Must Winebar
Earlier this year, Must Winebar Highgate won the Gourmet Traveller Wine List of 2009 award, edging out sibling restaurant Must Winebar Margaret River and Jacksons Restaurant. To be recognised in Gourmet Traveller is a great feat for Perth restaurants/bars/bistros, mainly because the magazine is so biased toward Sydney and Melbourne establishments. Must has been receiving a lot of rave reviews lately, not only for its wine, but for its food as well, and I wanted to find out if it lived up to its expectations.
Wine stash
The first thing that intrigued me was how attentive, well-mannered and polite the staff were. They immediately sat us down and served us freshly cut bread and butter with our glasses of champagne. Ahhhh, we felt warm inside. Rarely do you receive good service in Perth; good service is reserved for restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne. I was surprised and delighted.
More wine
We ordered our starters and mains immediately. We picked the Twice Baked Taleggio Cheese Soufflé and Organic Tomato Coulis, and Pan Fried Potato Gnocchi with Braised Rabbit Ragoût, Caramelised Onion, Sicilian Green Olive, and Shaved Parmesan as entrees. The soufflé looked ordinary on arrival. It was spongy and fluffy and the tomato coulis did not overpower the overall flavour, but I couldn’t help but think that it tasted like a posh mac and cheese. The potato gnocchi on the other hand was outstanding – slightly crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. This was melt-in-your-mouth stuff. Large tender chunks of rabbit coupled nicely with the gnocchi, along with the sweetness of onion and tanginess of the olive.
Twice Baked Taleggio Cheese Soufflé, Organic Tomato Coulis
Pan Fried Potato Gnocchi, w/ Braised Rabbit Ragoût, Caramelised Onion, Sicilian Green Olive, Shaved Parmesan
We chose to share a main serving of Angel Hair Pasta Tossed with Blue Manna Crab, Tomato, Chilli, Basil Cream & 34° South Organic Olive Oil. Something in the dish just didn’t sit quite right with me. Although the pasta was made fresh, they tasted like noodles; too eggy. Apart from that, large chunks of crab sat well with the tomato and creamy sauce.
Angel Hair Pasta Tossed with Blue Manna Crab, Tomato, Chilli, Basil, Cream & 34° South Organic Olive Oil
Remains of Soufflé
We were bloated after the three dishes and it was going to be a push for dessert. The menu was so good that we couldn’t resist. We ordered the Moelleux au Chocolat with Warm Soft Centred Chocolate Pudding and White Chocolate Ice Cream, and the Saffron & Vanilla Crème Brûlée, Orange & Tequila Sorbet, and Citrus Tuile. Taking a bite of the chocolate pudding was pure indulgence – not too sweet, very very soft, with a volcanic ooze of warm chocolate – something anyone would die for. The crème brûlée and sorbet were ok but by the time the dessert came out, the sorbet was half melted. The surface of the creme brulee was perfect, however, I was disappointed that the underneath was liquid.
Moelleux au Chocolat, Warm Soft Centred Chocolate Pudding, White Chocolate Ice Cream
Soft Centred Chocolate Drool
Saffron & Vanilla Crème Brûlée, Orange & Tequila Sorbet, Citrus Tuile
Chocolate pudding wiped clean
There were a few hits and misses with the dishes we ordered and I certainly would not come back for the angel hair pasta and manna crab or the crème brûlée. The soufflé was a little too basic for me. The standout dishes were the gnocci with braised rabbit, and chocolate pudding. I felt that the consistency of the food quality was not there – as a “french-style” bistro, the food does not quite compare to others such as Bistro Moncur in Sydney. However, the service was first-rate. We didn’t drink any wine but we’ll save that for another night.
Must Winebar
Address: 519 Beaufort Street, Highgate
Tel: +61 8 9328 8255
Web: www.must.com.au
Opening Hours:
Open 7 Days (12.00pm – 12:00am)
Related posts:
