Review: Lunch @ Maze, Crown Interpol

My parents are here! I'm so overjoyed. My mom wanted to dine at Maze, partly due to an article she read from her favorite magazine. So, I granted her wish and brought the entire family to Maze because I had a really good experience at Maze back then.

Some pictures for you to enjoy first before I head on to my review:

Bread basket


Butter
Charred leek salad
Tete de Cochon - Crispy Pig's Ears, Watermelon
Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait
King George Whiting
Duck leg
Deconstructed Lobster Bisque
Crispy Pork Belly with Japanese inspired broth
Quince trifle - muscat, vanilla foam, quince custard
Rhubarb compote, yogurt, crumble
Overall, our dining experience was decent but nothing to shout about.First, the bread was a little salty and oily. On its own, it's very flavorful. The butter, which was good on its own, was quite an accessory for those who prefer a lighter taste to start their meal.

We had the set lunch menu. There are two menus, one from Maze Grill and one from Maze. It's quite confusing for those who are not used to the system. It took a while for my sister and parents to get around the menu. We ended up having three courses, which is valued at 42 AUD. One can order individual! dishes for 16 AUD from the Maze menu.

My sister and I had the foie gras and chicken liver parfait. Very smooth and buttery. The fruit pieces that came with it added a sliver of tartness to rather rich dish. The sweet taste of parfait went very well with the salted toast that came with it.

My mom's charred leek salad was a reminiscent of a potato and leek stew that I've made a long time ago. A comforting dish for the brr-worthy weather.

My dad's tete de cochon was quite a disappointment. The pig's ears was too gamy to taste. The acidic watermelon slice, laced with beetroot red, was the saving grace for this potentially exciting dish.

I had the deconstructed lobster bisque for mains. It was one of the best mains for that afternoon. Not only did it captured the invigorating flavors from the sea but it also incorporated citrus elements to give the bisque an enticing zing.

My mom's King George Whiting was the second best. On its own, the fish was a little salty but with the mash, it was perfect.

My sister's duck was a little too salty. The meat on its own was perfect but the accompanying lentil and corn was too much for our liking.

Fortunately, the pork belly did lift up to its expectation. It was not gamy as the pig's ears dish. If my taste buds fail me not, the pork belly should be organic. It has this lovely sweetness that an organic pork typically has. The downside is, it was not crispy as it claimed. There was not enough crackling. Perhaps, they did. Moreover, the broth was a little salty but it was good to go with the pork.

For desserts, we all had the quince trifle and rhubarb compote. I personally prefer the rhubarb compote. The acidity of the rhubarb compote made this dessert a good ending to a meal. The trifle was a little too heavy in terms of flavor. The muscat completely killed the flavors of the quince. Nonetheless, it was great with coffee.



Little things:

Cuisine: Australian, Fusion, International

Ambience: Rel! axed, go od lightning

Service: Pretty slow. Only four people were on the floor.

Budget: Reasonably priced - 42 AUD for three course. Total damage was around 170 AUD for four people

Portion: On the tiny side but reasonable for us

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