Well, HELLO Loti!
A new jewel adorns us!
I was adrift, my usual Sunday visit to my favourite seafood outlet in Fitzroy Street got suddenly interrupted by the owners decided to have a holiday!!! No sashimi for me! How dare they!
I dragged my way down the Upper Esplanade and saw Loti open for business.
Although just opened I had already heard it had a vibe going on, and I will confirm the rumours were correct.
At the base of the Upper Esplanade street front of the new Saint Moritz apartments, you just need to find the giant ice-skating statue and you are there, it blew me away.
Middle of winter and the space is light and the welcome was awesome. With an island bar splitting the room it caters 46 and 28 either side comfortably for a la carte dining, will be a sensational small events venue also.
Dane, the manager, explained to me how much they consider the produce, and their internal hands-on delivery of some of the ingredients used in their kitchen.
He explained that the olive oil and bread used with their house baked sourdough bread, cold pressed Pyrenees Extra virgin olive oil was from the staff going to hand pick the olives at the Mount Avoca Winery and then press and bottle the oil themselves! It has a cloudy, unprocessed look and tastes simply fresh, sharp and smooth on the palate. The bread is something else, omg!
I wanted a rounded tasting of their menu so Dane and I decided he would choose what I would eat…it was a very good call!
But let me digress, a wine was required. As a bar Loti offers a good range of artisan, organic and small vintage mainly Australian/Victorian wines selected especially for this restaurant.
I chose a glass of Inkwell ‘High Violet’ Grenache Mataro, an excellent choice for what was about to arrive at the bar where I had decided to sit. It is a high-end gastro experience in a beachside extremely relaxed environment.
First up was a baked L’Artisan raclette & pumpkin vol au vent with garden herbs, a shallow perfect pastry, a Swiss dish, a savoury cheese pastry that not only looked cute but tasted fabulous, the cheese stretching on the bite, a sensuous little tart!
A butter poached & grilled scampi skewered on a seaside herbal twig with a kelp glaze arrived next, how embarrassment, I was making one of those ‘omg how good is this’ faces as the head waiter turned to look at me, no poker face here!
Crustaceans are my favourite food, and this little stick of awesomeness was something I would do again. As I was about to try this dish Dane ducked in with a tasting of another red he thought may complement this dish, a Sentino Garnay, wonderfully acidic briefly on the palate perfect for this scampi.
What came next lifted my taste buds to another yet unknown level, and my kids would crack up as I sort of didn’t understand vegan attitude, I owe them an apology, lo nah, that’s not gunna happen…who knew purely plant-based produce could taste that good!
It was a kale, black garlic & kohlrabi taco, three bites of wonder! It is a palate orgasm…and yes, Dane swung around as I took that first bite…caught me in the act of ecstasy again!!!
A main course arrived, as I explained earlier, I was not happy my ‘Sunday Sashimi’ had vapourised to Las Vegas. Like psychic assassins a ceviche arrived, they call it the ‘Ice Rink’ ceviche of red emperor in native citrus and shaved hand-picked Pyrenees olives (guessing from same olives that the oil is pressed).
Sensational again, and with service ceremony. I was asked to crack the wafer above the ceviche to allow the sauce to distribute itself throughout citrus juices and touch the finely diced red emperor with its mild chili heat.
I was feeling fully satiated when a mini house made choc covered ice cream on a stick (a small branch) arrived, a cross between a Magnum and a frozen Mars bar for reference and individual in texture and flavour. It was just a couple of bites, just enough.
As a palate cleanser last on the bar was their signature cocktail, Pantone…delicious!
Get down and sample the wonderful food and great service, it will be a summer favourite for many.
