THE BRASSERIE BY PHILIPPE MOUCHEL

Riverside at Crown, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank - ph: 9292 7808

I am finally back in Melbourne! Yeay! After almost a month wondering (and working) around, I'm glad to be back in town and blogging away again.

My first gastronomic stop back in Melbourne was The Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel. I came with a group of friends by the recommendation of one of them. I have to say that I've passed by this restaurant a hundred times and never felt like walking in; it's facade just never appealed to me.


But I'm really glad I came. The menu made a good impression with the chef's (owner, not head chef) intro letter on the restaurant's philosophy. Searching on the net later on, I realised Philippe worked - and learned from - Paul Bocuse, a very traditional and world renowned French chef. The Brasserie is one of his 5 international restaurants.

Now back to food: our entrees. I shared really fresh raw oysters with a friend that tasted fantastic.

Oysters with shallot vinegar and lemon or lime, chilli and coriander dressing (dozen $36)

Another friend went for the scallops and was disappointed with the server size - literally, 3 scallops. On the other hand, the mussels serve was huge and could easily be served as a main.

Pan-seared scallops served with ginger and chives, couscous, vegetables ($18)

For main, I chose the duck breast. Although I thought it lacked presentation and the sauce didn't look fantastic, it was probably one of the best duck breasts I've ever eaten. Duck breasts are hard to cook; you can easily overcook them and make it taste like rubber.

This one was tender and cooked to perfection; pink-ish inside, caramelised on the outside and really flavoursome. I highly recommend.

Duck breast pan-seared with quince compote, witlof, spiced jus ($38.50)

Another friend ordered the stake and really liked it. I tried some chips and they were perfectly crispy.

Porterhouse served with French fries ($38.50)

We also ordered some side and again, the portion sizes did not really seam right: tiny little serve of rice vs. large salad (maybe they were trying to say I should eat more greens instead of carbs??)

Side dishes: green salad and black, white and red rice

The place has a nice atmosphere and good, efficient service. Our group felt very relaxed, chatting away. Food was good, wine was good - all in all a very nice experience.