Taxi Dining Room

Level 1, Transport Hotel, Federation Square
Ph: 03 9654 8808

DAMN tennis. If it wasn’t for Hewitt, Roddick, Federer and the like I’d have eaten at Rockpool on a recent Friday night. Or I would have enjoyed the summer view from a table at Donovans. Or I may have gotten close to DeNiro at Nobu. But no…in January the tennis is in town and with it, it seems every restaurant worth its salt is booked out with tennis stars, their entourages and their fans.

So it was with some initial reluctance I finally accepted a Grandma booking (in at 6pm, table vacated by 8pm) at Taxi at Fed Square. Not that I’m above eating at Michael Lambie’s most lauded Melbourne eatery but I had my heart set on Rockpool. Then on Donovans. Then on Nobu. And I also wouldn’t have minded a table at 8pm. But as I discovered, you clearly can’t be picky when you’re booking with only two nights’ notice during Melbourne’s tennis-mad two weeks…

I’d eaten at Taxi not long after it opened and was impressed by the view then. But in the past five years I’d clearly forgotten how spectacular the restaurant’s panorama of Melbourne’s skyline was because once we were shown our table all thoughts of the water views from Donovans scuttled from my mind.

Within minutes we were browsing Taxi’s extensive menu and my first impression was one night wouldn’t be enough. How could I possibly choose between an entrée of pressed duck, rabbit and foie gras ($25.50) or the Crystal Bay prawn gyoza ($25.50). And as for the mains, I was tempted by both the barramundi fillet with soft-fried shell crab and tomato and mint salad ($42) or the saddle of rabbit with baby vegetable and lapchong sausage salad ($42). Rockpool Schmockpool.

After much deliberation, I surprisingly snubbed all menu choices and instead went with two specials: an entrée of Moreton Bay bugs with a side of pork belly ($26.50) and a main of Black Angus eye fillet that had been dry aged for four weeks, wrapped in pancetta with foie gras fondant ($48.50).
My buddy on the other hand made the most of Taxi’s renowned Japanese chef Jo Moriawase’s sushi menu and had an entrée of three sashimi selections - prawn, salmon and crab – ($17.50, above) and a main of Wagyu porterhouse with Japanese mustard and Wagyu dipping sauce ($49, above).

For dessert, I had the lemon soufflé ($17.50) and he, the vanilla pannacotta with homemade honeycomb ($19.50, below).

Both of us swore black and blue we’d chosen the best possible dish on the menu but I reckon my selections were on the money. The freshly-caught Moreton Bay bugs were plump and juicy and were complemented nicely by a tart dressing. But the real delight was the surprise addition of two bite-sized nibbles of pork belly soaked in an Asian-style sauce. The pork was full of fat and thus full of taste and both pieces simply melted in my mouth. For mains, my eye fillet was just as luscious and tender enough to only require a butter knife.

Taxi’s extensive menu and exceptional wine list (complemented perfectly by a charming and knowledgeable sommelier who recommended an exceptional bottle of Domaine de Gerbaud Cote du Luberon, $75) is impressive but it doesn’t set Taxi apart from at least a dozen other restaurants in Melbourne.

What does set it apart is the small things: the view across the Yarra, the L’Occitane en Provence toiletries and the ability of the staff to happily secure us a reserved lounge in Transit, the upstairs cocktail bar, after our meal (even on a busy Friday evening in the middle of the apparently even busier Tennis period).

But I can’t let this review finish without telling the story of the Taxi waiter who loves his butter. When I made an off-the-cuff comment to our waiter about how amazing the butter was he was able to give us a completely unprompted and amazingly knowledgeable account of where the butter had come from (northern France), how little of that particular variety is actually imported into Australia and the level of butterfat it contains (95 per cent – must be why it was so good.).

From what I saw, Taxi’s staff are of the breed who worship quality food and love to offer spectacular service. Next time I’m looking for a fancy night out Taxi will be my first option, not my fourth.

10/10

- zoe

The Point

Aquatic Drive, Albert Park Lake
Ph: (03) 9682 5566

UNBELIEVABLE. That’s my instant summary of the revitalized Point restaurant on Albert Park Lake. There are two reasons. The first was the unexpected battle between a fox and a swan on the lake’s shore. We had box seats to watch the swan win… well survive. The fox dusted itself off and sauntered away looking for another victim.

The second was the beef. For anyone that loves a good steak, I don’t know others who compare. This place has the edge because it’s owned by meat processor Tasman Meats who also own the premium King Island brand. Executive Chef Scott Pickett took the time to explain to us that King Island Cattle are grass fed and even get a healthy dose of kelp, so happy they frolic in the ocean and munch on seaweed. That explains the sensational taste of the Point’s beef, which is what sets this place apart.

We dived into the phenomenally presented tasting plate ($49) - sliced strips of grain and grass fed eye fillet and porterhouse and the almighty wagyu. Here’s what it all means.

Grain fed eye fillet and porterhouse: cattle are reared on King Island eating lush green grass then finished at a NSW feedlot where they are fed grain.

Grass fed eye fillet and porterhouse: Cattle feed only on grass (and some kelp).

Wagyu: meat produced from one of four Japanese cattle breeds boasting intense marbling of unsaturated fat producing enhanced flavour, tenderness and juiciness. The Point’s wagyu is fed on grass and finished on grain.

After the rare opportunity to compare all cuts, the grass fed eye fillet came out on top. It had a more robust, meaty flavour with a gorgeously tender, melt-in-your mouth texture. The porterhouse was slightly more flavoursome and slightly less soft in texture. The grain fed cuts were as smooth as silk. The Wagyu was creamy, like melted butter. Amazing. Top marks for extraordinary meat, beautiful presentation, superior knowledge and passion.

Also on the menu was a passionately constructed duck tortellini in consommé with generous slices of west Australian truffles. The truffle aroma with the rich duck meat encased in the cushiony tortellini equalled a little parcel of heaven.

I’m going back to try the jamon - Spanish ham produced from acorn fed black footed pigs gallivanting in the Pyrenees region. It’s all very fancy and the price steep ($44 for 100g) , but worth a try for the experience. I haven’t even started raving about the heavenly desserts or the city views from the glassed windows across the lake, which frames one of the best outlooks in Melbourne.

I’ll be taking my dad (a beef farmer) here for a swanky dinner.

9/10

- Kate