Quick access to the French classics

Ile Flottante… fig and Grand Marnier custard. Picture: Wendy Johnson

Veal’s liver… smoked bacon, Lyonnaise onions. Picture: Wendy Johnson

Hazelnut éclair… crammed with a creamy hen liver paté. Picture: Wendy Johnson

Poached pear… with caramel praline custard and hazelnut dacquoise. Picture: Wendy Johnson

Black Angus beef… 600 grams cooked medium uncommon with inexperienced beans, Paris mash and a salad fresca. Picture: Wendy Johnson

Roasted half-shell scallop… with potato crumble and pickled fennel. Picture: Wendy Johnson

Escargots… with café Paris butter. Picture: Wendy Johnson

Deakin is blessed to have Ondine European Brasserie as an area, offering easy accessibility to French classics, writes eating reviewer WENDY JOHNSON.

ONDINE invitations you to settle in – no dashing clients out the door. 

Its banquet menu is $79 per individual for six dishes. The common menu is split into snacks and bites (to tantalise the tastebuds), entrées, mains, dishes to share between two, and opulent desserts.

The roasted half-shell scallop was sensational, and we cherished the crispy crunch of the potato crumble and the zing of the pickled fennel ($8). One other snack was the distinctive hazelnut éclair crammed with a creamy hen liver paté ($6). 

We’re huge on sharing, so ordered a number of entrées, every scrumptious. The escargots have been attractive with café Paris butter – wealthy and triumphant ($19 for six and $35 for 12). Terrine lovers will adore Ondine’s duck, port and pistachio model, a beautiful texture ($22) and served with a perky endive salad. 

Whereas not everybody can deal with liver, I like to recommend giving it a go in a top quality restaurant the place cooks know their stuff. The 2 items of veal’s liver ($23) married exceptionally properly with flavour-packed bits of smoked bacon, Lyonnaise onions and one other easy, however satisfying salad ($23). Considered one of our get together felt the veal was simply barely overdone.

Ondine’s 5 mains ($38 to $45) are intriguing, however we had already noticed the meat from the “shared between two” part. We shared between 4, which was excellent given we wished to depart room for sweets. 

The spectacular 600 grams of Black Angus beef (marble 4 rating) was melt-in-the-mouth and cooked medium uncommon. Crunchy inexperienced beans have been served together with Paris mash (yellow with a great deal of high quality butter) and an ideal salad fresca. The meat got here with each Béarnaise and extra decadent café Paris butter. It was properly well worth the $105.

Six desserts are on the menu. We shared three and appreciated that none have been sickly candy, as some desserts could be. The chocolate mousse ($17) was creamy and lightweight, and we dug deep into tremendous tasty maple ice cream. The brandy snap was a pleasant contact.

One other winner was the coherent poached pear, caramel praline custard and hazelnut dacquoise ($18), a dessert that made us smile. And final, however not least, was a beautiful Ile Flottante, fig and Grand Marnier custard ($18) one other dish celebrating the expertise of the kitchen workforce. 

Ondine’s wine record will get prime marks, together with a number of magnum wines and regional labels. We shared the dry Rameau D’Or rosé from Cotes de Provence ($115), adopted by a Debussy Reverie Grenache ($62).

Workers are educated {and professional}, maintaining a tally of our desk however by no means interfering. Ondine’s refined décor encompasses a lengthy picket bar, a wealthy blue color scheme and tender, flowing curtains.