and sits on a pool of honey yoghurt.

Mini hot dogs made with bratwurst at Captain Melville

Moving on to some dude food snacks Captain Melville serves up mini hot dogs ($6.50) made with bratwursts and topped with sauerkraut and a dollop of mustard there are also sliders ($6.50) using pork belly, baby cos lettuce and crackling.  I would have liked a little more crackling but both are good choices for soaking up the booze.

Chef time

Of course there is also a parma on the menu ($25) and Captain Melville’s take on this classic dish is one of the city’s best, made with Bannockburn free range chicken cut as a thick and juicy fillet before being crumbed and topped with a Napoli sauce.  The only let down to the parma was its accompaniment of slightly undercooked hand cut chips  and some rather retro coleslaw.

Captain Melville’s parma

Finally, the must try dessert is the salted caramel banana split.  It’s Shayne’s take on a stoner dessert and reminded me of Ms G’s in Sydney.  I particularly enjoyed the shards of honeycomb sitting on top of the ice-cream.

Salted caramel banana split at Captain Melville

It’s also worth exploring beyond the wine and beers on offer at Captain Melville as the cocktails are pretty good.  Like the food, the cocktail menu offers a quirky take on standard offerings like the Gully which is the pub’s take on a mojito with the addition of smoky spirit.  I tried the Macedon Gang Punch ($16) which did pack a punch thanks to the combination of rum, sour lemon and sweet agave topped with the smokiness of Booker’s fire bitters.  If you are brave ask for a shot of Captain Melville’s home made brew made from curdled milk laced with rum – not for the faint hearted.

It’s good to see this historic building restored to its former glory and the bushranger theme makes the place a little different to your standard pub.  It’s good to see Captain Melville has ridden back into town.

Gourmet Chick was a guest of Captain Melville.  

Essentials
Details: Captain Melville, 34 Franklin street, Melbourne 3000 (Ph 03 9663 6855)
Damage: Pricey.  But on this occasion I did not pay.
7/10