Restaurant Review: Noir

Thursday, 15 March 2012

Restaurant Review: Noir

Location: 175 Swan Street, Richmond
Phone: 03 9428 3585
Link: noirrestaurant.com.au
Cuisine: Modern Australian, French
Overall Impression: 6.5/10

Relatively new to the Melbourne dining scene, Noir is sleek with a dash of old school chic. The dining room is as its name suggests - black. The room is romantically lit and the waitstaff are appropriately adorned in black to match the theme. The service is impeccable. The lady that waited on our table was both professional and attentive without being intrusive in the slightest. Our table of seven decided to opt for the “surprise tasting menu” for $80 per person.

freshly baked bread served with delicious garlic infused olive oil

premium pacific oysters served natural with champagne granita

eye fillet of tartare, waldorf salad and crisp bread

stingray and baby tomato salad with pink grapefruit, basil and garlic croutons

ocean trout cured in Hendricks gin with dill, cucumber, lime and rose

As Noir’s reputation preceded it, we had unashamedly high expectations. By the end of our first 3 courses, those high expectations were left unmet. However, after this juncture, we quickly understood why Noir had built the cult following it had.

crisp pork belly with apricot and sticky wine sauce, peas and prawns

The pork belly had a beautiful crusty crackling and the flesh was tasty and tender. The sticky wine sauce (though incredibly sticky) bound the dish together. The sweetness of the apricot added a beautiful hint of acidity and freshness to the dish. The prawns and peas were perfectly cooked. It was a very sophisticated and well balanced dish.

caramelised atlantic scallops with oxtail tortellini and cauliflower puree

The scallops were perfectly seared and well cooked. They were mouth-watering and fresh. The tortellini was al dente and the beautifully cooked oxtail within it melted in my mouth. The cauliflower puree was well balanced (often overly sweet, Noir’s rendition was perfect).

Roast rack and braised shoulder of lamb with fondant potatoes, caramalised onion, garlic and parsley

The roast rack was pink and tender. The flavours were surprisingly subtle but when eaten together with the caramalised onion and fondant potatoes, was delectable. The braised shoulder of lamb was incredibly tender. It tasted not dissimilar to the tortellini filling from the previous course but was enjoyable nonetheless.