Freyja is a refined Nordic-inspired dining, unfolded beneath dramatic heritage interiors in Melbourne CBD. It has two hats on the Australian Good Food Guide. We dined here on a Saturday with a reservation, opting for the tasting menu at $139 per person. Mick got the premium wine pairing at $119 per person.
Taste of Freyja
We were celebrating so we got the oscietra caviar bump for an extra $20 per person, with the aquavit for $30 per person. The caviar was delicious. The drink slapped hard, in an alcoholic bad way. It was so strong, it removed all traces of caviar from the palatte.
The first dish was the oyster and mussel. It was recommended to eat the oyster, blood plum and red jalapeno first, which was light and acidic. The mussel was served with smoked paprika, sherry vinegar and kelp, and was the amazing. It was full-bodied, creamy and a punch of flavours.
Next we had the beef tartare, served with five spice, sharp bursts of unripe plum, crispy potato and fresh sorrel. It was elegant yet deeply savoury.
For the Freyja signature waffle, there was an option to add 30grams of Yarra Valley trout roe for $46, and 30 grams of Sturia Oscietra caviar for $260.
It arrived crisp and golden, with a warm buttermilk base. The sour cream was smoked, with fresh tangle of dill, tarragon, and chives. The dish balanced richness, salinity, and herbaceous brightness in every bite.
It arrived crisp and golden, with a warm buttermilk base. The sour cream was smoked, with fresh tangle of dill, tarragon, and chives. The dish balanced richness, salinity, and herbaceous brightness in every bite.
The sourdough and cultured butter was served with the next dish.
The rockling was served with miso, eggplant and tropea onion. The fish was delicate and flaky, elevated by the deep umami richness of miso and silky roasted eggplant.
The set menu lets you decide between these two dishes but we got both. This was the scotch fillet, with seaweed mustard and reduccrant. This costed an extra $15 per person. The fillet was tender and juicy, with a nice umami contrast from the jus and mustard.
The duck with witlof, pineapple, orange and vanilla. It was a bit disappointing. The duck was good, refined and tender, but the flavour pairing with witlof gave it a bitter taste. The pineapple was unique, but it did not add enough acidity to balance the fat from the duck.
The side of potatoes was crispy and perfectly salted.
Our dessert was figs, served with buckwheat, nashi pear and balsamic. It was delicious with its Scandinavian simplicity, striking an exceptional balance between earthy textures and nuanced sweetness.
Drinks
The premium wine pairing was disappointing. The choices of wine didn’t really go with any of the dishes. This can be skipped.
Service
The service was good and expected. There wasn’t anything exceptional about it.
Review
It was a pleasant dining experience but, except for the mussel, there was nothing drawing us back. We would only pop in for the mussel.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
