Ramsay's kitchens Never o n e lo do things by h a lves, Gordon Ramsay h as ope n ed in Aus tra lia with not one but two r estauran ts, both in Melbourne and bot h full of s w·prises, w ri tes 1\tlichael Harde n. It 's ni g h o n impossible lo a pproac h a Gordon Rams oy
N ew kids in t own Gordon Ramsay with Maze and M aze Grill head chef Josh Emett (above). Maze Grill's white onion soup with Jam6n de Teruel and sauteed pot atoes.
restaurant with yo ur radar set to neutral. '!he British restaurat eur and chef is nothing if not polarising. and for this reason the double-headed nature of his first Australian \'enture is a cle\'er move. By opening two similarly named hut conceptually different restaurants at the same lime in the same place, Ramsay has increased the odds of pleasing mo re of the people. more of the time. If that was the plan . then the simu ltaneous arrivnl of rvlnze and Nlaze Grill should more than pay on: The lirst floor of Crown's brand spanking Clarendon Street-fronting t\ lct ropol hotel is the home of both t\lazes. and the lounge/ bar holding pen that acts ••~ the entrance to the restaurants.\ \'ith its grey and turquoise colour scheme, caged-in lounge area and cool white lighting. the bar is not the warmest or most welcoming space in town. n feeling probabl~· exacerbated by the prisUne newness of the building. though the tl('et of well-programm ed staff mann ing the recep tion desk does a good job of upping the level oCwn rmlh. ·n1e restoumnts arc housed in a vast. high-ceilinged space past the bar that's been cle\·erly divided so that ;\laze and l\Jaze Grill arc. like non-identical Siamese
I wins, conn ected but wit h thei r own fair ly distinct looks and personalities. While neither restaurant is aiming for a multistarred fine-dining approach. 1\laze is the more formal of the two. 13are timber tables. wide leatherseated dining chairs and \'arious configurations of cloth-upholstered banquett es line a large expa nse of luxuriant patterned cn rpct. Floor-to-ceili ng windows. covered with sheer curtai ns th nt portly obscure the uninspi ring view. mid inti macy to the space. An illu minated \\·inc ceiiM. oversized geometric light fittings by Foscarini <tncl a 60-metre wall sculpture oJ' birch trees and stylised birds by miists Dm·id Band and Anita 13ell arc the main points of \'isual interest. though perhaps the room's most obvious feature i5 the dimness of the lighting. It"s a pity it"s so hard to see because the food being produced by head chclJosh Emett. n long-time Ramsay right-hand man. is lovely to look at. "ll1e menu is made up of a series of small d ishcs (four to nve of them is equal to a traditionaJ entree <1 ncl main) that are nil about exal'l cooking. clean rlavours and p reci~e presentation. ·1here's no rocking of worlds or culinary fireworks going on with ~laze's menu. but there is plenty to admire.>
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Pink 11 r apple potatoes, peeled and marinated in a warm, subtle vinaigrette of mustard, vinegar, olive oil and herbs, share a plate wilh smoked eel (imported from Emett's New Zealand homehmd ), crisp strands of blackened leeks and a hint ofshnvecl foiegras. [L's a lovely soft-textured dish. dominated. but not overpowered. by the rich smokiness of the eel. Meticulously picked mud crab from Queensland sitt ing on a n in tensely coloured disc or pressed watermelon and topped with a pale-yellow ruckmelon sorbet is similarly good, while superbly roasted quail. the leg and the breast ju icy and shiny-sticky, is happily teamed \vith a snlty-sweel caramel navoured with Kalamata oli\'CS. Fi rm-fleshed coral trout wrapped in salted chicken skin a nd resting on slowly br:1ised fennel in a pool of sparkl ing clean lemon thyme consomme may be the prettiest dish on I he Jist but could also take out the navour award. so well bo lnnced are the combinations. There's also big-tlm路oured king salmon cured with lemon. lime and salt nnd teamed with a n earthily comforti ng succotash. and. for those <1fter someth ing even heftier, a ro bust combination of red-wine-br;1ised ox check, th in slices of tongue. a feisty relish of pureed capers and raisins and nem-pcrfect mash fl nvoured with horserad ish. '01e Aussie fl ag is raised over dessert with <1 clever take on the lamington. a puffy explosion of coconuldustecl sponge that's tea med with chocolate ga nache. cream coconut sorbet and a bril li;:mt. slightly acidic jmn made from rosclla. the Australian native fruit. 1l1ere's no such overl catering to local cultural sensibilities at i\.[aze Grill. a place with its fee t fi rmly planted in New York steakhouse territory. Brigh ter. louder and more energetic than its moodily gloomy sibling. ;vraze Grill has as its centrepiece a curved. nattily tiled open kitchen overhung with massed white> 70
Designed to a M aze Maze's take on the lamington (top left), with cream coconut sorb et and rosella jam, and th e main Maze dining room (right). Th e private dining room (top right) and artwork (above) at M aze G ri ll.
