Pure South Dining, Southbank

I’ve walked up and down the Southbank promenade a number of times but I’d never really noticed Pure South Dining. After one visit, I can tell you that I will not overlook it again. Flying in on a Friday night from Sydney, it was close to 9pm by the time we checked into our hotel in Melbourne. Feeling somewhat peckish, but not ravenous, we went in search of a quick bite to eat and fortunately stumbled upon Pure South which was round the corner from our hotel.

Pure South Dining has made a name for itself by sourcing all of its produce from Tasmania, building relationships with specialist growers and producers. Menus change regularly to reflect the seasons and availability of produce; and this attention to detail and respect for the produce is definitely reflected in the dishes served in the restaurant.

Pure South Dining

We started with the Pure South Tasmanian charcuterie platter and every element was tasty, with my family just about fighting over the last few bites. My favourites were the tender wagyu brisket, the crisp pork croquette and the spicy chorizo.

Pure South Tasmanian charcuterie – from top left: Wursthaus venison pastrami, Mt Gnomon Farm Wessex saddleback tete de cochon, Winnaleah pulled-pork croquette, Mt Gnomon Farm chorizo, Robbins Island wagyu brisket. From top right: grilled sourdough and celeriac remoulade

My entree featured a generous amount of quail perched in a pond of Japanese egg custard, strewn with herbs. The quail was cooked perfectly and the silky custard was creamy and smooth. I would have liked more tempura quail eggs because the one I had, with its crisp batter coating and oozing yolk, was not enough!

Rannoch Farm quail, Japanese-style quail custard,piperade, tempura quail egg, herb salad

For my main I had the butternut pumpkin and goats cheese trifle, topped with sage crumbs and served with herb pappardelle. In a word, amazing. The sweetness of the pumpkin combined with the sharp goats cheese and the crunchy sage crumbs went perfectly together, along with the pappardelle that had herbs cleverly encased between its layers. While I tend to go for meat in my mains, I was utterly and completely satisfied with this dish.

Butternut and chevre trifle, sage crumbs, basil pappardelle, garlic emulsion

Dessert was also outstanding – we ordered the Red Cow Dairy cheese ‘cake’ and the Anvers chocolate ganache. The cheese cake came with basil sorbet and rhubarb jelly, and when all elements were eaten together it was quite an unusual taste sensation. The fresh and palate-cleansing basil sorbet complemented the tart rhubarb flavour and cut through the creaminess of the cheese.

Red Cow Dairy cheese ‘cake’, anzac biscuit, rhubarb compote, basil sorbet

The chocolate ganache was incredibly rich and indulgent but went beautifully with the salted caramel and caramelised banana, with the slightly bitter aftertaste of the burnt milk chocolate lightening the plate.