Fenix - Richmond Victoria

On a recent trip to Melbourne, I had the pleasure of dining at Fenix.  Fenix is MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan’s restaurant, which re opened it’s doors in July this year. The restaurant was everything I imagined it to be, comfortable, homely and relaxed.

We decided to start of by ordering some delicious cocktails. I ordered the Silk Harmony, which was a Lychee cocktail, combined with Cuban rum and lime juice.  This was served in an extra tall glass with plump lychees on top. So incredibly refreshing.

Cathrine ordered the Parched as Bro. As soon as I saw this on the menu I asked her to order it. What a classic name for a deliciously fruity cocktail. The name still makes me laugh.

For the entrée, I ordered the seared Tasmanian Scallops with Pickled Cauliflower, Tahini Yoghurt and Israeli Cous Cous $9.50. This was beautifully presented and the scallops were cooked perfectly. The Israeli cous cous added a bit of texture to this dish.

Cathrine had the Piperade Basquaise $9.50. This was a large serving for an entrée accompanied by some delicious sour dough bread. It was sweet and full of flavour.

Braised Pork Belly, Crisp Crackling, Pickled Cabbage, Ragout of Pork Cheeks, Potato and Baby Carrot $38.00, was my choice for the main. Succulent pork belly with a perfectly crispy crackling, not to mention the pork cheek, which was so soft with the creamy sauce.

36 Hour Braised Lamb Shoulder, Sweet & Sour Shallots & Parsnip Puree $39.00. I was tossing up between the pork belly and the lamb for the main. I was so glad Cathrine was kind enough to let me taste this.  The lamb shoulder was so soft and silky and the parsnip puree was smooth.

Roasted Artichoke & Kipflers Garlic and Rosemary $9.00. This was actually the first time I have tasted Jerusalem Artichokes. The artichokes along with the kipfler potatoes were roasted to perfection with a touch of sea salt and rosemary.

When I dine out, I always make sure to leave room for dessert. We ordered the Chocolate Soup with Hazelnut Praline & Mascarpone Sorbet $17.00 and the “This is It” Lemon Tart $15.00. When the chocolate soup came out, the smell was so intense. It was rich and velvety with the crunch of hazelnut praline and light mascarpone ice cream.

The lemon tart was light, with a delicious pastry and tart filling. It looked like a small slice but it was very filling. This is certainly a dessert that I will try to replicate at our next big family gathering.

Fenix has a relaxed feel with a comforting menu. The staff are friendly and the view is fantastic. I will definitely be coming back on my next trip to Melbourne.

Fenix Restaurant

680-682 Victoria Street

Richmond Victoria 3121

For Bookings call 03 9427 8500

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Chocolate Macarons, a recipe from Trissalicious

Wow how time flies. I can't believe we are already in August. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of learning all about the secrets to making the perfect macaron. Trissa from Trissalicious was kind enough to have a few of us over for a practice run at a macaron class that she will be doing at Essential Ingredient.

As a passionate baker, making macarons was something I really wanted to Master. Although I don't always make the perfect batch, I certainly learnt a few handy tips and tricks from Trissa.

The recipe below is Trissa's delicious Chocolate Macarons. I added a little bit of texture by adding roughly chopped pistachios to the chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Macarons

125 grams almond meal
125 grams icing sugar (not icing mixture)
30 grams Dutch processed cocoa powder
100 grams caster sugar
100 grams egg whites (from around 3 eggs)

1. In a food processor, grind the almond meal, cocoa and icing sugar for about 5 minutes and set aside

2. Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and beat until soft peaks.

3. Add the caster sugar, 50 grams at a time while beating the egg whites.

4. Beat the whites until stiff peaks5. Fold the almond meal mixture into the egg whites in three additions until well combined. 

5.Fold the almond meal mixture into the egg whites in three additions until well combined.6. Pipe on to baking trays, lined with baking paper. (I used a Wilton 1A piping tip to pipe the macarons).

6. Pipe on to baking trays, lined with baking paper. (I used a Wilton 1A piping tip to pipe the macarons).

7. Let the macarons dry for about 30 minutes. To check if the macarons are ready to bake, gently press down on the macaron. If no mixture sticks to your fingers, it’s ready for the oven. 

8. Bake the macaron shells at 150C for around 13 to 15 minutes depending on your oven.

Chocolate Ganache 

200 grams dark chocolate, evenly chopped 
200 grams cream  


1. Microwave the dark chocolate in 20 second intervals until melted.  
2. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil on a medium heat.
3. Pour the cream into the chocolate and stir until well combined.
4. Set the ganache aside to cool.


Preparing the Macarons
Sandwich 2 macarons of equal size with about 1 teaspoon of ganache. Make sure to be careful when pressing down.

Trissa has teamed up with Essential Ingredients for a Macaron Making class on the 21st of August (Saturday) from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  In this three hour class you will learn the secrets to making the perfect macaron. You will also get to take your delicious treats with you. The class is $125 per head and spaces are filling fast. 
Essential Ingredients is located in 731 Darling Street, Rozelle.  For bookings, please call 9555 8300.

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