Roast Eel
.jpg)
Joel’s birthday was celebrated just last week, an occasion for which I had secured a reservation no less than three months in advance. The booking, as expected, was gone within minutes of the reservation page opening—testament to the enduring allure of this esteemed establishment, which has held its place among Melbourne’s finest dining destinations for over a quarter of a century. Indeed, having now dined at virtually every hatted restaurant in the city, it feels as though we are truly savouring the richness of life’s finer pleasures.
For this special evening, we were seated at Vue de Monde, a culinary landmark atop the Rialto. The evening unfolded with an elegant succession of courses—each a thoughtful homage to native Australian ingredients and refined technique. There was the delicate smoked eel with white chocolate and caviar, a bold yet balanced expression of contrasts. The Western Australian marron arrived perfectly poached, nestled in a vivid green sauce of Geraldton wax and finger lime. A course of Flinders Island lamb followed, prepared with such precision that it seemed to melt upon the tongue. Even the bread service—a warm, crusty sourdough with house-cultured butter—was elevated to a ceremonial delight.
The degustation concluded with an exquisite arrangement of petit fours: wattleseed macarons, eucalyptus marshmallows, and a hand-churned ice cream, theatrically frozen in liquid nitrogen at the table. Each dish was presented with care, matched by service that was both attentive and effortlessly refined.
To commemorate the occasion visually, I brought along my new Sony 16mm f1.8 lens. Its compact form and brilliant aperture made it an ideal companion for capturing the quiet drama of the dining scene—the glint of glassware, the sheen on porcelain, the gentle fall of candlelight on plated artistry.
Sony A7RV
FE 16mm f1.8 GM
Linking Treasure Tuesday
