I thought it would only be right to publish my best dining experience of 2017 as my first blog of 2018! I dream about food all day and this experience in particular was exceptionally special, delicious, impressive and memorable.
Lisa and I visited Matteo’s after a long day and were quite looking forward to a lovely meal and some champagne. Little did we know, what we had in store for us at Matteo’s was much more than that!
Starting with a glass of ’06 Moet (always begin how you intend to finish), we deliberated over the menu. Annddd then we deliberated some more! We wanted to try everything on the menu and couldn’t work out how to get the best out of it. Eventually Matteo himself picked our menu items – we knew we were in good hands.
Our first dish arrived and set the bar damn high for everything to follow. Pork doughnuts. Yeah you read that right. I’m not even going to try explain these to you, you really need to try them yourself. Delicious.
Next? An oyster tasting platter, with oysters five ways. The ginger and black bean steamed oyster and the mirin and sake oyster shot were incredible – best I’ve ever had! That’s saying a lot – I eat oysters like they are going out of fashion.
Kingfish sashimi arrived next, with roasted sesame dressing & caviar – drool. Serious drool. And gorgeous to boot!
Lobster tom yum – dying with happiness. I couldn’t even dream this dish up! The lobster was succulent, the tom yum bursting with flavour.
Duck breast with wagyu – oh my life who would have thought the two complimented each other so well!
What truely made our visit what it was, was the fantastic (cheeky and fun) waiter and a sommelier who could read my taste buds like a book. I would spill out some notes, flavours and beverages I enjoy and he would pick a perfect wine to match. Seriously impressive. Magnificent and extensive wine list. I would have said previously that Lisa and I had similar tastes in wine but he showed us just how different they were by choosing wines for each of us and encouraging us to compare. We always preferred our own wine better. He even found not one or two white wines I enjoyed (I don’t usually drink white other than champagne) but three, delicious whites. One of them I can’t source on my own so I will be heading back to Matteo’s to devour some more.
Matteo’s really takes Asian Fusion to the next level. The interior is elegant, a beautiful setting for fine dining. Matteo is a charismatic, charming and caring man whose vibrancy and energy radiates throughout the restaurant.
Matteo’s Restaurant in Fitzroy, Melbourne – head there, thank me later!
