East Elevation VII

Edit 02/01/2021: East Elevation is no longer trading as a cafe, but is available as a function venue.

July 17, 2014

East Elevation is not currently offering a weekly dinner service, but they do run the odd special event. When we caught wind of their July vegan dinner we were signed up in seconds - their equivalent event one year ago was delightful. (Hot tip - they've another on August 7 that's sold out and they will consider an encore on August 8 if enough people show interest!)

With this $60 six courser, East Elevation outshone the all bright hopes I held for the meal. I don't think you can find anything else like it in this city. It began with small plates presenting Jerusalem artichoke as a puree with pepitas and truffle, but also fried to a crisp and salted - a nice interplay of comforting savoury softness and light crunchy touches.

Tilting further to soft comforts were these jars of soy custard with surprisingly sweet fresh and pickled mushrooms, topped with a kombu and shiitake broth at the table.

The night's crowd pleaser was a buttery confit Nicola potato set in a soy emulsion with toasted shallots, burnt leek and vegan parmesan. I reckon this is what a sour cream-and-chive baked potato looks and tastes like in heaven.

The final savoury course was more divisive. While the baby carrots - baked, pickled and pureed - were sweet and inoffensive, not everyone took to the grassy-earthy tones of the Coopers stout soil and the hay puree. The larger clods of 'soil' reminded me happily of Weetbix, and I enjoyed the sights and smells of a paddock that it evoked. For me the only hiccup was that, on a cold and dark winter night, this dish was served at room temperature.

Nothing gets me onside a degustation like a menu with two desserts! Never mind that I couldn't quite reconcile my taste buds to the first fruity one - poached rhubarb and blood orange served with a dollop of lumpy, ricotta-like almond curd, a pretty but bitter nasturtium leaf and a disorienting stem of smoked rhubarb.

By contrast the chocolate and almond-themed finale really hit home with its sweet scatter. A spill of almond milk, a shard of dark chocolate and a puff of Persian fairy floss; a crunchy crush of praline, equal parts almond and amber toffee; a tiny sundae of shaved chocolate and almond milk granita that started with matching textures then melted unevenly in the mouth to matching temperatures. And a cup of East Elevation's specialty Monsieur Truffe hot chocolate on a base of almond milk - until I drank it I was yearning for more and more of this meal, but I finished completely, deeply satisfied.

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Here are our previous  one, two, three, four, five, six blog posts about East Elevation. This particular evening has also been blogged on quinces and kale.

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East Elevation
351 Lygon St, Brunswick East
9380 4915

set menu $60 
http://eastelevation.com.au/

Accessibility: Excellent. A ramp on entry, great light, lots of space and spacious individual unisex toilets, at least one of which has disability signage. Ordering happens at the table and payment at a reasonably low counter.