Transport Hotel, Federation Square
Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
It wasn't too long ago that Taxi was the hip new restaurant that was wowing diners with its modern interior and impressive food. Not too long ago though is now ten years and how does Taxi stand the test of time?
Taxi's fit out is still quite impressive, the dining room doesn't look dated and has an impressive sense of occasion but is not too formal. The menu is also impressive, a range modern dishes that have classic European and Asian influence.
Whilst the menu was most impressive, the specials caught my attention. An entree of quail and foie gras terrine caught my attention and I was rewarded with a delicious, well pressed slice of terrine. Accompanying this was a foie gras mousse. All the elements were spot on and the only disappointment with this is that it isn't on the regular menu.
The main course was also a special, barramundi served on red wine risotto with calamari. There was a bit of a mix up on this dish, I was served the regular barramundi dish and felt that this may have been a tad rushed as the skin was good, but not as crispy as I would have liked. The red wine risotto worked well but was pushing the boundaries when it came to seasoning. I am not afraid of salt, but this was a close to being too salty
Continuing the run of specials was the Cassís soufflé. Initially I wasn't that keen on it, but after spotting the perfect souffle going to the table next to me it looked too good to pass up. The reward was a deliciously light souffle, there was good sweetness and tartness courtesy of a lemon sauce in the middle.
Overall Taxi Dining room delivers a great dining experience, however, there were a few glitches in service which were disappointing. Getting the wrong main course was compounded with the wine service being out of sync. Little things, but annoying nonetheless.
Ten years on, Taxi is still a very smart restaurant and offering big night out dining against the trend of no reservation and shared plates. Despite a few service wrinkles, it is winning.
