ezard

8 Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  7     

I dined at Ezard for a special occasion with a friend and was very impressed.
The attention to detail in each dish and combination of strong and subtle flavours was amazing. I had the Canadian scallops for entree and the Wagyu beef for main, both were faultless and a memorable indulgence.

Ezard lacked the airs, graces and pretensions of many fine dining restaurants which was very refreshing. I can see how other diners may have mistook the waitress' behaviour for rudeness (if indeed it's the same one), but I actually liked that she was super-professional, efficient and didn't fawn over us.

I would highly recommend Ezard for a special occasion, particularly for couples or small groups.

Jun 22, 2011 

5.5 Average

Food  5      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  5     

My boyfriend and I went here on a trip to Melbourne recently. We had read shining reviews about the place so were really excited to try it out.

What a disappointment!! The service was a let down. We did notice some nice waiters, pity we didn't get one. Our waitress was short with us, snobby and even told us we weren't allowed to take photographs inside the restaurant. Never had we heard such a ridiculous policy from any of the other fine dining restaurants we'd ever dined at. Put a real dampener on our evening.

The food is unremarkable. Apparently people think it is a wonderful fusion of eastern and western flavors. If you really are Asian though, you would not think it is special at all. Mediocre at best and certainly not worth the price. I would not recommend this restaurant to anybody nor would I ever return.

Jan 13, 2011 

8.8 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  8      Service  9      Value  8     

A hidden gem! Below the street level of Flinders Lane sits this very narrow but polished fine dining restaurant.

The staff are friendly and extermely knowledgeable, finding the balance between attentive and intrusive service. The restaurant is dark and the couch seating that lines one wall is a tad out of place and too low. It is fine dining the Melbourne laneway way, with all bases covered but at all times you feel relaxed unlikely some pretentious establishments. The modern feel also helps make you welcome and at ease.

The food is amazing, it's not cheap but it is well worth every cent. For entree I had the yellow fin tuna sashimi with bonito pannacotta, mirin and sesame dressing, crispy shiso leaf, absolute perfection! The fish just melted in my mouth and the flavours were fresh. For main I had their signature dish, the master stock fried pork hock, chilli caramel, spicy thai beanshoot salad and fragrant jasmine rice. The pork just feel away and each flavour complimented eachother, the type of dish you never want to end and that is an experience more than 'just eating'.

All other dishes at the table were apparently amazing. This is one of those restaurants that is seamless in its execution, a must dine!

Dec 13, 2010 

5.5 Average

Food  7      Ambience  7      Service  1      Value  7     

I experienced the Worst service at this restaurant, esp for a 2 chef hat restaurant! The waitress was so rude to the point of making us feel so angry! I have never experienced such snobby rude service, it almost ruined our night!

In terms of food, my girlfriends and I had the Pre-theatre tasting menu which I thought was okay. I was most impressed with the rosemary and parmesan cheese olive oil for the bread, but the flavours of the rest of the dishes were nice but nothing special. Good quality wagyu beef though.

Oct 31, 2010 

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  9     

Went to this restaurant once on Mother's Day and once on my birthday which was a Saturday night. The mother's day lunch doesn't do this restaurant justice and they most likely did not have the head chef there.

Food on mother's day was not presented well but was well prepared, though food was generally on the salty side, at times it was difficult to choose what to eat on the plate as everything, the sauce, the vegetables, the meat were all so strong. For entree I had their signature oyster shooters, was a bit too sweet for me. Followed with their signature pork hock which had crispy skin and the meat was very tender, again, sauces were quite overwhelming.

In the end I avoided the sauces altogether and just ate the already sweet pork. Dessert was the highlight of the whole ordeal, with home made ice-cream which everyone seemed to be ordering.

Almost every dish contained an overwhelming taste of lemongrass which is not a good sign, at least not for my mother as she hates lemongrass and the menu did not state lemongrass as a part of the ingredients.

On my birthday it was better and I don't mean marginally. I did not taste any traces of lemongrass, no matter how hard I tried. The oyster shooters were well balanced and melted in my mouth, the pork hock was still as tender but the sauces had a variety of aromas which I enjoyed. Desserts were also far better, with more generous serves and attention to detail.

Bread and olive oil were complimentary, something that surprised me was the complimentary spice plate at the table's centre. The spice plate contained three types of spices, on one side was Japanese sea weed, in the middle a sweet and chilli powder mixed with sea salt and on the other side I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

The overall atmosphere was enjoyable and matches that of the comtemporary food offered. The jazzy music in the background is almost a part of the ambience. The restroom is covered with mirrors and towels for drying your hands, it matches the restaurant interiors and does not take you out of the experience.

I would recommend always checking with the restaurant to see if their head chef will be present on the night of your meal. Overall good value for what you get, definitely not overpriced and a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience.

Aug 06, 2010 

7 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  5      Service  8      Value  7     

The food was excellent although I am not sure the complimentary spice plate adds to the experience. I would have preferred one more interesting spice rather than 3 very salty offerings. The staff were very attentive but our dining experience was really marred by the feeling of stress exuded by all staff. Naturally this made us uncomfortable and we were done and dusted and out of there in 1 1/2 hours which shows we were not doing justice to the great food or the company! One last little niggle, too much overhandling of napkins by the staff, unhygienic!

May 31, 2010 

7.5 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  8      Service  8      Value  6     

Went here based on the 2 hat rating and expected a lot from this place. This is one very fine dining establishment. From the moment you walk in service is pretty much faultless.

In terms of the food, I have mixed feelings. I really loved their complimentary three spices served with fresh bread. This was followed by a lovely complimentary appetiser of kingfish sashimi atop a jelly base. My entree of yellowfin tuna sashimi, bonito pannacotta, soy and wasabi foam was absolutely spot on, it had all the right flavours and textures. The main of fried john dory with cauliflower cream, roasted kipfler potato, seared scallop and caviar was quite nice even if I wanted to see more scallop and caviar in the dish.

My friend's dishes weren't as interesting, the entree of steamed crab and ginger dumpling tasted like something you could get at any thai place and their main of steamed malloway in spiced tomato and tamarind broth didn't blow either of us away. We also could not justify the $48.50 that was paid for the mulloway main which had a small fillet of mulloway and no other overly costly ingredients.

Some dishes especially the tuna sashimi were great but I really expected more from a two hat establishment, especially given the overpricing of their menu. The complimentary bread and three spices as well as appetizer were a great touch and service was very attentive. This is a great place to go for a special occasion as it truly looks and feels like a very fine dining establishment.

May 17, 2010 

7.3 Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  7     

Great food, staff could be better, overall quite good.

Apr 15, 2010 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  10      Value  9     

My son was recommended this restaurant and in turn he recommended it to us. So I took my wife there for her birthday and boy did I earn some brownie points!

Food, service was outstanding but it is a pity about where it is located. The use of Asian influences and flavours reflects our place in the world and how multicultural we have become. When I travel to Europe the two things I miss most are the Australian accent and the influence Asia has had on our cuisine. Love to see it relocated to a vineyard in the YarraValley overlooking magnificent views.

Whilst a bit on the pricey side I have paid similar amounts at restaurants in the Southbank precinct but the food standard was nowhere near the quality of that enjoyed at Ezards. Whilst pricey you get what you pay for. Next stop is their sister restaurant.

Mar 24, 2010 

9.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  9      Service  10      Value  9     

Food was amazing, balanced perfectly. Service was spot on and could not be faulted. I will be spreading the word!

Mar 16, 2010