DENGON NET

メルボルンは路地裏の散策が楽しい都市というのは、誰もが知っていると思う。意外な場所に素敵なカフェやレストランを発見して、ウキウキした気分になるのは私だけでないはず。今回紹介するフランス料理店The French Brasserieも「あら、こんな所に」と思わせる場所にある隠れ家的な店。フランス語が飛び交う店内に、いやがうえにも期待が高まる。どんな料理が出てくるか、楽しみだ。

まずは、この季節にピッタリなVichyssoise。黒トリュフの入ったクリームと、キリリッと冷えたリークとジャガイモのスープをしっかり混ぜていただく。食材から出た旨味が凝縮したコッテリスープに、カリカリのクルトンの食感が良いアクセント。食欲がない時でも、スルリとお腹に収まりそうだ。

Vichyssoise $21

続いては、さまざまなパテが並んだ欲張りなプレートCharcuterie。それぞれ特徴があるパテはすべて自家製。盛り合わせ系のプレートで楽しいのは、普段自分ではオーダーしない物も試せるところ。今回は、手が出せずにいたブラックプティングが、意外とイケルという発見があった。更に、付け合わせのチャツネと合わせると、違った味わいになるというオマケ付き。ワイン片手に話が弾むこと間違いなし。

Charcuterie $24

溜息が出てしまいそうな美しさのAsperges en folie 。アスパラガス・ブリュレの真ん中にある温泉たまごを崩し、周りのサラダと共に口に運ぶ。ほんのりとしたブリュレの甘さとヘーゼルナッツの塩気、たまごのトロリ、生アスパラガスのコリコリ、ナッツのカリカリと、さまざまな感覚が押し寄せる。複雑な味と歯ごたえに思わず「おぉ～」と声を上げてしまった。この不思議な味わいと食感は、是非試して欲しい。

Asperges en foli $21

メインは日替わりメニューから。色鮮やかなFilet de Saumonは、皮はパリッ、身はふっくらの完璧な火の通り。ほんのり甘酸っぱいブラックカレントを使ったピンクのソース、クリーミーなマッシュポテトが、サーモンを引き立てる名脇役になってる。

Filet de Saumon From courses menu

次は、見るからにボリュームがありそうなCou de Porc。12時間掛けて調理された豚の首肉はやわらく、肉の味がギュッと閉じ込められていて食べ応えあり。微かな甘味のあるジュニパーソースは、肉との相性抜群で単調になりがちな肉料理にメリハリをつけている。赤ワインと合わせていただいて。

Cou de Porc From courses menu

デザートは、絵本の世界から出てきたようなTarte au citron meringuee。バターをたっぷり使ったサクサクのサブレに、甘酸っぱいレモンカードとメレンゲの組み合わせは、間違いなしのおいしさ。後味にバターの風味が広がり、軽めでありながら濃厚な味が楽しめる。

Tarte au citron meringuee $18

天井が高くゆったりした店内は、ついつい長いしてしまうかも。ランチやディナーだけでなく、ファンクションやパーティーにピッタリなメゾネットもあるので、いろいろなシーンで使えそう。メルボルンの路地裏文化の奥深さを、改めて感じさせる店。ごちそうさまでした。

Back street delights

Everyone knows that wandering Melbourne's back streets is great fun. I know I'm not alone in getting all excited when I chance upon a lovely cafe or restaurant in an unexpected location. This month's establishment, The French Brasserie, is precisely one of those hidden gems. The French I could hear being spoken inside made me all the more excited. What kind of dishes would emerge? I was keen to find out. 

The first dish to arrive was the Vichyssoise - perfect for this season. Mixing the cream soup with the black truffles and crispy chilled leak and potatoes, I dug in. The rich, thick soup was packed with flavour from the aforementioned ingredients, with the crunchy croutons a nice accent. This is one dish that's so light, you can enjoy it even when you're not hungry. 

Next up was the very tempting Charcuterie plate, with various pates lined up. Each was made in-house and had its own unique characteristics. One of the great pleasures of any such tasting plate is it allows you to try things you wouldn't normally order. This time, it was black pudding, which I wouldn't normally touch, but I discovered it was actually quite nice. On top of that, eating the pates with the accompanying chutney opened up a whole new bunch of flavours. It's the kind of meal that stimulates conversation and goes well with a glass of wine.  

The subsequent dish, Asperges en folie, was beautiful enough to almost elicit gasps. Served with a poached-in-the-shell egg in the middle of the asparagus brulee, you eat it by breaking down the egg and eating it with the surrounding vegetables. It’s a dish that presents you with many different tastes and textures. It has the subtle sweetness of the burnt asparagus and saltiness of the hazelnuts, the creaminess of the egg, and crunchiness of the raw asparagus and nuts. I actually let out a 'wow', so shocked was I by the complexity of the dish. As a result, it's definitely one I recommend you try. 

Our mains were actually taken from the daily specials. The brightly-coloured Filet au Saumon boasted crispy skin and light, fluffy meat that was perfectly cooked through, while the tart, blackcurrant sauce and creamy mashed potato worked well to support and lift the salmon. Meanwhile, the voluminous Cou de Porc, cooked for 12 hours using neck meat, was tender and had completely absorbed all the flavours used. The faint sweetness of the juniper sauce matched perfectly with the meat and added variety to what could otherwise have been a bit of a one-track dish. Enjoy this one with red wine. 

The Tarte au citron meringuee dessert looked like it came out of a fairytale. It featured a butter-rich, crunchy sable biscuit base, tart lemon curd and meringue that came together wonderfully. The butter aftertaste and fact it's light, despite being rich, are worth going for. 

With high ceilings and a relaxed feel, you may well stay longer than you intended here. Not just catering to lunch and dinner, The French Brasserie also has a maisonette, perfect for functions and parties. It's a restaurant that will reaffirm just how deep Melbourne's back street culture is. Gotchisousamadeshita. 

The French Brasserie
2 Malthouse Lane Melbourne
03 9662 1632
Lunch Mon-Fri  12-3pm
Dinner Mon-Sat　6pm Late
thefrenchbrasserie.com.au