Circa The Prince

D and I don't have very many date nights now, so when we do we like to spend it wisely. When we were at the Taste of Melbourne, we tried Circa the Prince and loved it so mu that, we went to the restaurant at the first chance we got.

Located on Acland St in St Kilda, Circa has a beautiful vibe and windows where you can look out to the water. It was definitely the perfect atmosphere for us.

Since there was a lot on the menu we wanted to try, we opted for the 6 course degustation. While we were waiting I got myself a cocktail to start my evening.

To start we were given the Cured Duck with Rye. This was a very interesting tapas, it came presented like a cigar. The texture was like bread, slightly chewy with strong flavours of cured duck throughout.

Next was the Spring Peas with Broad Beans. It was served with Garrotxa which was a soft tasting goat cheese broth. It created a balance of freshness with the peas and milkiness of the cheese. I really enjoyed this; could have easily had a second serving as it wasn't too heavy.

Together with the Spring peas was their house made foccacia and this was served with homemade butter, sprinkled with parsley powder. The bread and the parsley powder worked wonders with the butter, especially as the bread was warm.

BBQ Octopus with sorrel, apple and radish was served next. Small pieces of tender octopus paired with apple and radish which had more bite to it. This was more about the textures on offer and it was a great 'not too heavy' way to lead into the next dishes which were the mains.

The first of the mains was the Port Phillip Snapper. This was served with fennel and green olive. The fish was very fresh with a crispy layer. I loved how the green olive added a savory layer of flavour to this dish.

Due to a mix up we ended up getting the Flinders Island Lamb as a bonus dish. This was served with turnip and baby potatoes. The lamb was fatty but soft. The baby potatoes were seasoned with salt bush. Overall a classic modern lamb dish with potatoes which was executed well.

Next was our real main, the Western Plains Pork with kohlrabi and green apricot. Of course it was the belly of the pork, as most restaurants these days do.

Final main was the Sher Wagyu Rump Cap with slow roasted onion and mustard. The mustard had truffle laced through it and it was velvety smooth, wasn't too strong and complimented the rump perfectly. The rump was an excellent cut and cooked to perfection, it almost melted in your mouth. This was definitely one of my best steaks I have tasted.

As we were a bit greedy, we ordered 2 sides as well to go with the mains. The first one was the Dutch Cream Potatoes. I know I told myself I would eat less carbs, but I do love some great spuds as a side. This was creamy as the name suggested and well seasoned.

The other side we ordered was the  Spring Leeks with Roasted Scallops. The name confused us on this one as we were expecting actual scallops on the plate and was a bit disappointed when we just saw a plate of leeks but that was a mistake on our part to not ask and clarify. The leeks were cooked perfectly.

Lastly was the dessert. This was Strawberry with Sheep Milk Yoghurt. This was refreshing and light. Strawberries were done in various ways to ensure the taste penetrated throughout the dessert. Sheep milk gave it the creaminess and the coriander flowers provided that bite of unexpected taste. I loved this dessert.

The petit fours at the end was a chocolate and meringue combination. A winning way to end the meal the chocolate truffle especially was extremely nice.

Overall 18.5/20 I enjoyed my meal thoroughly. The service was impeccable and all dishes were executed well. The choice in produce and the method of execution is carefully thought out. The whole dinner was just divine. Only disappointment for me was the leeks but that was more because I should have asked before I made an assumption.