Pre-Analysis Cafe Vue Outing + Post-analysis

Just got this menu in the email for Friday night and thought I'd ponder over it now, before a post-analysis. It also gives me a great heads-up on knowing what I'm actually eating. Always a good thing.

Anyway, I've already had a massive blow-out wine-matched 14 courses at Vue de Monde (yep, before it won 'restaurant of the year' and became FOB infested). Was it good? Hell yes. Also got to witness the magic of Shannon Bennet up close and personal. (Was seated between the open kitchen and John Elliot on the next table acting like a moron).

Anyhoo, I think it will be harder to impress a bunch of Asians on an Asian fusion menu as compared to the blissful French delicacies we don't take as much for granted, but fate drew Asian fusion (it changes randomly month-by-month).

Pics are here


1. Apple and pork pancakes with XO sauce

Sounds pretty straightforward. Not that exciting. Though pork and apple together is always welcome. Just how 'pancakey' is it going to be though. Hmmm. I'm assuming the XO sauce will be freshly made? It better be!

These turned out to not really be so much pancakes as muffin-type things, as evident on the picture. Still tasty, although misleading.


2. Keduree risotto

I don't even know what keduree is. Is that an actual ingredient or some Asian-sounding made-up name for what sounds like a sloppy chow-mein? Hmmm. (Not a fan of risotto). This will have to be pretty special to overcome my extreme doubts.

This dish was a bit wanky. Apparently Keduree is a town in England, and this dish was a "piss-take" on the curry you can get there. This was an example of Shannon being playful apparently. It was rather boring. Horseradish mousse? I couldn't taste that, save for curry powder or somesuch. Whoever heard of horseradish with curry flavours anyway? Can somebody understand this? But as far as risotto goes, it was still cooked to perfection. Although that is not saying much.




3. Veal belly with black bean sauce
and almond gazpacho purée

Beef/veal in black bean is a no-brainer match in heaven and nothing new. However, almond gazpacho puree? Wow...Let's see, gazpacho is definitionally: a soup made with chopped tomatoes and onions and cucumbers and peppers and herbs; served cold. Just how is that meant to meld together with the delicate flavour of almonds? Only time will tell!!!

This was pretty good. Very neat stacked and compressed veal. I didn't find the blackbean especially black-beany, so there was no great mixture of flavours there which one would have expected (ie. the blackbeany-beef combo). The almond puree was layered atop the gazpacho puree-it was basically salty. A "pillow" of potato was the garnish. This was basically an all-looks based dish that sounded promising, but it was relly a mish-mash of stuff which didn't really fit well together.




4. Compressed melons and ginger granité

I look forward to this particularly. Apparently the compressed melon will take on a sashimi tuna texture (here's how they do it). Exciting times. Plus, I freakin' LOVE ginger. Bring it.

Disappointing!!! The melon was vaccuum packed with various liquors-ie. the honey-dew with midori-basically it tasted like melon!!! Duh!!! The compression didn't really achieve the anticipated "sashimi" texture either. Boring. And hello, EVERY person has had vodka infused watermelon in high school/uni. What were they thinking? The ginger granita was nice and pungent, but basically the tiniest portion with the tiniest flakes. I think it melted the moment my spoon touched it.


Berry sago pudding with pineapple curd and coconut sorbet

Hmmm...sago...I actually predicted they would use sago for dessert as a joke and they did it. So cliched. No real Asian is ever impressed with sago, because it's so bog standard. But other people seem to get off on it because you don't really get it that much outside of uber-asian stores. This sounds like a safe and comfortable dessert. However- not exciting.


Unbelievably, better than expected. Because the sago was indistinguishable from the berry, it was a sago berry fusion with an interesting almost rubbery texture. Yum.



Well, that's it from the food snob.

Need I remind Alice (who's birthday we are celebrating) that dancing afterwards, whilst buffered by the 7 included cocktails in the menu, is Absolutely Required.




Bring it!!!