Spoonful Of Loh: Ceviche

There is nothing I like more than sitting down to a meal with friends. Okay, there is one thing I like more than sitting down to a meal with friends; that would be sitting down to a fabulous meal with friends.

A blustery wind and very warm reception from the service staff greeted us when we arrived at Ceviche last evening. It seems almost the entire service team is on familiar terms with our friend cum dining companion, Linc. And let me tell you, this kind of coziness invariably beget great service.

I should hasten to make it clear great service is not merely "orders taken correctly, food served in a timely manner". These are what we pay for and should (already) be a given. Great service is that little bit more interest and attention paid to what is going on at our table resulting in our dining needs being attended to without us having to raise (even) an eyebrow. Great service is being told we are the best customers, ever, and that it is all about us, and what else can they do to make our dining experience more pleasurable. Otherwise, why would we return?

And we were not disappointed by the team at Ceviche last evening.

Friendship is the wind beneath our wings.

Crusty baguette with duo dips - olive oil with balsamic vinegar and chickpea.

Amuse-buche of prawn with avocado and parsley coulis.

Starter no.1 - seared scallop with serrano ham on cauliflower puree and parsley coulis. The scallop is a little under-cooked for my personal taste but it was a good foil against the crispy ham and buttery soft puree.

Starter no.2 - glazed duck livers with braised baby leeks and poached quail egg. The liver is definitely over-cooked I think the kitchen miscalculated the timing on this one. The quail egg on the hand was poached to perfection, white is white and yellow is yellow.

Starter no.3 - ceviche of sea perch, salmon and scallops with crispy bikkie and what tasted like seafood sauce but is actually a very tasty roasted capsicum sauce. Easily the best of the three starters. For those not in the know, ceviche is a Peru-originated dish of citrus-marinated seafood. My friend Linc, a chef extraordinaire and a Chilean to boot might have something to say about this, but this is my blog so he can take it like a chef or leave it like a Chilean. :)

Main no.1 - slow-roasted veal rack with porcini mushroom risotto and veges.

Main no.2 - same as Main no.1 but a gluten and dairy-free version.

Main no.3 - crispy pork belly with caramelised apple on a bed of kumera mash. A little too much fatty bits but otherwise perfect composition of flavours; smokey, savoury and with just a hint of sweetness.

Main no.4 - crispy duck with glazed pears. Simply perfect, to my preference and can give the duck dishes I had in my recent holiday in France a quack for their euros!