Yiaga is one of the few restaurants in Melbourne awarded 3 hats by Good Food Guide. It serves modern Australian cuisine in the beautiful Fitzroy garden.
This is Chef Hugh Allen’s first baby, having previously worked at Noma (Copenhagen) and Vue De Monde (Melbourne) (LINK).
This lunch was booked 3 months in advance. It was $320 per person.
This was the first time we felt like a restaurant was similar to The Menu (2022 movie) LOL.
This is Chef Hugh Allen’s first baby, having previously worked at Noma (Copenhagen) and Vue De Monde (Melbourne) (LINK).
This lunch was booked 3 months in advance. It was $320 per person.
This was the first time we felt like a restaurant was similar to The Menu (2022 movie) LOL.
The location
There is only public parking. Yiaga is a 10-minute walk inside the park.
Set Menu
We started strong with a sea parsley and finger lime. This had a texture of a pureed sorbet. It was sweet and savoury, tricking our tastebuds with that drizzle of Victorian olive oil.
We’re shocked to name this lettuce tart as the best dish of the day. It was a steamed oak leaf with dehydrated cos lettuce, horseradish and miso. It tasted like an airy earthy and umami bite. It was so fluffy and gentle on the palate. Shocking for Mick to label a vegetable as his favourite HAHA but that should show you how good this menu will be.
This next bite was the Blackmore wagyu, steamed bread and green ants. Yes, ants!! They added the most delicate crunch. The wagyu was cured on top of Italian greens and the bun was delicious. Mick thought it was a tad too acidic in the centre but I enjoyed the balance.
This was the coconut, macadamia and N25 oscietra. It had a mix of coconut flesh, and coconut jelly soaked in coconut water. It was so unique and delicious! The bite was bright, full of umami with pops of citrus.
This was celeriac, tilsit and lemon thyme. The combination of unique ingredients and technique was crazy here with the grilled clementine, celeriac puree, celeriac foam cooked until it became butter, cheese, and Japanese roasted green tea. The cheese was from north Tasmania and emulsified to create the foam. The subtlety of the tea leaf flavour was the perfect touch of earthiness to cut through this airy and decadent bite.
This was coral trout, prawn and Jerusalem artichoke. Wow! The fish was so fresh: bouncy and tender. This was a fish caught from the Great barrier Reef and cooked over charcoal. The prawns were also cooked over charcoal. It had a vanilla bisque that was whipped so hard it became creamy.
Intermission
Everyone was invited to tour the kitchen and wine room with a personal server. It was fascinating learning the history of the restaurant: heritage Victorian building and licensing, 15000 bricks and Chef Hugh Allen’s career. Peep of the great chef working hard.
Back to eating, this was game broth and eucalyptus. It was mushroom dumplings, in a duck and quail broth with vinegar that was aged in a whiskey barrel. There was also passion berry and tarragon(?). It was amazing; a heartwarming and savoury slurp.
Our main dish was sambar deer and heritage apple. This was basically venison, with a venison meatball, in venison jus, served with their in-house fluffy bread and creamy butter. Bruhhhh, SO GOOD! No gamey-ness. One of the most tender venisons ever. The additional bread was perfect for scooping up the sauce. This was also the first time a restaurant has served us bread and butter at the end of the meal.
Our first dessert was a mandarin, cascabel and olive oil. This was the perfect amount of sweetness to end the meal. Mick ended up licking my plate because mandarin is one of his weaknesses lol.
When they brought out the banksia pop, we laughed. This was a magnum ice cream served on a sterile branch. Don’t worry, each branch is a new one brought in from someone’s backyard. They do not recycle these brances HAHAHA It was so fun to eat this and it tasted sooo good.
We were offered an array of cellos for digestion.
Finally, a gumnut to end the meal. This was surprisingly really soft to bite into (as a person with braces).
Drinks
We picked our own drinks for this lunch and this was our selection.
Service
The service was immaculate. Like we mentioned in the beginning, Yiaga gave us The Menu vibes. Everyone was on point and in rhythm, like a perfect orchestra conducted by Chef Hugh Allen. No wonder they were awarded 3 hats from opening.
Review
This lunch blew our minds in the gastronomy space so we’re excited to go back in a few months.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating!
Thanks for reading. Happy eating!
