Malin — Restaurant in Melbourne

Went for dinner on a weekday and had the chef's six course menu. The six course was quite substantial and includes most of the dishes from the ala carte. The meal started off with olives and sourdough bread, lightly torched scallop paired with grapes, and a tartlet with fermented cabbage and soft cheese. All the starters were great; the scallop was fresh and the mild cheese complements the sour cabbage. The entrée was a blue fin tuna dish with mustard ice cream and three colour sauce (can't remember what they were). The dish looks too good to eat and at the same time sounds unusual but it was actually tasty; the sauce was savoury and a little spicy and citrusy, and the cold sensation from the mustard ice cream works well with the raw tuna. The ice cream itself was not that sweet and the mustard flavour was subtle. The highlight was the first main dish; the ballotine chicken filled with mushroom duxelles was flavour packed, rich and buttery; and the side of crispy fried chicken skin added a nice contrasting texture to the dish. The second main dish was also solid; duck breast paired with a concentrated coq au vin sauce, smooth and buttery celeriac puree, poached sweet quince, and a lollipop duck croquette. Pre-dessert was diced banana and oyster, caramel sauce and ice cream, topped with a thin banana crisp; was skeptical but the flavours and textures worked; sweet, creamy and a little salty. Finally for dessert, had the chocolate gavotte which was not too sweet; pretty good. The only minus was the long wait time for desserts, but overall a great dining experience; food was very tasty, innovative and beautifully plated, and the staff was very friendly...

We had a delightful experience last night to celebrate an 18th birthday.

The room is set up beautifully. Gorgeous and well lit. Intimate and stylish. The soundtrack is contemporary and engaging without being intrusive. Whoever curated this playlist knows their music!

We started with a round of cocktails. The bartender was happy to make us cocktails that were not on the list. All three were delicious and well presented.

The service was professional, knowledgeable and well received. Very Melbourne! Casual without being over the top. Engaging and friendly. When meals were served, often the chef and his sous would serve all three at once, placing the three plates at exactly the same moment. The wait staff would then explain the ingredients in detail.

The food was magnificent. Again, very Melbourne and very French all at once! We had the six course menu and there was the perfect amount of food and the perfect combination throughout all courses. Highlights were the cuttlefish, the pork, and the oysters. Ingredients were well balanced and interesting. Flavours were contemporary and exciting.

One of us had the matching wines. This was an excellent choice. A range of local, national, and international drinks was served throughout the night. Each time, the sommelier would explain the drinks and the reason for matching to each dish.

We loved this restaurant and hope to return...

I had the sublime pleasure of trying Malin’s six course tasting menu for lunch at the high recommendation of friends and colleagues.

As an extremely introverted extrovert myself, the team’s thoughtfulness and attentiveness in accomodating me as the solo diner was unmatched on a Saturday afternoon - with every interaction being warm, genuine, and infused with that quiet kind of confidence that makes you feel completely at home.

The menu completely masters the balance between exploration and tradition.

Favourites:

Oyster, beef, champagne sabayon: To die for, but how would I remain alive to then have the greatest pork fillet of all time?

Tartlet, dry aged tuna, cauliflower: Perfect pastry technique, tuna and cauliflower well balanced.

Mackerel, merguez, chilli: Spicy, sweet, a very unique and delicious flavour profile.

Cuttlefish, asparagus, moscato sabayon: Silky smooth, elegant, well executed.

Pork fillet, beetroot, sesame: Transcendental. On every level. I will dream about this dish for years. So good that tears started to well in my eyes.

Squash, goat cheese ice cream, macadamia: A refreshing closer to a flawless victory.

Order this menu and meet Jesus (or Biggie, or Tupac, or otherwise preferred deity).

Thank you to Natasha, Millie and Clement for this...