Dined on November 2, 2024
- Overall 4
- Food 4
- Service 5
- Ambience 3
An online booking at Ouest France in Mornington, 45 min ahead, coming from the Peninsula Hot Sprngs. The booking's instructions were followed to the letter- we got comfortable seating, overlooking the open kitchen.
This gave us an insight into how their kitchen was run with every dish pre-prepared in portion sized plastic boxes, neatly stacked and labelled in mini fridges in the lower part of the kitchen. 1 hot plate were used to sear and cook the steaks and the scallops, 2 others to warm up sauces and entrées. The staff was composed of 2 kitchen hands who acted as the chefs, one Filipino, one possibly from Korea, maintaining a good speed and a lovely Australian lady in her 60s was calmly reminding them of certain dishes still needing to go out to one of the 20 or so diners that evening. She was also efficiently jumping in with serving, drying dishes, preparing drinks and encouraging the kitchen staff. A young, French, very friendly and efficient server from the Centre of France, who was on a discovery of Australia for a year, served many dishes. She was eager to learn and was attentive to the customers' requests. She learned how to caramelise the top of the crème brûlées that night.
The maître d'hôte was also French and tried to play with the stereotype of the French Parisian bistro staff and succeeded. He struggled to pay even attention to all customers and seemed adamant that a spice inversion between nutmeg and clove in the bourguignon was impossible, yet my taste buds said otherwise. The vegetables in sauces (leek etc) and the stocks were what set every dish apart- outstanding. Sauces were beautifully made, aside from spice mix-up. Whilst the blanquette lacked cream and egg to make it taste like in Normandie, the beef cheeks had a deep, rich sauce. The custard of the crème brûlée was very tasty- deep orange colour from great eggs (no bubbles, no turned cream) and vanilla seeds. Music needed.
A good restaurant providing an intimate setting with great classics!
