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海に囲まれた国なのに、おいしい魚介類が食べられる店が少ないと嘆いている人は少なくないはず。斯く言う私もその1人だ。そこで紹介したいのが、ビクトリア州遺産やナショナルトラストに登録されているRegent Theatreの隣に佇むBox on Collins。「食材は、自分の目でしっかり確かめてから仕入れている」というオーナーのAdrianさん。今回は、彼お勧めの料理をいただいた。

最初に運ばれてきたのは、見た目も香りもスパイシーなSpicy chilli king prawns coated in a light crispy corn flour batter。クリスピーな衣を纏った大振りでプリプリの海老に、サンバル系のスカッとした辛さのソースが絡み、食べ出したら止まらない。酸味と辛味、海老のほんのりとした甘味が一体になった複雑な味は、店の人気メニューなのも納得。但し、結構辛いので辛いものが苦手な人はご注意を。

Spicy chilli king prawns coated in a light crispy corn flour batter  $26

続いてシーフードがたっぷり入ったLinguini marinara, fresh assorted seafood pan seared, finished with garlic, parsley and olive oil。魚介類の旨みとガーリックの風味を十分に含んだパスタは、誰もがご機嫌になること間違いなし。どちらもEntreeサイズでありながら、なかなかのボリュームだ。

Linguini marinara, fresh assorted seafood pan seared, finished with garlic, parsley and olive oil  $25

メインは、二つ割りにされた2尾分のMoreton Bay Bugがのった贅沢なBug halves pan seared with white wine, roasted garlic, cream and parsley。見た目はコッテリとしたクリームソースだが、食べてみると意外とアッサリしていて、身の引き締まったBugと相性抜群。Bugの持つ味わいがグッと引き出されていて、あっと言う間にペロリと平らげてしまった。

Bug halves pan seared with white wine, roasted garlic, cream and parsley   $50

更に、本日のスペシャルAntarctic Salmon。彩りも良く、かわいらしい見た目。シンプルな味付けだが、サーモンのパリッと焼かれた皮、ふっくらジューシーな身、付け添え野菜がバランス良く盛られ、飽きのこない一品になっている。

Antarctic Salmon　Market Price

最後に〆のデザート。スタイリッシュな盛り付けのChocolate brownie with white chocolate caramel mousse and raspberry sorbet。ここのブラウニーはサックリとした食感で、軽めのガトーショコラのよう。ラズベリーソルベと食べればブラックフォレスト、ムースと食べれば濃厚と、“ひとつで3つおいしい”。

Chocolate brownie with white chocolate caramel mousse and raspberry sorbet   $18

そして、焼き上がりの素朴な表情のWhite chocolate creme brulee with chocolate dipped strawberries。個人的なことだが、クレームブリュレは大好きなデザートのひとつ。コツコツと表面のコーティングを割るのが至福の時だ。カスタードなのに、後からホワイトチョコを感じる技ありな仕上がりに唸ってしまった。コーヒーと一緒に楽しんで。

White chocolate creme brulee with chocolate dipped strawberries    $18

シーフードは、ちょっとした匙加減で素材の味が消えてしまったり、その反対に淡白な味になってしまったりするデリケートな食材。ここの料理は、どれも素材の味を引き出す味付けがされている。Adrianさんの食に対するこだわりと自信を感じる料理が楽しめる店。ごちそうさまでした。

Celebrating the joy of the sea

I'm sure there are plenty of people in Australia who complain that, despite being surrounded by the ocean, we can still have trouble getting good seafood. Heck, I'm one of them. In that context, I'd like to introduce Box on Collins. Tucked away next to the National Trust-listed Regent Theatre, this seafood restaurant uses only ingredients that owner Adrian has personally inspected that day, so this month, we checked out their recommended dishes.

The first plate to emerge was their 'Spicy chilli king prawns coated in a light, crispy corn flour batter'. Looking and smelling as hot as the name suggested, the large prawns had a satisfying crunch on the outside and a sweet meatiness inside that, when combined with the refreshing kick of the sambal-style sauce, made it very hard to stop at one. We should mention here that the spice level might put some people off, but there is definitely a reason this dish is so popular.

Next meal was 'Linguini marinara with fresh, assorted seafood, pan-seared and finished with garlic, parsley and olive oil'. Packed with seafood, the combination of the oceanic umami and garlic pasta is guaranteed to leave anyone satisfied. Both this and the prawns were technically entree size, too, but each was pretty large by itself. 

The main meal was the luxurious 'Bug halves, pan-seared with white wine, roasted garlic, cream and parsley'. Here, the two tail halves come with what looks like a very rich cream sauce, but the first bite surprises with a light flavour and texture that matches perfectly with the firm bug flesh. Indeed, such is its ability to bring out the bug's flavour, I was done in no time.

We also tried the day's special of Atlantic Salmon, which looked great and was clearly plated by someone with an eye for colour. The flavouring was simple, but the balance of crisp skin, juicy meat and well chosen vegetables meant it's a dish you could never tire of eating.

Finally, we tried two desserts. The first, a "Chocolate brownie with white chocolate caramel mousse and raspberry sorbet' came with a super-fluffy brownie that was almost chocolate cake-like, and changed depending on what you ate it with. Paired with the sorbet, it took on black forest flavours, while eating it with the mousse made it super rich, essentially making it three desserts in one. The second, the 'White chocolate creme brulee with chocolate-dipped strawberries' actually made me sigh with pleasure, such was the skill in combining the custard with the white chocolate aftertaste. I should mention here creme brulee is already one of my favourite desserts, but this was special. And best enjoyed with coffee.

Seafood is one of those things where just small errors can lead to either no flavour or utterly plain flavours, and thus requires a delicate touch. However, Box on Collins gets it right, using seasonings that draw out the inherent tastes of each ingredient. You can truly see owner Adrian's obsession with quality, as well as his self-confidence, at work. Gochisosama deshita.

Box on Collins
189 Collins St. Melbourne
boxoncollins.com.au
Tue - Sat: 11am - 10pm
Sun: 11am - 9pm