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MELBOURN E REVIEW
enamelled soup ladles and swarming with a large crew
Oecks of mushroom, and excellent deep-fri ed soft-
of constantly moving white-attired chefs. A terrazw-
shell crab with a textbook crisp crumbed exterior and
tilcd noor. wicker dividing walls and a menu of \\'ellexecuted comfort food differentiate the Grill with a more consciously casuA l vi be. What ivlaze and Maze Grill do have in common. though. is an excellent wine list compiled by former Taxi sommelier Lincoln Riley. There's a skilfully selected list of Old and New World labels with a slightly breathtaking swoop of price points. but what makes this list so well suited to both venues is its excellent selcclion of wines by I he glass and pretty extensive range ofhalfbottles, perfect for the casual mLx-and-match nature of the menus. Steak takes prime position on ~l aze Grilrs cart e, wit h seven good-quality. respect fu lly treated choices ranging from a grass-fed hanger slen k from Cape Grim in Tasmania to grain-fed Clare Valley T-bone and grassfed Angus from New Zealand. all oO'ered with a range of sauces that, somewhat miserly. add another $3.50 to the bill. 'I here's plent y of joy beyond the beef. however. including a potent inlly addictive, perfeclly seasoned creamy white onion soup that sports a cluster of cubed and sauteed potatoes. shreds of Jam6n de Teruel and
a harissa mayonnaise that hides a lo,·ely lurking chilli heat behind its initial sweetness. Fish is well handled in the Grill too, exempli fi ed by an excellent clean-tasting roast barramundi (from the Northern Territory) that's laid over a colourful "warm potato salad-. an almost soupy concoction of cubed potatoes. piquillo peppers and chorizo navoured with a hefty dose of garlic and chil li. Desserts also toe the comfort-food line and include a straight-talking chocolate and pecan-packed brownie that's lifled a few notches by its accompanying salted caramel ice-cream. Possibly the most surprising thing about both Maze and Maze Grill (aside from the lack of ego. with food that's more about pleasing than impressing) is how reasonably they're priced. For this type oflocation with a marquee name in\'olved. you'd expect more gouging. particularly when there's an obvious commitment to good service and quality ingredie nts. No do ubl. with the Hamsay nome auached. opinion wiU continue Lobe polarised. but with the approach taken here. it seems likely l hat more hearts will be won than lost.>r:
MAZE Level 1, Crown Metropol, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank, (03) 9292 8300, gordonramsay.com/ a us t ralianresta urants Licensed. Cards AE MC V EFT. Open Daily, lunch noon2.30pm; dinner 6pm-11 pm. Prices Small courses $12-$24; desserts $12-$16. Vegetarian One small course. Noise Muted . Wheelchair access Yes. Plus Surprisingly low prices. Minus Very dim lighting makes it difficult to read the menu and see the food. MAZE GRILL Level 1, Crown Metropol, 8 Whiteman St. Southbank, (03) 9292 8300, gordon ramsay. com/ australian restaurants Licensed. Cards AE MC V EFT. Open Breakfast 6.30am10.30am; dinner 6pm-11pm. Prices Entrees $11-$21; mains $24-$58; desse rts $12. Vegetarian One appetiser, two entrees. Noise Bustling. Wheelchair access Yes. Plus Theatrical open kitchen adds zing to the room. Minus Theatrical open k1tchen adds cooking smells to your clothes.
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and a ls o ... GOOD NEIGHBOURS W1th its tiny shopfront and dark Interior, Next Door Diner hardly draws attention, but chef Leilani Wolfenden's (ex-Est Est Est) simple yet appealing d·shes. such as Plains Paddock lamb chops and classic Eton mess, the boutique Aussie wines, atmospheric bar and great service have people talking Next Door Diner, 204 St Georges Rd, Northcote, (03) 9939 1350
Next dlbor Diner
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NOT JUST GOOD FRIANDS The latest busmess to give the legal prec•nct a flavour boost IS Earl Canteen, a sandwich-andsalad joint with a focus on quality ingredients. The menu may include a baguette of wagyu meatballs w1Lh zucchini pickles and parmesan or perhaps a caramelised pumpkin and chickpea salad with spinach, shanklish and leek. Good friands too. Earl Canteen, 500 Bourke St,
HOT DESSERT NIGHTS Fitzroy's Cafe Rosamond is head~ng into new aher-dark territory with renowned pastry chef Pierre Roelofs (ex-Interlude, The Deanery) making Thursday nights dessert-only. One-. twoand three-course dessert menus are on offer, with Roelofs's usual artistic plating and freewheel111g flavour combos (think guava with vanilla-spiced vodka) front and centre. Cafe Rosamond, 191a
Melbourne, (03) 9600 1995
Smith St. Fttzroy. (03) 9419 2270
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