NOMS #2 - The Swiss Club
Place: The Swiss Club, 89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (Australia)
Cuisine: traditional Swiss
Don't think people wanted to venture out this week - bad colds and flu seem to have got the best of Melbourne at present. However, I hauled myself out of bed despite sickness and turned up to the Swiss Club to see what Swiss fare was like.
The dining room of the club is on the first floor of the building - entry is a little daunting at first. It's a pretty basic-looking dining hall and can accommodate quite large groups for functions if so desired.
Whilst waiting for a last-minute companion, I ordered some mineral water which claims to actually be from the Swiss Alps. It was actually pretty refreshing. As soon as companion arrived, we tried out some Austrian beer, a pilsener.
There were heaps of interesting options on the entree menu. I settled on the soup of the day, which had finely chopped meat (bacon, I think) and pearl barley - very warming for the wintry weather! Quite a creamy soup, and filling. Despite the meat, the flavour still remains delicate and definitely left me wanting.
The main menu is extensive, but this is a cuisine that generally lacks vegetarian options. The dishes offered seem very rich and dare I say fattening. There were several temptings things on offer, and I decided to choose a meat that I don't often get to eat. I settled on the venison escalope in a port wine sauce with spätzli and red cabbage.
I'm guessing that spätzli is the gnocchi-like stuff on the left - it tasted a good deal like gnocchi. The red cabbage reminded me very much of beetroot, but less tangy (or as my companion noted less "in your face"). The venison itself was not as delicious as I imagined it would be - a tad tough and the sauce was not as robust in flavour as I wanted. I've had venison on one other occasion and remember being blown away.
Dinner was finished with Swiss coffee that was liberally laced with schnapps.
I probably wouldn't dine here again unless I knew someone that really wanted to try Swiss cuisine - it was a little expensive and there are not enough vegetable-dominant dishes on offer aside from salad, but the service is warm and friendly, where at one stage the chef came out and amiably greeted the diners. If I were to go back, I'd definitely order rösti, snails or share cheese fondue.
