Review of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen

I had heard through the foodie pipeline that superstar chef Jamie Oliver had opened a Down-Under outpost of his wildly successful Fifteen restaurant in London. The London location has graduated more than 60 chefs through its restaurant, and Executive Chef Tobie Putlock has successfully recruited more than 25 candidates for the Melbourne location. It’s a restaurant with a mission to help improve the quality of chefs in the community.

One of my friends worked on getting us in, which was tricky because the restaurant was closed for two weeks during the holidays and not taking bookings. She prevailed and landed us a 6 p.m. reservation, with strict orders that we were to be out by 8:30. With great anticipation, we were ready for a meal of a lifetime.

THE AMBIENCE

Hidden in an alley on the side of the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Melbourne, Fifteen is reached by climbing downstairs into a basement. Don’t let that fool you. As you enter, the first thing you encounter is a glass window peering into an open kitchen that’s in a frenzy getting ready for the dinner rush.

We were seated in the back corner of the dining room, where we had a bird’s eye view of the scene. In the main dining area, there was not one picture on the walls, but rather hanging terrariums filled with fresh herbs, along with hanging glass globes for mood lighting. It had a minimalist black and white motif. Long banquettes lined the walls of the restaurant, and the bar was a hip kidney-shaped tall table filled with 20-somethings out for a night on the town.

We were totally impressed with the digs. Claire, our server took great care of us. We also had a young female sommelier who helped us pick an incredible bottle of Mitchelton Airstrip Marsanne, a white wine from Victoria. The test I use to judge a restaurant’s service is what happens after a patron leaves the table to go to the restroom. Sure enough, Claire came by and folded my napkin back into a candlestick fold.

TASTING MENU

We had the seven-course tasting menu; it was too far to travel without going all out. Our amuse bouche was a beef carpaccio with crème fraiche and baby basil. The first course was a sweet ripe melon shaved the same thickness as the prosciutto, drizzled with Jamie’s own brand of olive oil and aged balsamic and garnished with micro greens. It was a soothing choice for such a hot day.

Then came the Fifteen selection from the sea: A large plate with salted Murray cod on lavash, Hervy Bay scallops served in their shells, Northern Territory salted whole crispy prawns that were very small and Tuna tartare. It was all delicious and presentation was exquisite.

Next was gnocchi filled with stinging nettles and goat’s curd, served with green butter sauce and tomato oil. Jamie took creative license calling this dish gnocchi, since it actually looked like two small empanadas. This was followed by a refreshing melon sorbet on a porcelain spoon. Artisan bread was passed on a large chopping board, along with Australian olive oil. Pink flaked salt from the famous Murray River Valley was on the table to add flavor to your dish.

The entrée was the star of the evening; I had the Berkshire pork belly. It was slow-simmered and served with Mt. Zero lentils, baby chard, mustard fruits, and salsa verde with pan juices. The flavor was reminiscent of lamb shanks that I used to cook at my restaurant. It was garnished with a little “crackling” made from the pork belly, a delicious addition to the dish.

For dessert we had a superb dessert sampler: a vin santo semifreddo with cantucci biscuit and a fresh chocolate-covered cherry and blackberry sauce. If that was not enough to send us into culinary euphoria, we also were served a cheese board with an aged Einstein Gouda, marinated dressed celery slivers, hazelnuts, grissini and razor-thin raisin toast.

I asked Claire if she had met Jamie. She said he was there at the opening three months earlier and he was expected back next fall. I didn’t expect to see him there, but just once a year? It’s a great gig if you can get it. It makes me wonder if it is a franchise. Check out photos, the menu and other info at www.fifteenmelbourne.com.au. It was worth the trip!