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| the kitchen pass through |
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| Complimentary Bread |
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| Chicken Waffles w/ pate, terrine, crispy chicken skin, orange caramel |
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| BBQ Scallops w/ mango gazpacho, avocado, chilli |
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| Black Kingfish Ceviche w/ Daikon, dashi dressing, crunchy quinoa and finger limes |
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| New York Clam Chowder w/ leeks, bacon, potatoes, clam veloute |
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| Southern Style Pork Belly Chops w/ Sauerkraut, apple sauce, crackle |
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| Berry Split - berry jelly, white chocolate mousse & cream cheese sorbet |
The entrance to the restaurant was humble, to a point Kindon actually missed it (hah.). With no prior booking, the three of us were seated on the bar area (of the dining room), right across the kitchen pass through. We had fun staring at the food coming out of the kitchen and had a little chat with the bartender. The atmosphere of the restaurant was chilled and laid-back with a separate bar at the basement level. Staffs of Nieuw Amsterdam dressed casually and were friendly and attentive. They even gathered around a table and sang the birthday song for one of their customers. It was actually quite a cute gesture.
After ordering three appetisers, two mains and one dessert to share, we settled down into the stools and took in our surroundings. The lighting was faint and the room was not crowded. There were a few decorations and books about New York on the shelves I was seated next to. According to Kindon, Nieuw Amsterdam was what the Manhattan Island used to be called during the Dutch colonisation before being renamed to New York. I can't vouch for any similarity and differences the restaurant has with New York but the food was goooooood.
Appetisers really won us over that night. The Chicken Waffle (w/ pate, terrine, crispy chicken skin, orange caramel) could've been a bit heavy for an appetiser but the tangy taste of the orange caramel brought it to life. The waffle was soft while the chicken skin was every bit of crispy paired with the smooth, velvety pate, creating a contrasting texture. The BBQ scallops (w/ mango gazpacho, avocado, chilli) was our favourite. Scallops were seared perfectly and the tropical taste of the creamy mango and avocado was refreshing, finishing with a little chilli ting and crunchy fried onion. The Black Kingfish ceviche (w/ Daikon, dashi dressing, crunchy quinoa and finger limes) was raw natural goodness. The cubed fish and roe burst with freshness with acidic taste of lime just mingling in the mouth.
The Southern Style Pork Belly (w/ Sauerkraut, apple sauce, crackle) had a balanced layer of juicy meat and fat, topped off with the star of most pork belly dishes: the crackle. Crunch Crunch Crunch. The succulent meat melts in your mouth with the sweetness of the apple sauce, served generously with the Sauerkraut. Growing up with Campbell canned soups have made us believe clam chowders were soupy. The New York Clam Chowder (w/ leeks, bacon, potatoes, clam veloute) was obviously not soupy, served with a portion of bread and was a lot more than we expect in a clam chowder. The dish was flavoursome with tender clams, no-one-should-hate bacon and potatoes which soaked up the tastiness of the aforementioned ingredients. The sauce was a tad salty but accompanied by the bread it was just right.
Upon seeing the Berry Split (berry jelly, white chocolate mousse & cream cheese sorbet) being served out of the kitchen we couldn't resists the urge to order it as well. My personal favourite of the night. It was creamy and sweet and tart at the same time.
Nieuw Amsterdam impressed us even during our satisfied state of tummies. We will return. (Please bring back the Berry Split)
Address: 106-112 Hardware Street Melbourne
Tel: 9602 2111
Email: bookings@nieuwamsterdam.com.au
Opening: Mon-Sun
12pm-Late
Web: http://www.nieuwamsterdam.com.au
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