Faro

 Faro - Always an Experience!

 When we read that Faro were doing a Tokyo Punk theme we jumped the gun and booked in immediately!  I think we were a little early(the new menu starts in October!) but we were very impressed with the menu we had which was definitely touched with a Japanese influence - including ingredients such as edamame, eel and sushi rice.  Faro are a wonderful restaurant in the heart of MONA museum.  We have dined here on a number of occasions, both at lunch and dinner, and it has always been seriously impressive and creative.  The surroundings are mind-blowing with the whole room dominated by a huge white sphere - this contains an art work by James Turrell which is only accessible to Faro diners.  There is always live music and it is always a little 'out there' :-)  The menu is always crammed full of fascinating combos and interesting add ons!

We were greeted at out table with a welcome tipple(pictured above) - just for choosing art over the football grand final - an easy choice!!  It was smoky and delicious and alcoholic!  We also had the cheese trolley parked in easy - and tempting - view.  Cheese  is an optional extra on the set menu - we opted not to go with cheese this visit.  But we do LOVE a cheese trolley!

We dined with friends and we were looking forward to a relaxed night and a good catch up.  Having a set menu is such a great option as you don't have to make decisions - except whether to have cheese, of course!   At Faro the presentation of the food is exceptional so we looked forward to each dish like children on Christmas morning. The first course was an oyster and a cheese pastry filled with spicy eggplant and topped with goat curd.

For drinks, three of chose a gin martini called an Orange Blossom and John chose a mocktail which looked and tasted delicious!

The next course was the most Japanese inspired.  It was eel with sushi rice, mirin, pickles, wasabi, edamame and Kewpie.  It was delicious and full of wonderful flavours.  

The band were a wonderful jazz type trio.  They spent the evening playing in and around tables as well as on their stage.  Singing through a megaphone added a certain something to the performance.  Listening to live music is always such a treat!

Our next course was a highlight for me - rich and sumptuous and packed with umami.  It was a cauliflower and taleggio risotto.  The crispy parmesan crumbs on top added texture. 

Absolutely delicious!

Main course was deer, wallaby and barley with a rich consomme.  We asked for a spoon to finish it off as we could not bear to leave any of that delicious sauce in the bowl.  The meat was tender and the combination, while odd, matched beautifully.  

We were given two of each dessert on the table and each couple shared so we could taste them both.  The chocolate(Pharos Pearl) was the most impressive to look at and mirrored the sphere in the Faro space.  It was delicious with flavours of cherry ripe.

The rum baba had flavours of a pina colada with pineapple, coconut and finger lime.  This was the more refreshing and light choice.  I loved them both!!

The wine list is solely Moorilla wines - we went for a bottle of Muse syrah which went particularly well with the deer/wallaby course.  I was too busy quaffing it to get any photos - sorry!

Accessibility is interesting. There is access throughout the museum, including to their restaurants, and staff are very helpful in assisting you to get where you need to go.  The service is always very attentive and knowledgeable throughout MONA.  There are numerous accessible bathrooms.  Parking is a bit more of a challenge.  There is a drop off site but it is at the top of a fairly steep incline and it could be quite challenging in the rain.  Parking is over in the general carpark which is quite a distance from Faro.  This is not an issue for us but for someone a bit less capable than John, this could be a problem.

We had a wonderful meal and enjoyed the Faro experience as always!  We can't wait to return for the Tokyo Punk theme which starts in October!

Here is the menu if you would like a closer look:

Faro website:

https://mona.net.au/eat-drink/faro-bar-plus-restaurant

Moorilla website:
https://shop.moorilla.com.au/