Get Your Dego Fix at these 7 Restaurants!

It’s no surprise the world’s first restaurant appeared in Paris – it all started in 1765 when a man named A. Boulanger opened a business selling a range of soup and broth.

He named his shop after the nutritive benefits of the soups he was selling…a restaurant, which in French means ‘to restore’. Boulanger’s restaurant was the first eatery that offered a menu with a range of dishes to choose from.

After this, menu-driven restaurants spread rapidly around Europe and the world. Today, we have many different types of menus at our favourite dining destinations, including the degustation. 

‘Degustation’ is the French word for ‘tasting’ – it is a menu where you can try lots of different dishes; some restaurants can offer up to 20 courses, but usually it is a four or five-course offering, sometimes with matched wines.

Also known as a Chef’s tasting menu, it is the ideal opportunity to test your culinary adventurousness when it comes to food and gastronomic trends.

Here are seven venues to get your dego fix:

 

Treat yourself and loved ones to an elegant dining experience at Deer Duck Bistro on Milton Road, an Auchenflower venue with a touch of class. Emanating a distinguished vibe, enjoy a pre-dinner drink in the lounge area from the new bar and cocktail menu before heading to the dining room to delve into a collation of classic European dishes fashioned from premium ingredients boasting mouth-watering capabilities.

Order à la carte, or choose one of the degustations, perhaps begin with char-grilled cuttlefish, guacamole, burnt San Marzano tomato and fresh herbs, followed by kangaroo fillet "Rossini’-style, with English spinach, toasted pan brioche, foie gras and a red wine reduction; desserts like lime and yoghurt panna cotta, tapioca and coconut pudding, fresh fruit and passionfruit gel make for the ideal finish.

Expect delicious Tasmanian fare served in spectacular surroundings at Mount Paul Lodge on Coles Bay Road in Coles Bay. The onsite restaurant for Freycinet Resort, every meal is an unforgettable dining experience celebrating the state’s natural bounty in a seasonal omakase-style menu.

Step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life to take in unparalleled views as you sip a glass of wine and ponder a menu showcasing the finest and freshest local produce – think delicate dishes like a King prawn ball, served with dashi, daikon and baby mizuna; sweet, rich sea urchin, with pickled cucumber and finger lime and slow-cooked abalone with fresh daikon.

 

Embark on a new culinary era with Parramatta’s first Japanese fine dining experience at Oribu on Church Street. Nestled on the rooftop of the Heritage Lounge, food artistry meets Japanese perfection at this moody and evocative venue where a magnificent olive tree sits centre stage, twinkling with fairy lights and food is served with flair and theatrics.

Choose Chef’s tasting menu and delve into hiramasa kingfish carpaccio to start, followed by popcorn prawns with creamy spicy sauce and yuzu juice; larger plates may present like grain-fed tenderloin brochettes with a side of crispy eggplant, saiko miso and Shiraz seasoned onions, or toothfish with cured sweet miso and pan-fried broccolini with garlic and sesame dressing. Yuzu sorbet, coconut cream, fresh berries and vanilla fairy floss complete a memorable meal.

 

Plant-based modern Sichuan cuisine is what awaits Collingwood diners at Shu Restaurant on Johnson Street. Named after owner and Chef, Shu Liu, chill out in fun and funky surrounds of neon lighting, clear plastic chairs, potted greenery and wire sculptures hanging from the ceiling as you ponder degustation menus to tempt all palates.

Stop for a sake at the bar before dining on local and seasonal produce, executed with a creative mind and contemporary philosophy; stop in on Sunday for unlimited yum cha, or dine on the 10-course vegan degustation. Think dishes like eggplant, slow braised in housemade pickled chilli, ginger and garlic, topped with crunchy peas and snake beans, served with a crispy fried Chinese doughnut spoon.

The evolution of modern European cuisine is on the menu at Caleb Restaurant & Bar on Railway Road in Subiaco. Reborn from The Corner Italian with a new modern ambience, this brainchild of Chef Caleb Azuka boasts a simple warm décor in a beautiful heritage building, open kitchen and sky-view rooftop bar for nightlife romance.

Live DJ music and a European vibe set the scene for dining from the Exotica Degustation menu – salmon tartare, savoury limoncello meringue and caviar make for the ideal starting point, moving onto butter-poached WA rock lobster, handmade spaghetti, saffron sauce, housemade mozzarella, fresh herbs and chilli drops. For a dramatic finish, Chef Caleb will handcraft a dessert masterpiece in front of your eyes.

 

Head down Doig Street in Cleveland to find a heritage built on exquisite food, exceptional service and a stylish ambience at The French Table. This Brisbane fine dining destination delivers simple, elegant, modern French-inspired cuisine in plush surroundings of blue velvet chairs, clothed tables, gilt mirrors and glowing chandelier lighting.

Every flavour tells a story from degustation starters of pan-seared scallop served on cauliflower purée, topped with salmon caviar, to larger plates of partially deboned quail, cooked two ways, served with radicchio and truffle brie risotto; perhaps stuffed pork loin wrapped in pancetta hits the mark, served with Brussels sprouts, confit cherry tomatoes and Chardonnay sauce. Finish indulgently with tarte au citron and poire belle Helene.

 

Diners are transported to the bustling streets of Tokyo at Newtown restaurant Kaiza Izakaya on Enmore Road. The brainchild of Chef Jason Nguyen, this stylish Japanese fusion restaurant has a moody vibe of black and red walls adorned with artwork, cranes, fans and lanterns; pull up a seat at the bar, or on balmy days take to the enclosed courtyard out back.

From watching his Dad cook Vietnamese dishes combined with his Japanese culinary education, Jason serves up fare with flair cooked on a smoking hot charcoal grill, or wok; embark on a tasting menu adventure with prawn satay, crispy rice, peanuts and mixed herbs, then delve into Wagyu with betel leaf, negi relish, ginger and peanut, along with lamb cutlets, yuzu miso, broccolini, relish and ito togarashi.