Coffee shop & Kitchen by day, Share plate and Wine bar by night, 868 Gourmet is a small and cozy and also one of the original restaurants to open on the Albany Highway cafe strip. As part of their relaunch, 868 is now offering their new “Share Plate” menu on Tuesday-Saturday evenings. With share plates in various sizes and wines to match, I felt it was going to be a lovely evening ahead.
Being the seafood and fries lovers we are, we ordered the Scallops with pea puree and asparagus tips ($15.50), Truffle Fries with grated parmesan ($12) and Croquettes with mushrooms, leek, manchego and paprika ailoi ($14) to start off with.
The scallops were seasoned just right, seared to perfection, resulting in a pleasant browning on the outside and a delicious caramelized flavour. It was a pleasure to eat, we easily (and happily) could’ve had 10 more plates.
Golden and crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, croquettes are ultra-satisfying comfort food. Being a lover of croquettes, I order them whenever I see them on a menu. These ones did not only look great but tasted lovely with a nice flavour and texture of mushroom and leek. I also loved the paprika aioli! I may have started using it as a dipping sauce for our truffle fries…
Also being a massive steak and meat lover, we got the Steak Frites – rump cap that comes with a side of truffle fries and béarnaise ($23) and Lamb Rack with sweet potato puree, mint yoghurt and onion straw ($28). The steak was cooked medium rare just how it should be, however I left the fat off as I like it to be rendered. The lamb rack was beautifully presented and came through with its flavours, I would’ve loved a bit more salt (but I do have a saltier palette than most).
One of my favourite parts of the night – dessert! It was a tough one to decide on but to finish off the night we settled for a (deliberately) Fallen chocolate Soufflé with banana, berries and cream – my first ever soufflé and I was impressed. An amazing texture and combination of flavours. It was a perfect end to the night and left me warm and pleasantly satisfied.
I had the chance to meet the chef who was a young, nice Brazilian lady and the food reflected a feminine approach in taste, textures and presentation. We were impressed by her and what she plated up!
868’s nice atmosphere and share plates made it an overall enjoyable night. Although you may know 868 for its morning coffees, it is a good place for a tapas-styled dinner night out whether it’s with your family, friends or date nights.
868 Gourmet is located at 868 Albany Highway, East Vic Park
(08) 9361 6444
Opening hours:
Mon: 6am - 3pm
Tues: 6am - 9pm
Wed: 6am - 9pm
Thu: 6am - 9pm
Fri: 6am - 10pm
Sat: 6am - 10pm
Sun: 6am - 2pm
Disclaimer: foodie cravings was invited as a guest of 868 Gourmet. See disclosure policy for further details.
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