"This veteran fine-dining destination in the CBD has tightened up its menu in recent years, and not a single dish on its Asian-inflected menu feels superfluous. It remains one of Melbourne's best bets for a satisfying white-tablecloth experience. Ezard's city-staple status makes it an evergreen favorite with Melbourne's grown-ups, but a younger crowd has recently started showing up, too, drawn in by young head chef Jarrod Di Blasi's recent changes to restaurateur Teage Ezard's foundational formula. Di Blasi has recently amped up the Japanese influences at Ezard, offering cured swordfish with seaweed, pickled ginger and whipped sheep's yogurt as a starter and fluffy salmon with braised daikon, shiitake and citrus kosho dashi to follow. Other winning dishes include the rich Wagyu with ox tongue and pepper jus, and a cosmic dark chocolate sphere with beetroot. Each of the eight-course tasting menus (regular, vegetarian, and vegan) are well-balanced and attractively priced." - Dan F. Stapleton
