Ultimate Lunch Box: Cafe Vue
(at the front of the Normanby Chambers Building)
Telephone (03) 9691 3899
A long time coming, but I finally got to sample the little red box I’d heard so much about from Cafe Vue. This $15 lunchtime treat is guaranteed to please even the most ardent of gourmand palates. It is cheeky and pretentious, decadent to the extreme and absolutely delightful. The experience goes thus:
Gently slide the red cardboard sleeve from the box. Ooooh and aaahhh just a little as you clap your hands together in excitement. Take stock as you lift out the menu and scan it for your forthcoming degustory experience. Reach in and grab the first pack. Unwrap. Salivate. Consume. Don’t forget to chew or swallow. Ooooh and aaahhh just a little bit more, perhaps allowing a squeal of excitement to escape your lips now and then. Finish. Wipe crumbs from your lips. Sigh that you’ve just finished the most ultimate lunch box ever.
That about sums it the experience 
First course was a chilled gazpacho soup in a little half cup container. Now Shannon Bennett is a veritable master when it comes to the tomato. He must have rubbed the tummy of the tomato fairy or something, cause dang - that man can extract their absolute soul. My first tomato experience was an amuse bouche at VDM a few years back - a shot glass of essence of tomato (chilled) , served with a tablet of basil ice. The first sip instantly invoked memories of my Nonna pulling plump ripe tomatoes from her sun drenched vegetable patch. I could taste every sugo she had ever made and every tomato salad. I’m not shitting you here, this amuse bouche was a fucking spiritual experience. I had a second one too, involving a confit’d tomato with a ligurian centre (but I won’t bore you with the verbose detail of that one). Suffice to say, this little half cup of gazpacho soup, even in the paper cup, captured the essence of all its parts on all levels. Delish.
The Cobb Salad fulfilled all my “food is better when you interact with it” fantasies. It comes in two parts - the coss lettuce, lardons, croutons, shredded and seasoned roast chicken, and slice of egg in one container, and the vinaigrette in the other. Pour the contents of the smaller container into the larger container, and voila - you’ve dressed your own salad. Now I gather the use of the specimen container is twofold - one to house the dressing, two for obtaining your own blood cholesterol sample after eating the contents of the ultimate lunch box :-).
The sandwich, although I’m not quite sure whether that term does it any justice, was a smoked salmon brioche. I kind of expected the brioche to be dry (as it is want to do if left hanging around a bit), but I think the liberal dousing of a creamy mayo type sauce kept it moist. The salmon was silkily luscious and exquisite, and the rocket lively and peppery. It was gooood.
The cheese course was a mature cheddar served on a sesame sable. I thought the use of silver backed breathable camembert papers was an interesting wrapping choice, but unfortunately it didn’t prevent the cheese sweating somewhat. Was it packed and wrapped a little too early? The sable on the other hand was quite interesting. It was heavy on the paprika, sesame and parmesan, and was flaky in a “I’ve just used a bucket load of butter to achieve this result” kind of way.
The pud was an extremely adorable cherry and almond cupcake. It was more friand-like than cupcake per se, but heck, I’m not going to argue with the man. You could call it the “rub it all over me and call me daddy” dessert and I won’t complain a bit :-). Anyway, smack bang in the middle of this almondy cakey goodness was a dirty big black sweet cherry.
See. I told you so.
Written by mellie on
January 27th, 2007 | Tags: cafes, restaurants | Category: Uncategorized
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January 28th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Reviews this positive are often dead boring to read, but this has your personality stamped all over it! It’s what great food-blogging (rather than food journalism) is all about, IMHO.
I’m tempted to fork out the $15 just for the gazpacho.
January 28th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Hi there Cindy.
What an absolutely beautiful thing to say! Thank you so much
I actually really enjoyed writing this entry. I think I was inspired by the cheekiness of the lunchbox - just to be a little cheeky with my writing too.
And yes, the gazpacho is well worth it. You may even be able to get it as a regular serve in the Cafe. With a hunk of bread, it would be heavenly.
January 29th, 2007 at 5:21 am
Now this is a cooncept that airlines should adopt: yummy food in a box!
January 29th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Awesome I am so impressed. Lunch box heaven
January 29th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Hey Adriana - You can actually pre-order the lunchboxes to take away as inflight meals. Alternatively, you can ask your personal assistant to run down and grab one. Oh…how decadent!
Hi Squishy - uh huh, completely heavenly :-). And it looks like he’s changed the menu again. I might have to go back! There is baba ganoush with grissini, tomato salad with black olive dressing (I’m guessing this one will rock ;-)), zopf roll with roast lamb, mint & spinach salad and then a chocolate orange pot. Looks like the soup and cheese course have been omitted this time around though. But it still sounds yum.
January 29th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
Oh yum, definitely looking to give that a try on Thursday. Whoa, it’s Tuesday already…. not long to wait, in that case.
January 31st, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Oh you are so lucky. I am just so jealous. I am moving to Townsville from Brisbane in the next two weeks and I have a big task for me to find all the good food places. I wanna move to Melbourne. Let me know when you have tried the new one? I would love to hear how it was. Cheers Sunshine
February 3rd, 2007 at 2:39 am
Hey Anna - sorry I messed up your Cafe Vue plans on Thursday. But I promise we’ll go back soon
Hey again Squishy - good luck on the move further up North. Well I in turn will be jealous of you and your access to such wonderful produce (fruits, fish etc.). My father lives in Cairns, and whenever I visit I’m in absolute heaven!
February 6th, 2007 at 3:01 am
Oh my god, they look so good. Question: is there much of a wait for them, as in queues? And do they do them on Weekends?
February 6th, 2007 at 5:45 am
Hi Anon - Unfortunately Cafe Vue is not open on weekends, so you’ll have to venture in on a week day. If you plan to “eat in”, you might have to wait for a table, as there are not too many of them. But on a nice sunny day, I say lob up and grab a box and take it to a park. Much better to enjoy every delicious bite in the sun
February 15th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Hi Mellie, Just stumbled upon your blog and I find it very interesting and have read all your posts. I plan on visitng some of the cafes and restaurants that you have reviewed.
When I return to work from maternity leave in a couple of weeks time, the first thing I will do is make my way to Cafe Vue for the little red box!
p.s do u mind if I put a link to your blog from mine?
February 15th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Hi cherrie pie - glad you enjoy reading my blog - I get so much pleasure out of writing it
Looking forward to seeing some more posts on yours as well!. I would love to see some traditional Filipino recipes on there too *hint hint*.
Yes - so do the Vue for lunch. I am salivating in anticipation of my next visit already. Unfortunately it is at the other end of town from where I work, and one really needs to set aside the time to enjoy it. You must blog your experience!
Please feel free to add a link to your site. I have done the likewise
Take care.