On a recent lunchtime walk, I discovered Du Nord, a Scandinavian restaurant, and had a hankering to go there ever since. My boss introduced me to Scandi food at Dansk, and I was keen to see how Du Nord compared.
The decor varies between the bar, which is all dark and mysterious, and the restaurant, which is all light coloured timber. It's less Ikea and more Scandinavian forest than Dansk.
We decide to start with the Frites ($8) - after all, who can resist a good bowl of chips?
This one is huge - it took us aback (in a good way) with its size. The chips come with garlic aioli on the side. These were very good chips - I recommend these on their own with a pint of Scandi beer.
For main, Tim ordered the duck breast in chocolate, lingonberry and blood jus with potato stones and foraged leaves ($28):
The potatoes were a mystery - inside, they were just like ordinary boiled potatoes, but I couldn't work out what the white coating was on the outside. Delicious though! The duck was prettily decorated with edible flowers.
I ordered the mackerel ($27):
It seemed to be on a bed of mashed potato with foraged leaves and a very pretty sauce of what I think was tomato. (Online, it says it comes comes with winter cabbage and crisp bread branches - I don't think that was the case here.) It was quite good, but I am not sure it was worth the price tag, as the piece of fish was quite small and there was not much else on the plate.
It was just as well that my meal was small, as when we combined the frites with this impressive plate of roasted winter vegetables with juniper berry ($13):
there really wasn't any room left for more food. Don't you love the edible flowers decorating the veges?
You can book online at Du Nord, which is a bonus. It makes booking a cinch, and if you have to change or cancel your booking for any reason, you can do so easily. I recommend booking, as Du Nord gets very busy, and our walk-in attempt a couple of weeks before failed.
The service at Du Nord was prompt and friendly, and the food was good. However, on a return visit, I'd skip the mains and stick with the sides and starters, which are better value for money.
Du Nord
367 Little Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: +61 3 9642 0052
Such gorgeous presentation of your mains. The duck especially poses prettily with the potato "eggs " I wonder what they were coated with ... Lovely vegetables too and the use of edible flowers is very appealing. It is great you have reviewed this restaurant :D
ReplyDeleteThe presentations of food at DuNord were really beautiful. Interesting to hear about those potatoes with a coating on the outside, I have never had potatoes with a coating on the outside like that, wonder what it was! I won't comment on the duck with the chocolate sauce as you already know my nose is wrinkling with "ewwww" on that one...chocolate and duck, who knew? That plate of veggies looks so wonderful! I've never been to a Scandinavian restaurant before so it was fun to see your choices.
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