Montrachet | 224 Given Terrace, PADDINGTON QLD 4064
A celebratory dinner was in order for the other travel bunnie’s recent career achievement (I’m screaming from the top of my lungs with excitement here, someone please hashtag OMG) and both of us thought of Montrachet.
For all the food lovers in Brisbane, albeit a foreign word, Montrachet can’t be any closer to our hearts as for years, this establishment served hearty, buttery, French deliciousness that few of us could resist. I mean, how many restaurants out there that you are aware of would dare to close their doors on weekends? As cliché as it may sound, Montrachet is, without a doubt, our favourite French restaurant in town. When I found out that after eleven years at the helm, Montrachet proprietor Thierry Galichet was letting go of the reigns, my heart sank. I messaged the other travel bunnie and expressed my great concern and advised that we were to have a nice, long meal there as soon as possible before Thierry left the establishment. Easter was long gone and we still hadn’t dined there as we were busy with this and that… extremely sad. I know.
On a recent Thursday night, we found ourselves at a very familiar place. The same gilded mirrors, the same bright red seats, the same vintage telephone hanging on the wall, Montrachet hasn’t changed a bit since our last visit. We were even seated at the same table where we enjoyed a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner a few years ago. Of course I had already looked at the menu on the internet just under a dozen times to decide on what to have. The menu items are nothing short of enticing, and may I suggest the degustation menu if you are slightly indecisive? The price tag of $95 is rather fair in my opinion for a degustation that involves king crab and sea scallops. We decided to go against the degustation that night as I already had my heart set on escargots en cocotte ($24) for entrée, confit duck leg, lentil ragout “à la facon de Jacques”, sweet & sour onion, braised endive ($44)for main and chef Shannon Kellam’s award winning Chocolat de Passion ($20) for dessert. The other travel bunnie was slightly disappointed that the Seasoned King Crab, whipped shellfish consommé, barley, dill & verjuice dressing ($28) wasn’t available on the night, but his pan roasted sea scallops, shaved vegetables, blue gum sabayon, vermouth beurre blanc ($25) turned out to be a wonderful alternative. Although I would've definitely loved a stronger garlic flavour in my escargot, I thought the presentation was cute and the pastry was brilliant. The duck tasted extremely delightful, it was rustic and plentiful as it sat proudly on the plate. The saltiness of the duck leg balanced well with the humble flavour of lentils. In contrast, the pan roasted Tasmanian lamb loin, smoked béchamel beignet, peas in tarragon butter, potato cooked in tendons ($43) enjoyed by the other travel bunnie was a more delicate dish with beautifully executed elements, and let’s not forget those pieces of wonderfully tender, juicy red meat. We justified the heaviness of our meaty mains with a side of glazed carrots with smoked pork belly ($9) which made us feel immediately better.
Of course it would be a crime for the other travel bunnie to gawk at me while I devoured Chocolat de Passion - Grand Marnier brulée, passionfruit curd, chocolate hazelnut praline mousse and strawberry sorbet. So he ordered a Crème Brûlée ($9.90) which was creamy, simple and classic.
Evidently, a great emphasis has been placed on the presentation of Shannon’s dishes in comparison to the old Montrachet, and each dish well reflected the skills and techniques of the team behind the kitchen door. The delicious food was paired with impeccable service, which made our celebratory dinner one that’s hard to forget.
Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $195
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