Le Feu

2 Reviews on “Le Feu”

• Good Food Good Mood

  I dined as a guest of Le Feu on Friday night and there was a lot to like about it. The place was abuzz and conveniently located across from Aspendale station. We were offered an 8 course degustation meal. There is a 6 course degustation on the menu for $50pp however the dishes we had werent the full sized portion of the dishes listed so Im not sure this would be value for money unless of course thats not the way they are typically served.

  I ordered a coconut water from the menu which was stated as being the Zico brand. I was served something else however as it was a lot sweeter and had the coconut meat inside. Food wise we started with yummy chicken spring rolls, beef betel leaf, sugar cane prawns and lotus chips. I could take or leave the chips but loved everything else and the sauces they all came with.

  The succulent ribs next and the lusciously sticky sauce was delectably well balanced. Sweet, spicy and all round flawless. Followed by a wagyu beef crying tiger salad which as to be expected had quite a kick to it. Our main was an exceptionally delicious wagyu shin yellow curry- definitely dish of the day. Perfectly tender meat in a sensationally moorish sauce. We had this with some wok tossed seasonal greens which were very heavy on the garlic (not an issue for me) and fried rice.

  Unfortunately once again I experienced the issue that is far too prevalent. Being a degustation menu at the beginning of the meal I advised my dietary requirements that I do not eat pork. Despite this they still served me fried rice but knowing it often has pork in it I saw fit to ask. I was told it was vegetarian but she went and double checked. Turns out the chef forgot and they made me another one but the point is you have to be far more careful with peoples dietaries. Very disappointing.

  For dessert we had the stunning panna cotta and theatrical deep fried ice cream which arrived at the table in a blaze of glory. Neither of these dishes hit the mark for me flavour wise. The ice cream tasted very bready and the panna has almost a cheesecake consistency. The texture wasnt quite right and nor could I taste the alleged lychee flavour that it professed to be.

  Overall a very strong start let down by a lack of attention to detail and visually impressive desserts that were ultimately lacklustre

  January 15, 2019, 4:19 pm

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• Espy Eats

  We came to Le Feu for their early dining session on Friday night. This cute little Vietnamese restaurant started out quietly 6 months ago without much fanfare but as we observed a steady stream of local diners the message appears to have gotten out there. Nautically styled like a french provincial boat shed the interiors are welcoming and warm. Le Feu is currently BYO beer and wine with plans for a liquor license in the near future.

  We partook in a 8 course degustation menu tonight which gave you a chefs choice sample of items from the main menu. They were able to tailor our meal to suit dietary requirements and thus worked very well except for one hiccup with the fried rice (pork was inadvertently added) which was picked up and replaced before either of us had taken any.

  We started with several courses of entrees which included sugar cane prawns, betel leaf wrapped beef, spring rolls, and my absolute favourite in the sticky lamb ribs. These ribs were so tender and juicy that I wished I had more. Entrees served as part of the degustation menu were a smaller tasting serve which gave us plenty of room for what followed.

  Before our mains we were served a wagyu beef salad. This dish was a little too hot for my dining companion but I really enjoyed that heat as well as the tenderness of the beef slices and the fragrant salad and vermicelli. It even came with sliced up kumquat which added a sour citrus element.

  Onto main course and we were served a delicious coconut wagyu beef curry in a heated ceramic pot. This slow cooked dish was quite stunning and that coconut curry sauce could solve world problems … it was that good. There wasnt too much heat if you avoiding the chopped up chilli we found ourselves scooping this over the fried rice, steamed rice and everything really. Would be my must try pick.

  We took a long pause before dessert but then out came two very pretty desserts. The deep fried ice cream was under a theatrical flame and a almond and lychee panna cotta served under a raspberry coulis. Both dishes were accompanied by a tapioca flour based Vietnamese meringue and the panna cotta also came with caramel popcorn on the side.

  The deep fried ice cream coating tasted quite savoury because of the sesame and the ice cream had quite the nice level of melt happening by the time we got finished taking photos. I found the raspberry coulis masked the more subtle lychee flavour on the panna cotta underneath and it was only if you avoided that you could actually get that lychee taste.

  Mid way through our entrees we thought we werent going to have enough food with the degustation but I was seriously full on completion. An excellent way to enjoy a range of dishes without the efforts of ordering.

  Thanks to Kevin and the team for inviting us in to try out your menu.

  January 13, 2019, 7:16 am

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