12 Jun The Table Restaurant, St Kilda

This modern Mexican-inspired restaurant is just down from Sapore. It was quite small and cozy inside. There may have been an outdoors seating area, but I couldn’t see out the door. About a third of the floor was taken up by the bar and open kitchen. Having an open kitchen meant it felt more inviting and casual, which was a lovely atmosphere. This is what we had:

Soft tacos:
– Corn Battered Snapper, Pico de Gallo, Avocado and Coriander
– Sugar Cured Spanish Mackerel, Cucumber, Radish, Pico de Gallo and Avocado

Ceviche:
– Scallops with Preserved Lime, Agave, Jalapeño, Toasted Almond, Blue Corn Chips and Coriander

Mains:
– Charred Swordfish, Tamarind and Agave Chutney, Smoked Bacon, Green Beans, Brandade and Salsa Verde ($32.50)
– Grilled Beef Eye Fillet, Chili Rellenos Filled with Braised Ox Tail, Baked Mushroom Tamale and Salsa Roja Jus ($38.50)

The taste of the mackerel was so subtle I couldn’t taste much of it with the radish and pico de gallo, other than the texture. The snapper was a decently sized piece and was nice and crispy, contrasting nicely with the avocado. Maybe the snapper was also more appealing because it was such a cold night. The mashed avocado used in both tacos was very smooth and creamy.

Again, the flavour scallops became a bit lost in the other flavours of the dish, but the texture was appreciated. The circular, blue corn chips were quite interesting and are homemade.

The bacon was salty, as expected, but went nicely with the brandade. I honestly forgot what was in my dish and thought the brandade was just mashed potato. Oops. The tamarind and agave chutney was really nice and went well with the swordfish. I did think half of the swordfish was slightly overcooked and would have preferred a thicker piece, but it wasn’t too bad.

Mum’s beef eye fillet was the standout of the night. The meat was so tender, juicy and flavoursome that it was definitely worth the wait.

All in all I really enjoyed our meal. Though not all the flavours came through the dishes, the food was fresh and tasty. Service was also excellent.

The Table Restaurant
49 Fitzroy St
St Kilda, VIC, 3182
(03) 9534 6803