Transported by Melbourne's Taxi Restaurant

I often notice that whenever I mention to people that I am going to Melbourne, a common reaction is to see them suddenly lick their lips, make the “o” face and a comment that goes something like this “ Oh you are going to LOVE the food”. I am ashamed to admit that I don’t know the city too well. My reason is that being a self confessed Europhile, I have been closed minded and had little interest in exploring the food delights of my own country until now.. Blame it on the wisdom of years or on the fact that I truly did not appreciate Australia until I lived overseas for 8 years and experienced homesickness for the first time in my life. Yes I reached a point in Canada when the ache of home was so wretched that I was reduced to picking up the phone and calling the Qantas reservation desk just so I could hear the theme song... “ I still call Australia home”...

So it was with a new found sense of humility and excitement that I began my preparation for exploring some of the best food that Melbourne has to offer. My quest into where I might experience a truly dazzling food adventure always starts in the same way. I speak to everyone I know that has visited the place I am travelling to. Then I read all the reviews I can find on the place. These include articles in Gourmet Traveller, Delicious Magazine and Condé Nast. I am also known to harass other travellers on the plane and gather their insights based on first-hand experience.

Taxi Dining Room (http://www.transporthotel.com.au) is described as one of Melbourne’s finest restaurants. Just to be sure, I checked with some of the locals who confirmed that it is a great place to eat and assured me that I would not be disappointed. I had a Victorian friend accompany me on my adventure. He had been there before. Given that he is handsome and flying solo, I kind of figured that it had probably been a popular date spot of his guaranteed to impress. At least, I thought, if the food sucks I can feast my eyes on him and drown any disillusions in a glass of good, red wine.

The restaurant is spectacular to look at and gave me the feeling of being in an ultra modern airport terminal with great orbs of light and gold providing the perfect muted lighting for a romantic evening. We started the meal with a glass of cava, a Spanish sparkling wine with just the right amount of bubble and giggle. We decided to share an entreé of grilled quail on a bed of endive and caramelised walnuts with a sakura plum dressing. I always experience a bit of a guilty moment when I order quail. Not because I don’t adore the succulent flavour of the meat which is stronger in flavour than chicken being situated closer to the bone... but because the quail always looks so fragile and helpless on the plate. As an Italian, quail is a staple of ours, so I was curious to see how this Japanese fusion style of cooking would stack up. The dish was beautifully plated. The flavours worked perfectly, the quail was crispy and delicious, the nuttiness of the toasted walnut combined with fresh tartness of the endive was a perfect marriage and just a hint of plum provided a burst of sweetness.

For our mains we ordered the pork loin on a bed of wilted spinach and roasted sweet potatoes in a ponzu dressing. We also had a whole spatchcock marinated in Shaoxing wine. Shaoxing wine is a Chinese rice wine which tastes kind of like sherry. The main meals did not live up to expectation. My pork was dry and the blend of flavours made me feel queasy. The spatchcock arrived fried and my friend and I agreed it tasted a bit like Kentucky fried chicken, only less oily. Yet, as disappointing as these dishes were it is amazing how the great conversation, tinkle of laughter and $145 bottle of Spanish Tempranillo made us forget.

My friend is a big dessert guy. You wouldn’t think so if you met him. Blonde hair, blue-eyes, 6”1 and 105kg of rock-hard muscle. As he ordered the lemon soufflé with green-tea ice cream I had an image of him smothered in chocolate.. don’t ask me why.. The dessert was heaven. Light and fluffy the soufflé barely hinted of lemon and the citrus custard underneath was a sensual find. We closed our eyes and savoured the feeling of the creaminess against our tongues.

We ended the evening on Taxi’s rooftop in Federation Square looking out over panoramic views of Melbourne’s iconic MCG, Government House, Southbank and, The Arts Centre – a spectacular finale for a fabulous evening.

What Taxi didn’t deliver in consistently good tasting food, it made up for in attentive service, groovy ambiance and a memorable setting. Even though he didn’t admit it, I can see why my gorgeous guest had previously chosen this destination as a romantic place to set the mood. Taxi is a little on the pricey side but is great date spot and has my vote.

Passion Rating★★★★★

Food:★★★☆☆

Service:★★★★☆

Ambiance:★★★★★

Overall:★★★★☆