Food Docket

Vlado’s
61 Bridge Rd., Richmond VIC 3121.

First impressions

• There were only men eating in the restaurant on the day I visited Vlado’s. My gastronomy partner in crime was intimidated.
• Everyone knows Vlado. Each time someone leaves the restaurant, they call out to him and thanked him.

What did I have and enjoyed

• When we sat down, there was already a soft bread roll and butter placed on our side dish. A huge bowl of cabbage, lettuce, tomato with garlic vinaigrette dressing was in the middle of the table.
• We glanced at the menu, but my previous dining experience here taught me that I am only allowed to select the choice of beef cuts for my main, and of course, drinks.
• The waiter came to our table and dropped a piece of grilled sausage on our plate. When slicing the sausage with my fork and knife, there is decent minced meat chunks which I can see. I took my time to savor each bite and chew as it has been a long time since I have tasted unprocessed meat sausages that tasted so real. It is a mixture of pure lean beef and pork neck blending with some garlic and paprika.
• The next serve was a tasting plate of eye fillet medallions, young calves liver, hamburger patties and slices of pork neck. They were all grilled wonderfully but still remained juicy and tender.
• The waiter then brought out three cuts of raw beef cuts (eye fillet, porterhouse or rump) on a tray and asked us to choose for our mains. I selected the porterhouse and opted it to be cooked blue but warm on the inside. My partner decided to go for the wagyu, which had a marbling score of 8.
• Within a few minutes of finishing our tasting plate, the waiter came back with our grilled steak on our individual plate. Honestly, I have never been served steak without any other sides on the plate. My porterhouse was surprisingly, very evenly cooked. There have been numerous occasions in a few steakhouses, where some parts of the steak was overcooked beyond what I have ordered, especially the sides and corners of the steak. But here, the 83 year old Vlado, nailed it perfectly. This is the holy grail of steakhouses in Melbourne, hence there is no need for additional sauces.
• By the time we finished, the waiter brought out the classic ice-cream and strawberries dessert. Simple, but a delightful finish. And we were stuffed and swore not eating for the next two meals.

Notable icons

• Vlado Gregurek, the legend behind Vlado’s, is still strong - manning the grill, carefully selecting and cooking each meat cut to perfection. He is approaching his mid-80s.