Sampling seafood and so much more food at Matisse

Nestled on the rise above Scarborough beach boardwalk sits a brightly lit techni-colour building known as Matisse. I might be showing my age when I admit that I remember when it used to be the Lookout - a hotspot for underage clubbers and copious volumes of alcohol consumption. I only went a few times but I'm happy to push those memories into the pits of my mind. However in saying this, I have been curious to visit this new beach club, especially after seeing the pictures of the beautiful cabanas and cocktails.

Matisse

My chance to visit Matisse came recently when I was contacted by the team to attend a bloggers dinner. It's always great to go to a place after it's had enough time to find it's legs and perfect the plays - I'd heard some mixed reviews about the food from early on, so I was keen to try it for myself since it's been opened awhile now.

Matisse

Matisse

Arriving at the venue punctually Jeremy and I explore for a bit before settling in to the roped off area for the attendees. The fit out is really vibrant - full of warm, bright colours offset by white. Very European beach club inspired. Love the shallow pool that runs down in a long strip - perfect to cool your toes off in during hot summer Sunday sessions - which I'm sure this place will get really busy during.

Mai Tai cocktails

Mai Tai cocktail

Before long the staff are over greeting us and offering Mai Tai cocktails to start the evening off on a sweet note. They're fantastic, really up my alley as they're strong but not overpowering in their alcohol taste. Traditionally Mai Tai's are rum, Curaçao liqueur, and lime juice but these ones have a nice use of orange instead giving a real lightness. They're too easy to drink which is dangerous!

Decor

Decor

Sitting down in the designated area I take the opportunity to chat to some of the other bloggers in attendance. I always love these kinds of events where you get to put faces to blog names. The community is so supportive of one another which means seeing one another in person is like seeing an old friend. It was great to meet the minds and faces behind Ministry of Gluttony, Feed Your Soul Perth, Love Perth Life, plus writer Max Brearley and to see the lovely Chef's Wife again.

Prawn and zucchini fritters

Prawn and zucchini fritters

On pretty little branded plates come some beautiful and amazing smelling canapés for us to enjoy. Most are existing menu items from the tapas/grazing section. The first to come out is the prawn and zucchini fritters. Little crunchy golden discs that remind me of a variation on prawn toast, these are piping hot and quite moorish.

Chicken mousse

Chicken mousse and Mai Tai cocktail

The next canapé is a little tart with chicken mousse, quail's egg and chives. Looking at the tart base it's quite perfect and looks almost mass produced, but the taste is great - short and crumbly. The mousse is creamy and sweet, working well with the buttery saltiness of the pastry.

Risotto cakes

Risotto cake 

The squid ink risotto cake is topped with keta caviar and micro herbs. On the normal menu they're accompanied by a pineapple salsa (standard menu cost = $18). These canapé versions would have been great with the salsa to inject some sweetness to offset the saltiness of the caviar. The risotto itself is tasty, but the texture is a bit unusual and I find it getting stuck to my teeth.

Matisse wings

Matisse wings

The Matisse wings (on the menu for $14 normally) are my favourite of the canapés for the evening. Hot and spicy (you can actually feel the chilli kick) marinated chicken with a creamy gorgonzola dipping sauce.

The chicken is tender and juicy, the bones scraped back to give it a nice polished look. The blue cheese sauce is so yummy and has just the right amount of intenseness to make it addictive. I could happily polish off a plate of these wings with a cold beverage in summer.

Scallop and mango

One final bite to enjoy before we move inside to the actual dinner and that's a spoonful of scallop and mango. Sweet and delicate and just simple enough to let the produce shine. That's definitely how I like my seafood respected.

Great branding everywhere

Matisse

Mocktail

After a walking tour throughout the club, we're shown to the restaurant side where two long tables await us. With another round of drinks circulating I opt for a mocktail this time since I know I need to drive. It hits the spot! Fruity, sweet and light. Yummy!

Inside there's the same colourful decor but also some funky photos from days gone by at Scarborough Beach that have been pulled out of the state archives. I love how they've injected some history from this iconic suburb beach into the restaurant.

The first part of dinner consists of three dishes to try. The first I tackle is actually my favourite dish for the whole evening - the 1/2 shell scallops with crisp apple and beetroot tzatziki ($16 normally). The scallops are plump and perfectly cooked, the compressed apple and apple crisp offering tart sweetness. The beetroot tzatziki is wonderful - vibrantly purple and chocked full of flavour. It's so, so yummy!

Shared seafood platter

The shared seafood platter (normally $70) is a celebratory affair. Made up of grilled barramundi, cured salmon, crab & potato cakes, natural oysters with shallot dressing, grilled prawns, scallops with a pomegranate dressing, chilli mussels, chips and an asian slaw. Wow, that was a mouthful to say!

