06 Oct Luxembourg Bistro & Bar, St Kilda

Another year, another round of birthdays. This year for their combined birthday celebration my parents decided to go to Luxembourg Bistro & Bar, the reincarnation of Golden Fields which saw it change from an Asian-inspired menu to a French one. Being a bar, there’s a mixture of smaller plates perfect for enjoying with drinks, as well a larger dishes that are well suited for either solo dining or sharing. Since it was their occasion, mum had the main say in the menu and she opted for the Chef’s Selection for $70pp, which encompassses a range of menu items from snacks and ‘raw’ dishes all the way to desserts.

First up was some house-made sourdough served in a rather quaint manner.

There were two dishes in particular we were keen to try, and luckily for us, they were part of the menu tonight. One of these was the potato skins. Filled with whipped cod roe and topped with a smattering of avruga (herring roe), they totally met our expectations. Crispy mouthfuls of deliciousness.

A small plate of marinated olives came next. So juicy – some of the best olives I’ve had.

I don’t think the smoked sardine and horseradish en croute would have been something we’d normally pick from the menu, but I’m so glad we got to try it. It was full of flavour and none too fishy at all.

The other dish we particularly wanted to taste was the sashimi. Hidden underneath a blanket of nori sheets were multiple pieces of sea bream sashimi seasoned with soy, buttermilk, dill and horseradish. It was refreshing, surprisingly flavoursome, and my second favourite dish of the night.

From the charcuterie section of the menu came spiced pastrami, rotolo (maybe?) and dill pickles. We were thoughtfully offered another round of bread to go with the house-smoked charcuterie.

Carrot smoked in hay was particularly enjoyable with the crunch from the seeds. The hay flavour was very subtle and was a very interesting exploration of flavours.

The roasted corn-fed half chicken with baby carrots was well cooked, and I was pleased to find that the breast was still tender. The chicken was sitting in an amazingly tasty sauce that would have gone well mopped up with some bread

The fine-textured flounder cooked à la meunière, was expectedly buttery rich and little pops of sour from the capers helped cut through the richness of the sauce. To go with our mains we also received some sides: incredibly crunchy shoestring fries and a mixed leaf salad.

Capping off the night was a trio of desserts, since there were three of us dining together. First was the mille-feuille with crème diplomat and mandarin. There was quite a lot of cream in this one, but the mandarins were refreshing and the pastry delightfully crispy.

The smooth consistency of the sweet crème caramel was counter-balanced with crunchy strips of pastry.

Finally, the baked-to-order chocolate tart was served with cultured creme Chantilly. Piping hot and full of chocolately richness, I can see why this is one of their most popular desserts.

The chef’s menu was an interesting experience. I have to say we enjoyed the snacks more than the larger ones so we’ll likely be sticking to those in the future, and if I do return, those potato skins will definitely be at the top of my order.

Luxembourg Bistro & Bar
2/157 Fitzroy St
St Kilda, VIC, 3182
(03) 9525 4488
http://www.luxembourgbistro.com.au/