Australian Gourmet Traveller - (03)March 2019 (1)

PHOTOGRAPHY JESS KNEEBONE (KAZUKI’S DISHES), PETER TARASIUK (KAZUKI'S PORTRAIT & INTERIOR) & MICHAEL WOODS (MYA TIGER).

50 GOURMET TRAVELLER

EASY TIGER

Melbourne breathed a sigh of relief when

the Sand Hill Road group re-opened St

Kilda’s landmark The Esplanade to reveal

a clever renovation. Old spaces (Gershwin

Room) have been carefully preserved,

while the upper floors includeMya Tiger

(above), a cocktail bar and Chinese

restaurant with views over Port Phillip Bay.

There’s an Aussie-Cantonese approach at

Mya – prawn toast, barbecued meats,

duck pancakes – plus a breezy wine list

by Matt Skinner and fruity cocktails.Level 1,

11 The Esplanade, St Kilda, (03) 9534 0211

PIZZA PALAZZO

The team behind South Yarra’s Ramblr

have set up in the space formerly known

as Da Salvatore in Carlton.Leonardo’s

Pizza Palaceis a rollicking good time,

blending a fabulous original fit-out

(exposed brick, timber beams, wrought-

iron light fittings) with a resident DJ, solid

drinks list and a menu heavy on wood-

fired pizza with toppings ranging from

“Chinese Bolognese” to jalapeño and

fermented pepper. There’s pasta too,

plus excellent crostini and classic salads.

29 Grattan St, Carlton, (03) 9242 0666.

JOHNNY BE GOOD

The King and Godfree renovation saga is

finally over and the freshly spruced store

is now open. The bar,Johnny’s Green

Room, which has a Roman rooftop party

vibe and views over Carlton, is the most

noticeable addition, and was always going

to draw a crowd. Add Italian-influenced

snacks – arancini, salumi, sausage rolls

• thirst-quenchingcocktails and tap beer
  and it’s no wonder it’s packed out.Level 3,
  293-297 Lygon St, Carlton, (03) 9347 1619

AND ALSO...

Melbourne review

ofthe genre shouldn’t hesitate. The meat,

grilled on the hibachi over red gum and

ironbark, is remarkable. It’s at once sweet

and rich, and made even better by an

accompaniment of smoked eel, spring

onions, chives and fermented King Brown

mushrooms. It’s clever, precise cooking,

and well balanced.

There’s precision in the 20-plus-page

drinks list, too. Wine is mostly about

artisan labels that steer clear of anything

too funky and lean Australian and

French. There are solid choices available

by the glass, including a 2017 Kostas Rind

chardonnay from Bindi and a 2017 Joshua

Cooper pinot noir from

Doug’s Vineyard in the

Macedon Ranges (the finely

honed tannins of the latter

make it a good match with

the duck). There’s two pages

of sake, and Japanese whisky

fans should flick to the strong

collection of blended and

single malts from the likes

of Suntory and Nikka.

Desserts also deliver.

Ice-cream made with sour

sake lees arrives on white-

chocolate ganache studded

with squares of caramelised

white chocolate and

surrounded with fresh

and freeze-dried raspberries. Like every

other dish at Kazuki’s it’s presented on

textured, earth-toned crockery made by

ceramicist Bridget Bodenham. And the

flavours are spot on, the contrast of the

ingredients – sweet,sour, tart – meaning

the dish travels great (and satisfying)

distances across the palate.

Kazuki’s is one of the most exciting

restaurants to open in Melbourne in

the last 12 months. The Lygon Street

location may seem odd, but beautifully

realised dining experiences like this one

create their own context. Go and see

for yourself.

Details

Kazuki’s

121 Lygon St, Carlton,

(03) 9349 2223,

kazukis.com.au

Licensed

CardsAE MC V EFT

OpenTue-Sat 6pm-10pm,

Fri-Sun noon-3pm

Prices2 courses $75,

3 courses $90, 5 courses

$120, 7 courses $150

VegetarianOn request

NoiseDiscreet

Wheelchair AccessNo

MinusThe incongruous

location

PlusA country success

gets a turbo-charged

city makeover

The dining room.

Below: duck with

radicchio purée,

blackberries, black

garlic and shiitake

mushrooms.