Dinner By Heston, Melbourne

VISIT TO MELBOURNE: I head to Dinner by Heston at the Crown Casino at the newly opened Sunday lunch with the option of the 5 course degustation in Melbourne. I end up spending more at Dinner at Heston than I did in two days of cheap accommodation. Hehe

My friends and I have been so excited about dining at Dinner by Heston. We go photo crazy and savour every mouthful.

I head to Dinner by Heston with two of my gal pals. One of my friends PH lives in Melbourne and we visit her for the weekend. The three of us love fine dining and are eager to try the famous Meat Fruit.

Naturally, we kick off the girly lunch with a cocktail (above). Cheers my friends!!

There is complimentary bread with butter to start the meal. 

We all agree to order the $160 per person, five course degustation which has a nice range from the menu. I am seated right in front of the kitchen which has a nice view of the roasting glazed pineapples. The staff tell me that it's been roasting for at least 6 hours before it's ready for service.

The first course is the Hay smoked ocean trout (c. 1730) with pickled lemon salad, gentleman's relish, wood sorrel and smoked roe. There's three small pieces of ocean trout with a very delicately arranged salad. Our three ocean trout looks identical. This dish is light, fresh and a mixture of textures with the salad, roe and sauce.

The highlight of the degustation is the Meat Fruit. Meat Fruit (c. 1500) which is a Mandarin looking chicken liver pate and grilled bread. The dish comes out it looks like a piece of art. There is a glisten from the mandarin skin. I cut into the meat fruit.

The chicken liver pate is smooth and spreads well on the bread. It's best eaten with a bit of the skin as you can taste the smooth and subtle flavours of mandarin as well. The chicken liver pate is quite rich.

There's actually quite a bit of chicken liver pate and I end up asking for more bread. After two slices of bread and chicken liver pate, I am starting to get very full. This is a must order dish if you are going ala cart. You could easily share this with another person. Easily.

The next dish is the Rice and Flesh (c. 1390) which is a saffron curried kangaroo tail with red wine and amarantb. The three of us agree that this is our least favourite dish. 

The unfamilar amarantb grain is best described as rissotto that hasn't quite been cooked long enough. Perhaps our palettes are not sophisticated enough but we didn't enjoy this dish as much as the first two.

The next dish is the Chicken cooked with lettuces (c. 1670) which has chicken with grilled onion emulsion, barilla leaves and spiced parsnip sauce. There is a light gravy which is poured onto the chicken.

The chicken is perfectly cooked as it's still moist. When combined with the crispy chicken skin and lettuces on the side it's a nice smooth orchestra playing in your mouth. Simple and elegant flavours make this dish memorable.  

After sitting by the roasted pineapple, I am so eager for dessert and the final course which is the Tipsy cake. The tipsy cake consists of a 6 hour spit roast pineapple with custard bread. 

It's a great combination as the pineapple is full of flavour. The custard bread is soft and as I dip some of the pineapple in the custard - I am in heaven. The sweetness of the pineapple and the savoury textures of the bread is a great combination. What a great way to finish the meal. I am so satisfied.

Summary: Overall, I had a lovely experience. I would recommend Dinner by Heston for an occasion or if you have the money to spare. It's quite a costly lunch but my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the Meat Fruit which was a bit of food art and decadence.

The girls also all agreed that the chicken was another highlight along with the tipsy cake.

Price: Sunday five course degustation is $160 per person and the menu is to be taken by whole table.

Location: Crown Towers Melbourne, 130/8 Whiteman St, Southbank, Victoria 3006

Opening Hours: 5:30pm to 11pm daily

Summary: Lisa's Rating: Check it out if you are a foodie and have saved up your pennies like us girls. I loved it !!

Food: 9/10 for fine dining 

Customer Service: 10/10

Atmosphere: 9/10
Value: 6/10 for fine dining