Station Hotel

After a whole week of all work and no play, D took me to Station Hotel when I told him I was hungry and tired. Located in Footscray, it's a place that you would drive past and not think much of it. D had been here before with the boys and always told me it was one of the best steaks he has ever had. Thought it was time I gave it a go!

We got there at 9pm and was informed the restaurant was full but we could sit at the bar/pub side and had only 30 minutes before the kitchen closed. Under such time pressure, D and I had to make a very fast decision, and thankfully for him, I'm one of those people who responds well under time pressure. ;)

Feeling a little gluttony, D and I got the crumbed mussels and spicy ragu bolognaise to start of with. The crumbed mussel came in a small bowl with chorizo and olives and a side of dipping butter. It was my first time having crumbed mussels so I wasn't too sure what to expect, but it did not fail me. The exterior was perfectly deep fried whilst maintaining the texture and taste of the mussel. The chorizo was oily (but not too oily) and made the whole dish feel like a guilty pleasure.

The spicy ragu bolognaise looked quite sloppily plated up but more than made up for it in taste. The ricotta, slightly spicy sauce and the al dente penne all served with a heap of salad on top was just the best pasta I've eaten in a long time. The creaminess of ricotta paired with that mild spiciness ragu is homey but also luxe. I will be coming back for this one (but next time I'll have it as a main and not share it with D). A definite must try and you could just come here for the pasta it was that good.

Now to the mains; I saw wagyu on the menu for less than $50 so my decision was made within 2 seconds and it was a great choice too.

 The steak was a perfect medium rare. The basting wasn't overdone and just right. With a dollop of Bearnaise and some pepper sauce to mix it up a little, I was very happy.

D got the Gippsland scotch fillet. His was also succulent and perfectly medium rare. D is a mustard person so he opted for that and the Bearnaise. Though he did have a bit of steak envy after he tasted my wagyu.

The Bearnaise was more like a thick hollandaise cross aioli with herbs. Not quite your usual Bearnaise and it worked well. Both steaks came with a generous serving of salad and chips.

We got greedy and got a side of beans. We really didn't need to and I regretted it, not because it was bad but we just couldn't finish it. Needless to say, we never reached dessert. =(

Overall 17.5/20 That wagyu steak was amazing, I would drive another 45 minutes just to come back for that wagyu steak and spicy ragu bolognaise.