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Leave, if you don’t worship fish, the squid overlord, other cephalopods, bivalves or
crustaceans.
Jamon (3 Murphy St, South Yarra, Vic 3141 +61 3 9804 5710) is an oasis in a gastronomic desert aka South Yarra. :–)
Welcome to the personal kitchen of masterchef Charles Greenfield, who spent 16 years in Japan. With only 14 seats, he is at best with omakase onegai shimasu (meaning something like “I entrust you to do me the favour…”) and this is really the only thing to do here. It means the chef gives you the best of what he has, the hidden under the counter stuff.
With fresh seasonal food and an ever-changing cast or regulars, no two visits are ever the same. No tuna tonight as storms kept the fishing fleets in port; No oysters, milky and not their best mid-summer. Oh, and somebody who doesn’t really eat fish arrives – but Greenfield does his best to accommodate this whimsy.
We take two of seven seats at the countertop, the grandstand in this miniature personal kitchen stadium and the only place to sit.
There are constants sprinkled through the menu. First cucumber sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds tease. And to finish sliced nashi drizzled with lime.
Small plates of octopus and squid arrive. Some are pickled, others smoked.
It is here that Greenfield taught me the difference between cuts of fish.
He will source a whole tuna and specifically serve the back, belly, pectoral, tail… doshing out tidbits to the enthusiastic.
Tonight we have ocean trout belly and back.
The warm sushi with prawns in nutty, crisp, soft and I wanted more. The mushroom with prawn and flying fish row never fails to impress. And I bet you’ve never seen the hood of a squid stuffed with Makizushi and sliced.
I could go on but you’ll end up easting something different. It may be a single oyster, when in season, speared to a slice of nashi pear. Or it may be poached in a fish broth.
It costs $50 to $60 AUD for about ten courses over the evening. Or you can book ahead for one of the $200 luxury specials. One day…
Popularity: 4% [?]
February 26th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
wow, this all looks so impressive. It sounds like a restaurant called Shiranui in Glen Waverley where you sit at the bar for the omakase menu. I actually thought it would be a spanish restaurant when I first saw the name.
February 26th, 2006 at 9:03 pm
Yes, I’ve heard about Shiranui and have it on my list to try. I’ll be interested to see which wins. Soon. I know Jamon is strange but its after his sons James and Simon. BTW Derryn Hinch is a fan, although I’m not sure what that means.
February 27th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
I had dinner at Jamon a few months ago and have been meaning to post about it since then. I’ve never quite known how to start it. It’s quite an experience, and Charles is definitely a character. We ended up kicking back, drinking some potent alcohol with him very late into the evening. A very interesting evening!
February 28th, 2006 at 10:08 am
Niki, it took me a while to work out what to say too. I guess it was that ice cold potent alcohol from that special extra cold deep freeze. Shame you weren’t able to make the bloggers meet. I’ve been eaning to say perhaps you should take the initiative and make a date for the next one using that email thing I used.