Letter 539: The Most Expensive Meal Ever.

Almost 11 months ago, I made the wild but partially calculated decision to take a leap of faith. I was leaving all that I had in Adelaide to move to Melbourne, without much knowledge about anything except that the food was good and the wines, terrible. I was Adelaide Girl no more, and he could choose to remain Singapore Boy, or hold my hand as I leapt right into the concrete jungle of uncertainty and flashy lights. Thankfully the boy had some sense remaining after 7 years of long-distance relationship, or else I would've faded away into drunken oblivion on the stone-cold cobbled alleyways in Melbourne, nursing a broken heart with crappy bottles of shiraz from the Yarra Valley. Or Dan Murphy's, whichever was cheaper.

Some time after the grand dame of 21 came and went, birthdays don't seem to matter that much anymore. Not especially a constant theme surrounding my last 7 birthdays was his physical absence from the celebrations. But that's ok, because my closest friends were with me all the time. They pulled me into a club to dance the night away on my first birthday abroad, surprised me with balloons and cupcakes (and mooncakes too) on another, drove me to the seaside for a quiet moment of reflection and girl-talk, drove me up the hills to admire the sparkling canvas of Adelaide at night, fed me lobsters and champagne... In many ways, I am blessed to be surrounded by a handful of friends who understand me inside-out, and who know how to temporarily numb my longing for The Boyfriend's presence on such important occasions by infusing good food and great fun into the day.

This birthday, I had what I've always been wishing for-- The Boyfriend's physical presence. Yet,  paradoxically, not a single one of my closest friends were in Melbourne for the celebrations. It saddened me a little to think that birthday traditions with my friends were changing. Furthermore, the fact that I was rostered to work on my birthday most certainly did not excite me about turning 26. But this was the inaugral birthday abroad that I was going to celebrate with The Boyfriend. If it weren't a miracle after 7 years of separation, it was a milestone. And milestones call for a memorable event, if not a perfect one.

With so much hype surrounding Vue de Monde, one of the two 3-hatted restaurants in Melbourne (the other being the eponymous Jacques Reymond), it made sense to commemorate the event at such a coveted establishment. (At time of writing, Vue de Monde had snagged the inaugral Diner's Choice Award in this year's The Age Good Food Guide 2011 Awards.)

Without further digression, let me showcase the innovative brilliance of Vue de Monde:

#1: AMUSE BOUCHE-- blue fin tuna, caviar and foam, vegetable terrine served in marrow.

(Background: olives, lightly salted chips and mayo dip).

★★★✫✫

[Unique stuff, that marrow. Acquired taste. Flying colours for all others.]

 #2: AMUSE BOUCHE- deconstructed muesli bar served on cold stone.

★★✫✫✫

[More like crushed nuts.]

#3: Unlimited servings of mini breadrolls-- multigrain and sourdough.

★✫✫✫✫

[Not too extraordinary, but servings were aplenty.]

#4: Sea salt, crushed pepper, and French butter.

★★✫✫✫

[Friggin' French butter made me throw all dietary precautions to the wind.]

#5: Palate Cleanser No.1: Cucumber and pickle slices (I think).

★★✫✫✫

[Not a huge fan of cucumber.]

 #6: JARDIN DE LÉGUMES-- Heide vegetable garden with organic carrots, beetroot, pea sprouts and shaved olive oil.

★★✫✫✫

[Yeah, shaved olive oil, how's that?]

#7: SAUMON FUMÉ-- Australian salmon, lightly smoked at the table.

★★★★★

[The wooden, smokey whiff in the air leaves a nice, rustic aftertaste.]

#8: OEUF DE CANARD ET TRUFFE-- Fried duck egg, onion, and Manjimup truffle shaved at the table.

★★★★★

[Truffles and duck egg compliment each other surprisingly well, with the onions providing a hint of sweetness.]