Everything is simple and fresh, and tasty too of course! The standouts for me are the oysters which are beautifully creamy and full of ocean good flavour, the cured salmon which has a generous sprinkling of salt over the top which elevates the taste and the grilled prawns which are cooked perfectly. I adore seafood and love a good seafood platter so this one is a real treat for me. You can't go wrong with fresh produce like this!

Pork fillet

The per peri pork fillet (normally $15) is grilled with a nice light pink centre still showing that the meat is nice and tender. It's sitting atop a salad of smoked corn, capsicum and chickpeas. I love chickpeas so I'm keen to try the salad but seeing as capsicum ruins my stomach I decide to steer clear though I do have a small bite of the pork (all in the name of blogging naturally).

After we're done with the tapas/grazing section of the menu our plates are cleared and we sit around digesting, chatting to the Matisse team. Sean Reid, the club's owner, is also the mastermind behind Hillary's The Breakwater.

It was really interesting hearing from Sean some of the problems they encountered when Matisse first opened in that the clientele from The Breakwater came to Matisse expecting the same dining experience level. It's a very different venue though, and so I can imagine they would have been surprised to see the difference. Matisse is friendly and relaxed, it's about simple food that suits the kind of people who frequent Scarborough beach.

Chicken cobb salad

Cobb salad

Before long more plates start to fill up the table before us, this time from the main section of the menu. First to touch down is the chicken cobb salad ($25 normally) which is free range rosemary garlic chicken breast, avocado, disced spring vegetables, crumbed blue cheese and lemon dressing.

I like that Matisse have gone with a cobb salad rather than your standard caesar that you usually find on beachside cafe menus. The chicken is juicy, working well with the variety of ingredients on the plate. The blue cheese is a nice addition, it offers a sharpness that offsets against the creaminess of the avocado and sweetness of the corn.

Club sandwich

The club sandwich (normally $24) is made up of thyme and garlic marinated chicken breast, romaine lettuce, vine ripened tomato, manchego cheese, crispy bacon and grain mustard mayonnaise. There's a generous heaping of fries on the side to enjoy too.

Club sandwiches always remind me of travelling even though they're not something I would ever order. I guess it's something you always see on hotel menus. I only really eat sandwiches at home, but I steal a bite of the boy's to try it. I like the balance of meat and vegetables to allow texture and bursts of freshness. The mayonnaise is particularly yummy.

Duck breast

The duck breast (normally $32) is my favourite of the main dishes. Served with grilled pineapple, dried prunes, walnuts, goats cheese, salad leaves and a pomegranate dressing it is fresh and sweet. Fruit works so well with the richness of duck, and I'm so pleased to note that the duck itself is well seasoned and cooked perfectly. It's not a cheap meal considering it's a salad but the protein is a little more upscale than your standard offerings and the serving size is decent.

Roasted quinoa salad

Roasted quinoa salad

The roasted quinoa salad (normally $23) might be a vegetarian dish but it's complex in it's textures and actually quite filling. It's made up of quinoa, chickpeas, lentils, grilled vegetables, avocado, pepita seeds and pesto dressing. I like the little crunchy shavings of what I believe were parsnip - they add another layer of texture and flavour.

Bocconcini pizza

At this stage we're all feeling pretty damn full, but greed always wins at this game and soon enough I'm reaching out to try a slice of the bocconcini pizza (normally $22) that's sitting right in front of me. With it's thin base, generous topping of cheese, tomatoes, spanish onion and torn basil, it's a great looking pizza. 

Taste wise it ticks the boxes. Melty cheese, sweet tomato and completely moorish. It's not an artisan pizza but I like the simplicity and humbleness of it. I would have loved a crispier base since it was a little soggy in the centre, but all in all it went down a treat.  

Serrano pizza

Serrano pizza

The second pizza for us to try on our table is the serrano pizza (normally $26) is topped with the promised slices of meat, drunken figs, roquette and manchego. I adore figs so I know I'm going to really like the flavours of this pizza with the sweetness of the jammy fruit, the freshness of the roquette, saltiness of the serrano and the punchiness of the manchego. A nice bite to send me over the edge from being sated/full to completely exploding!

What a great night it was at Matisse meeting the team and trying out their cocktails and food. I'm glad I managed to visit this place before the summer rush starts which I'm sure will see long lines out the door each weekend. A big thank you to the Matisse crew for their generous hospitality and the yummy grub that they served us. I spied some other menu items like gnocchi and haloumi salad that I might need to come back and try soon. Can you believe summer will be here before we know it?!