du NORD a Scandinavian Sensation
du Nord is an exciting Scandinavian cocktail bar and resturant in the Melbourne CBD that delivers on fine nordic cuisine. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to a bloggers evening to sample the du Nord's new winter menu and cocktails.
du Nord impresses with a modern vibe with Scandinavian design and decor, large bar, plenty of timber and chic lighting. There are also several dining spaces which adds to the ambience.
We started with cocktails and this amazing starter of Salt and Vinegar Branches, the product of some deft foraging. I loved the concept of nibbling on these stems in the vase with a dill cream at the bottom. The World Loves Melbourne loves a classic dill cream.
du Nord also impressed with it's cocktails and wine selection.
Head Chef Matt Fallon (right) has been the talk of the town with his innovative cuisine and twist on nordic fare.
The Ocean Trout, Linseed and Buttermilk was a triumph. This is a delicate dish with plenty of technique. Here we have big flavours, crunch and savvy sauce.
Smoked Herring, Potato, Pork Skin & Foraged Puree was such a unique dish. Smoked Herring is a traditional nordic dish but the crumbed/casing of the herring with pork was a great twist. Underneath the crunchy and tasty husk was tender herring. The foraged puree was another interesting twist.
Duck and Bacon Pyttipanna w Onion and Rosehip was my favourite dish of the night, a kind of nordic bubble and squeak. The elements of the duch shone through with the large egg and smallish duck pieces throughout. Traditionally a pyttipanna is made from leftovers of past meals but now it is far more common to prepare pyttipanna from prime ingredients. The duck egg rather than traditional hen egg is cool. The presentation of this dish was superb and I found it to be quite filling with intensity and richness in the pyttipanna including the potto and onion elements.
The Beetroot Panna Cotta was spectacular modern dish, including a stunning presentation.
Then it was time for a fun Plating Competition. Each blogger present was given ingredients in containers below and a brief to produce the most attractive and appealing "plate up". Thomas and Matt from du Nord were the judges - and were polite but amused by the plating offerings.
My entry below was simply overkill. I was trying to create a forest floor which I felt was strangely nordic. But my plating showed overcrowding and didn't impress the judges. The winning entry was about restraint and "negative space", to claim the $100 voucher.
du Nord is a breath of fresh air (Nordic fresh air) in the Melbourne CBD and shows off the delights and excitement of Nordic cuisine. Highly recommended.