#9: LÉGUMES AU VINAIGRE ET LANGUE DE WAGYU-- Pickled vegetables, wild garlic, pear, macadamia and Wagyu tongue.

★★★★✫

[This would've been a 5-star dish if not for the crisp resemblance to cows grazing on fresh grass after a rainy day.] 

#10: Palate Cleanser No.2: SORBET AU CONCOMBRE-- Cucumber sorbet, elderflower granite, frozen lime.

★★★★★

[Though not a cucumber fan, hints of lime and elderflower provided an invigorating intermission to the meal.]

#11: ÉCREVISSE RÔTIE-- Roasted marron, crab, duck tongue, apple.

★★★★★

[The plump marron left us wanting for more.] 

#12: KANGOUROU-- Kangaroo, rosella, coffee, chocolate.

★★★★★

[I'm running out of synonyms for perfect.]  

 #14: BŒUF DE BLACKMORE ET OIGNONS-- Blackmore Wagyu, oxtail, beetroot, wood sorrel.

 ★★★★★

[The oxtail was melt-in-your-mouth kind of perfect, while the Wagyu was the BEST EVER.]

 #15: FROMAGE-- Maffra cloth matured cheddar, mustard, apple.

★✫✫✫✫

[This is a biased 1-star because I like soft cheeses, and I can never eat cheese on its own.]

#16: Palate Cleanser No.3: ENTREMET SUCRÉ-- Frozen lolly, popping candy, homemade lemonade.

★★★★★

[Imagine spurts of shooting stars exploding in your mouth. Funniest ever experience!]

#17: RHUBARD AU LAIT-- Rhubarb and milk.

 ★★★✫✫

[Inspired by the milky way. Lovely presentation, light in taste.]

 #18: SOUFFLÉ AU PICNIC-- ‘Picnic’ soufflé: Deconstructed Snickers bar, caramel dollops, and peanut foam.

★★★★✫

[I once tore a Snickers bar apart but it looked nothing like this.]

#19: NOTRE SÉLECTION DE CAFÉS, THÉS, INFUSIONS ET PETITS-FOURS-- A selection of coffee, teas, infusions and petits-fours.

(Petit-fours: Choc macarons, coconut squares, a pan of thin milk wafers with a milky dip, and sticks of nougat with mixed nuts.)

★★★★★

 [A delightful presentation of dainty treats.]

#20: NOTRE SÉLECTION DE CAFÉS, THÉS, INFUSIONS ET PETITS-FOURS-- A selection of coffee, teas, infusions and petits-fours.

(Coffee: Latte. And no, they don't use skim milk here.)

★★★★✫

[Aromatic and rich, but I've had better coffees elsewhere too.]

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My thoughts on the whole experience:-

1) It was expensive. Bloody expensive. More expensive than a return air ticket from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur.

2) The wine list read like James Joyce's Ulysses. It was a freaking novel.

3) Service was top-notch. Simply unparalleled. From the moment you step through the red chamber doors, expect prompt and efficient service with a smile all the way through. No other dining experiences in my life came even remotely close to the excellent service we had at Vue de Monde, and I doubt I'd ever encounter another fine dining restaurant with such great hospitality.

4) Food themes: Funky, fusion, experimental, deconstructed, bold.

5) Ultimately, it was worth the additional 8-hour locum shift pay, if not for the food (some of which might not appeal to the less adventurous), then for the unrivaled service.

As we were getting ready to leave, they offered to book a cab (which we declined, having driven there), and handed us a brown paper bag as a gift (which we accepted, naturally). "We're feeding you breakfast tomorrow too," our waiter said with a wink.

Inside the bag: A carton of green eggs, Vue's signature French brioche, a bag of tea leaves, and a slip of paper with recipes for scrambled eggs and French toast :)

So it wasn't actually a whole carton of eggs but 2 eggs and 2 choc chip cookies!

Pre-birthday dinner @ Vue de Monde, 430 Little Collins Street.