A while back I promised  Chef Brad Farmerie I would bake a Miche for  him, Lazy baker that I am I haven’t yet, but I visited his restaurant last night with some friends and my Sous-chef.

Public is a great restaurant and Brad is a great host. He has the pulse of  world cooking, the ingredients range from chorizo, chinese broccoli, Tasmanian sea trout, boniato to name a few of the world ingredients that are sprinkled through out his menu. His wonderful wine list are now showcased in his new “The Monday Room” with tasting dishes provided from his kitchen.

My Sous-chef and I were curious to try the wasabi and boniato, since we borrowed the idea for our current menu.As a chef once told me steal with your eye’s and your ears, thanks Brad! Still want to know about the quinoa croquettes and Peter Gordon already clued me in on the quinoa hash!

It’s intimidating to say the least to not drool or scratch your head when looking over the menu, so many choices you could go with, but they offer an exquisite tasting menu at a good price. Everyone at the table was a bit challenged by some of the raw items,so we went for a la carte, as well because I like to have a larger choice!

Appetizers

Butternut squash soup with spiced marshmallow, crispy chick peas and pumpkin seed oil

Mushroom ceviche with miso aubergines and ginger ponzu sauce

Salad of herby lentils, green beans, avocado, toasted pecans & baby gem with pomegranate molasses and avocado oil vinaigrette

Marinated white anchovies on quinoa croquettes with spicy saffron aioli

Grilled scallops with sweet chili sauce, creme fraiche, and green plantain crisps

Fried Barron Point oysters with shiso, sansho pepper, and wasabi-yuzu dipping sauce

Cured wild boar with Garrotxa cheese, marinated olives and caper berries

Pan-seared foie gras on spiced french toast with pineapple chutney, maple glaze and crispy bacon

Grilled kangaroo on a coriander falafel with lemon-tahini sauce and green pepper relish

Main course

Truffled beet and ginger risotto with a rocket, cotija and hijiki salad

Baked cod with sepia, long beans, cipollini onions, and chorizo emulsion

Pan-seared Tasmanian sea trout with vanilla celeriac puree, Chinese broccoli and saffron quince compote

Pan-seared New Zealand snapper on wasabi-boniato mash with poached conch, pickled ginger, and yao choy

Roast duck breast, citrus-soy kimchee, daikon puree and confit duck gyoza

Roast lamb sirloin on crispy goats cheese polenta with saffron braised baby vegetables and harissa aioli

Snail and oxtail ravioli with pickled shiitake mushrooms, oven dried tomatoes, pea shoots and smoked paprika oil

Pan-seared New Zealand venison, purple potato hash, minted pea puree, Yorkshire pudding, and espresso hollandaise

Sides

Steamed edamame

Green leaf salad

Roasted brussels sprouts with maple and vegemite glaze

Sweet potato and miso mash

We ordered a great Shiraz from the Yarra valley, Greenpoint. Our waiter Chris, happened to be from that area and was really knowledgeable and helpful throughout the meal!

So I  started it out with the cured wild boar with Gaxrotta cheese wild caper berries and olives. The dish is wonderful, the wild boar sliced thinly and the caper berries marry so well with the Gaxrotta cheese, fabulous!

The photo’s are from a wine tasting dinner that Brad did  at The James Beard house. Usually I like to take my own pictures but I felt a bit self conscious  taking photo’s in the restaurant, so you won’t see my main course which was perfectly cooked and light. The main was a duck breast with kimchee and fried gyoza which went really well with the wine and was polished off without hesitation! Though the portions looked small we were just fine and left I would say full! It’s better leaving wanting a bit more, that way you want to come back again!

My Sous-chef had the Oxtail and snail ravioli, which some of the squeamish at our table  were  quite surprised after tasting how good they were, besides they are supposed to be an aphrodisiac.

My dessert was that classic English sticky toffee pudding with an Armagnac ice cream, very light and not at all sweet, I often use it for work for parties because it is so good!

I went to the kitchen to thank Mason, Brads Sous for a job well done, wonderful food nice restaurant!

Go to Public and try it!