Mr Joe Richmond

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Posted 2021-02-10 by Nadine Cresswell-Myatt ⇒ follow

With many of our favourite restaurants closed during lockdown, we had to reacquaint ourselves with our home kitchens. Most of us concentrated on comfort foods, home baking, and some even got their sourdough to rise.

Chefs in lockdown also rediscovered the joys of their home kitchens. Suddenly freed from the conveyer belt of producing meals for customers, they could test new ideas and innovate. You will find this new wave of creations turning up on menus soon!

At Mr Joe in Burnley Street, Richmond (previously called Mr Joe's All Day), you can already enjoy the results of this experimentation and innovation. Mr Joe's Head chef Martin Sun said "I spent the lockdown experimenting. It was trial and error, and my family were the guinea pigs. Every new idea was trialled endlessly and perfected."

Mr Joe was already a fusion restaurant known for its Japanese-inspired cuisine. But during lockdown, Sun broadened the concept of bringing together ingredients from different cultures to create internationally inspired creations - putting the best of the world on your plate.

He has done this in the subtlest and cleverest of ways, resulting in a synergy of flavours and stunning global-fusion dishes and pan-Asian cocktails.

We went for lunch to try out the new offerings. It was refreshing to dine at a restaurant where each dish offered surprises in terms of ingredients, in the marrying of flavours, and in the unique presentations.

My Grilled Salmon entree came with slices of finger limes and the scattered crunch of buttered macadamia pieces. The special surprise was the dots of Yuzu mousseline cream decorating the plate. They looked like white chocolate buds.

Yuzu is fruit better-known in China Japan and Korea - a sharp hybrid of lime, lemon and grapefruit. Although it is incredibly fragrant, it's quite tart, and the lick of cream on the fork with the nuts went perfectly with the crispy-skinned salmon.

I had this dish while sipping on the perfect accompanying drink. My cocktail was a Yuzu sour, where the bar attendant gave whiskey, egg white, and Yuzu a vigorous shaking. Look at the lovely head on my drink. Initially, the taste was slightly bitter but then the drink just grew me with each sip and perfectly complemented this dish.

My companion had the Seared Scallops in a spicy pumpkin cream sauce with roasted kipler potatoes. The stand out here was the presentation - the golden glow of the pumpkin and then the scallops' medallion shapes and the Kipfler potatoes cut to precisely the same shape.

For a main, I ordered a vegetarian option of Pumpkin Tortellini. Not something I would typically have but I had heard a few whispers about how good this dish was. My companion and I shared this dish, raving over each mouthful. This tortellini was not solid but like biting into the chocolate where you have the delight of a soft centre. Again, the beautiful soft glow of pumpkin colour and the tortellini was served with a mushroom fricassee and yuzu pressed cucumber twirled into a flower bud shape.

Lastly, we shared the Goulburn Valley Pork Capanota, cooked wrapped in prosciutto, and with butternuts and gruyere. Pork lovers rejoice as it's perfectly cooked - still very tender. The accompanying capanota is a Sicilian mix featuring olives amongst other delights.

[IMAGE="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/008/08/mr-joe-richmond11.JPG" caption=" For pork lovers, this is perfectly cooked-- still very tender. And capanota is a Sicilian mix featuring olives amongst other delights.
@nadinecresswellmyatt @nadinecresswellmyatt" link="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/008/08/mr-joe-richmond111.JPG" align="CENTER" title="" thumb="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/008/08/mr-joe-richmond112.JPG" margin="5" width="662" wrap="0" border="1"]

Sun explained some of the fusion elements in his menu. The Grilled Squid comes cooked in Spanish gazpacho. The Vegetarian Cauliflower Mole almendrado has charred corn and gruyere and is cooked in a Mexican mole, while the Seared Tuna Ceviche is Japanese-inspired with Saikyo miso champagne dressing.

Sharing is Caring

We shared all our dishes. One can order separately but Sun's menu is designed around the concepts of socialising and sharing. There is a range of small snack-style dishes such as Crispy Eggplant in sweet hot sauce, Tiger Prawns with Pico de gallo (a Mexican-inspired salsa) on ciabatta, and Shio Koji Karaage for lovers of Japanese food.

The accompanying drink selection is also globally inspired with an extensive range of sakes, Asian-inspired cocktails such as a sake Mojito (Junmai ginjo, mint, lime and soda) and a Wafu old fashioned with Iwai blended whisky, umeshu, Midori and Sansho. There is also carefully chosen wines, beer and ciders on the list and a great selection of Japanese whiskies. No wonder my whisky sour tasted so great.

Bottomless Brunches

A great time to try out some of these international dishes is at the bottomless brunch held every Saturday with two sessions. 12.00 pm to 2 pm or 3 pm to 5 pm. The cost is $65 for two hours. The term bottomless applies to both the booze and the food. There are free-flowing cocktails such as mimosas, espresso martinis, margaritas, watermelon punch or drinks such as Brut Cuvee, and Asahi dry. Sip on these while enjoying all you can eat crispy eggplant, lamb ribs one in dukkah, puffed rice and nuts, tiger prawn toast, and karaage. Vegetarian options are also available.

Decor

Mr Joe is decked out with light shades of grey and soft flowing curtains that can be drawn over to separate groups. A forest of attractive and real pot plants also divide the large area into separate spaces. There is a large central and well-stocked bar. They take alcohol seriously here with a fine selection. Free wi-fi. There are also tables outside at the front.

Before and After

Before lockdown, Mr Joe was called 'Mr Joe's All Day,' with an emphasis on brunch. The new, shortened name represents the venue's new focus on creating a refined lunch and dinner experience and becoming a haven for sociable gatherings.

The new name 'Mr Joe' is inspired by Joe Hisashi - a Japanese composer renowned for using fantastical elements to spark a sense of adventure and joyous innocence. Some of his famous film scores include Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.

I'm guessing Hisashi composed during lockdown. Just like Mr Joe's Head chef Martin Sun crafted original dishes in his home kitchen, and now we all get to share in his creations.