There is certainly no shortage of Asian fusion restaurants in Melbourne and five year old Coda has been one of the most acclaimed. Hiding on a basement level on the corner of Flinders Lane and Oliver Lane, it offers a modern Vietnamese cuisine, with some French influences.
Coda has an industrial yet minimalist fit out with it’s dimmed lighting, from a mixture of exposed light bulbs and lights with mesh shades, and concrete walls providing an intimate dining affair. Seating is split on either side of the centrepiece bar. Although reservations are usually required, seating at the bar was available when I visited on a Saturday night.
The food menu follows a tapas style with a mixture of mostly small share plates and selection of larger plates. Noticing that I was spending a little while trying to decide between the many choices, the bartender offered a selection of the popular dishes, which I opted for. This selection included a half serve of one of the large plates as I was dining solo.
First up was the spanner crab with galangal (part of the ginger family) and roasted chilli perched on a lime betel leaf. This is one of a few dishes that are served individually and I ordered two. Juicy flavoursome crab meat with a gentle spice kick, a great starting dish.
Next was two of the popular crispy Ha Noi style rice paper rolls filled with pork and taro with nuoc mam dipping sauce. There was a lettuce leaf on the side also with which you used to wrap the crispy roll and dip in the sauce. A nice sweet and sour flavour combination.
The following dish was the steak tartare with quail egg, mustard cress and caper melba toasts. A gorgeous thick and creamy tartare with the nice added touch of the quail egg yolk.
The final savoury dish was a half serving of the also popular roasted yellow duck curry with a side of jasmine rice and bok choy. An outstanding dish with the duck meat easily falling off the bone and the creamy curry provided a smooth but noticeable spice. The bok choy and rice offered a nice relief to the spice.
Service was on point with the waitstaff explaining the components and cooking techniques of each dish as well as providing friendly banter throughout. After eating, I explored the vast wine list with a selection of the fortifieds, of which some I had not seen before. It is clear why head sommelier Travis Howe has been awarded the Good Food Guide Sommelier of the year in the past.
Coda offered a wonderful dining experience with some high quality, creative dishes in an intimate but inviting and friendly setting.