Emilia reviews a restaurant with an AI created menu

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Estelle was in the news this week with their AI created menu that they were showcasing in Food and Wine week, and whilst the whole menu wasn’t here to stay there were elements that they brought over to their everyday menu because AI created something special. 

So, using 14 years of data from their menus and website, AI created a menu for Estelle, then the chefs created the recipes, kind of like when your partner has a great idea but you have to bring it to life. The only issue they ran into was when it suggested they have Murray River Red Snapper, and whilst that’s not entirely feasible I did try their adaptation of it.

Estelle has been on High Street in Northcote since 2019 but the fit out does not suggest it’s 5 years old. The blues, greens and earthy accents are cosy and inviting and the open kitchen with copper saucepans only adds to the decor. The staff are so welcoming and attentive, our water never stayed empty- which I know may sound small but it’s the little details you notice that make the difference. We tried the Estelle sour and a Pickett Pinot Noir and if it wasn’t a school night could’ve stayed on both for a couple. Easy to drink, interesting with enough difference. I think that’s what Estelle has got going for it, the food is amazing, creative and exciting but it never feels out of touch with their patrons.

In true Pickett fashion, you can read the menu but until the food is heading toward the table you don’t know how they’re going to bring the ingredients to life. The beef tendon with faux bacon was the perfect introduction to this. It came out as puffed, fried crisps that were so moreish I had to half the bowl so I didn’t eat past my fair share. Imagine a light, airy version of a pork scratching or even a prawn cracker made with beef tendon and topped with the salty/sweet seasoning which was the faux bacon. If I could buy bags of this at the supermarket, I happily would. So simple, but so delicious. I just love a starter that can disarm you and make you feel like you don’t know what to expect from there.

We also tried the goat’s cheese churros topped with truffle honey. This was almost an elevated fried cheese stick, the churro shape allows for extra crunch and I am always on board with savoury dishes drizzled with honey for balance. After fried starters, I balanced out with fresh entrees in the heritage tomatoes, whipped goat curd, shiso, nectarine and the House cured prosciutto, heritage melon, green olive salsa verde. The tomatoes were juicy and sweet, as was the goat’s curd so heaped onto the Estelle sourdough with the crunchy outside was delightful. I found the layout; Prosciutto base with peelings of melon on top a little hard to eat with the small slice of bread provided. Flavour-wise it didn’t miss though.

They were kind enough to make us the Red snapper off their 5 course set menu despite us ordering a la carte, and I particularly wanted to try it as this was the AI generated dish. So, AI curated snapper, with calamari on a bed of wild rice pilaf. Liked we’d been proved in the starters, this wasn’t going to come out like we expected it to. 

We also tried the wagyu rostbiff (along with most other patrons in the restaurant) which was laid beside three quenelle (which is a fancy way of saying when they spoon out sauces and desserts) of tomato fondue, spiced eggplant, labneh. Hot tip! They do $40 steak nights on Tuesdays for a more cost friendly option.

Lastly we tried the chocolate mousse, wattleseed, coffee, ice-cream which isn’t dissimilar to the dessert AI chose which also included chocolate and wattleseed. This could have been up there with my favourite dishes of the night; it was somewhere between a tiramisu and a chocolate torte.

On the AI menu night, they said, this was the only other downfall in AI’s plan which not only included the menu creation but wine pairing. It perhaps clutched to the ‘wattleseed’ part of the dessert when it chose the pairing and less to the chocolate and dessert part so the wine was a little drier. It’s interesting to consider the role of AI in creative fields but I loved seeing and even considering how the chefs interpreted the ingredients into real life dishes that still oozed creativity.

Estelle

243 High Street 

Northcote