Cafe Vue ~ a legend in its own lunchbox

It would seem,to the innocent observer and patron,that having one successful and acclaimed dining destination is just not enough for many chefs today:

George Calombaris has The Press Club,Maha Bar &Grill,Hellenic Republic (all in Melbourne) and Belvedere on the island of Myknonos

Neil Perry is behind Sydney restaurants Rockpool,Rockpool Bar &Grill, and Spice Temple,and Rockpool Bar &Grill Melbourne

Andrew McConnell has Cumulus Inc and Cutler &Co

Matt Moran has long had the iconic Aria in Sydney and this year opened Aria Brisbane

So why would Shannon Bennett be any different?  Indeed he’s been very busy.  Vue de Monde opened at its current Little Collins St site in 2005.  The following year he expanded the site with Bistro Vue and Café Vue,offering different dining options.  Last year Vue by Shannon Bennett opened at Al Bustan Palace Intercontinental Hotel in Muscat,Oman and 2009 has seen the opening of a second Café Vue at 401 St Kilda Rd.  Which brings me to lunch,at Café Vue 401.

I have had lunch here four times now and each has been a gratifying experience.  So enjoyable in fact I neglected to photograph things and what I did capture was with the i-Phone,so apologies for the low quality pics.

First visit I had the lunchbox ($15).  The box is a great idea.  The menu changes regularly but you get a Starter,Salad,Savoury and Sweet each time.

On this occasion the Starter was what might be the most luscious babaghanoush I have ever tasted.  It was served with sesame croutons to dip into the eggplant.  It was rich yet still light,as though it had been whipped or even gone through a cream siphon,and had an agreeable garlic note.

The Salad of tuna,peas and risoni,could be bland if it didn’t have such clean fresh flavours and perfectly cooked risoni.  It was not my favourite element of the lunchbox,but far tastier than the tuna salads I make myself for lunch!

A small brioche roll filled with chicken dijonnaise was the Savoury item and presented a nice balance between the sweetness of the brioche and the slight pungency of the Dijon.

The hero of the box was the Sweet treat – the pistachio cupcake.  I have the recipe for these in one of Shannon Bennett’s books and have always meant to make them.  Now that I have eaten one,I HAVE to get baking!

This week when I caught up with a friend for lunch Café Vue was full.  It was a cool day with a wind that delivered a bit of bite,so the outdoor tables were not all taken,but we happily started there until we could move inside.  The staff was most accommodating,the right balance of friendliness and professionalism that fits the tone of the venue and makes the experience easy and enjoyable.

Once inside and settled with our coffee ($3) and Magellan tea ($3) served in a beautiful Robert Gordon teapot,we perused the menu. 

With earlier licencing issues now resolved there is an extended menu available for lunch with a choice of two each for entrée main and dessert and three sides.  Two courses will set you back $35 and three courses $45.  This makes Café Vue a good option for a not too formal business lunch on St Kilda Rd where,let’s face it,there are not that many decent options.  The quality of the tableware and the effective mix of classical and contemporary in the fit out adds to the experience.

I had the roast pumpkin,feta and rocket salad with yuzu dressing ($7.50)

and my friend opted for the Warm chicken wrap with gaufrette chips ($10)

The use of “gaufrette” to describe the chips intrigued me.  I understand gaufrette to be a thin crisp slightly sweet wafer,that you would typically serve with icecream and gaufrette potatoes to be ones sliced on a mandolin to achieve the same “waffled” look.  Maybe it was just a reference to them being thin and crisp?

There is a large cabinet filled with a wonderful assortment of sweet treats:tarts,slices,the wonderful pistachio cupcakes and macaroons.  We couldn’t go past these bite size morsels of sweet chewy goodness.  There is an assortment of flavours that get made daily in the onsite bakery.  We went for strawberry and vanilla ($2.50 each).

On the visits sans camera I enjoyed the Wagyu pastrami baguette ($8.50) and the chicken and porcini mushroom pie $11.  The baguette was nice but nothing to shout about.  The pie was sensational.

I will be back.  Perhaps for breakfast – the Croque monsieur with Kurobata ham ($6.50) needs to be tried,or another lunch – when I look at the menu I keep going back to the Duck cassoulet jaffle ($6.50). 

Or I could just wait until the next Shannon Bennett venture,Café Vue at Heide opens in November at the Heide Museum of Modern Art.  For now I am glad that this legend in its own (very fancy,signature) lunchbox is just down the road from work.

401 St Kilda Road (near the corner of Toorak Road)

03 9866 8055

Monday and Tuesday 7am – 4pm
Wednesday to Friday 7am – 11pm
Saturday 8am-11pm
Sunday 8am – 4pm