Opus Dining is a beautiful surprise in Balwyn. On the one hand, the look is luxe, modern and full of class. The lighting, mood and menu combination has all the hallmarks of a great bar or restaurant you’d find in the CBD. However, on the other hand, you’ll find intimate dining spaces, timber floors, a cosy room overlooking the open kitchen, a function room upstairs, a VIP room and a courtyard (which will be opening and dog friendly in April).
Opus Dining is both distinctive and classy but is also approachable and group friendly.
The menu is set up to excite everyone; there’s vegetarian and gluten free options. The most foodie of your foodie friends will be happy here with smaller, sharing-style items, substantial mains and delightful desserts. There’s a deep respect for food traditions, the highest-quality, seasonal produce and engaging service.
Dishes are a wonderful balance of flavours and textures. There is a boldness and confidence from the kitchen that leads to innovative and distinctive dishes on the menu. Each dish expertly pulls together the best from each ingredient into a harmonious taste delight. The use of a variety of different types of global ingredients and flavours also help to make the menu fresh and interesting.
The Fiore di burrata, heirloom tomatoes and Motto Costo is a light dish with the creaminess of the Fiore di Burrata balanced with the slightly tangy and sweet Motto Costo dressing, both working with the freshness of the heirloom tomatoes.
The Crispy fried eggplant, puffed rice, ponzu with sesame mayonnaise is a crowd favourite and it’s not hard to understand why. The crispiness of the puffed rice adds a beautiful coating to soft and perfectly cooked eggplant with the ponzu giving a slight tang of freshness to the dish.
Seared Scallops sit atop a cauliflower, yuzu, parsley, garlic, butter puree. The clever addition of yuzu to the dish cuts through the richness of the butter to create a soft, yet balanced accompaniment to the perfectly cooked scallops.
Something more substantial might have you looking at the Wagyu Porterhouse with roasted vine tomatoes and Spanish onions. A simple dish yet one that is brought to life with a variety of flavours. Wagyu can be rich but pairing the sweetness of the onion and tartness of the tomatoes shows how much the Chef and his team care about putting forward a holistic dining experience.
If you haven’t already reached your maximum, then make sure you take the time and space to try one of the desserts. The Caramelised Lemon and Vanilla tart has the delicious caramelised topping that provides a beautiful sweet crunch as you bite into the perfectly tart centre. An Apple crumble is brought to life with the addition of blueberries to add tartness to a sweet dish. The biscuit crumb topping is a textural delight against the warm, soft centre of the crumble.
Opus Dining is a modern Australian restaurant that is set to take the Melbourne food scene by storm. We actually think this space is perfect for functions and special occasions; perfect for dinner with all your friends, or maybe your next birthday.
Opus Dining is open for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday nights and is right next to Balwyn Palace Cinema, so for quieter or more romantic nights you can do a great dinner and movie night. In fact, they have a great value “Pre-Theatre Dinner Menu” on offer at the moment.
For the current “Pre-Theatre Dinner Menu”, the full menu and for reservations you can check out the Opus Dining website.
We loved our night at Opus Dining and would recommend you check it out as soon as you can.
Opus Dining ,237 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn, 3103, Melbourne, Vic
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