Welcome to Dandelion. Our menu features a very personal showcase of dishes inspired by the Cuisine of Vietnam. A rich and diverse cuisine that exhibits a wonderfully intoxicating combination of the raw and the cooked, the hot and the cold, the sweet and sour. The Vietnamese are known for their philosophical balancing of the five elements, wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Vietnamese dishes include five fundamental taste senses, sour, bitter, sweet, spicy and salty. You will see this principal and sensitivity reflected throughout our menu and Wine List. These dishes cry out for very specific wines and with our Wine List we have selected a short catalogue of gems that we believe will best showcase the food. This is not a ‘greatest hits’ wine list with hundreds of entries that cover all flavors and intensities. This wine list is focused very closely on the food at Dandelion. Vietnamese food is strongly influenced by the food of China, India and the Khmer, as well as the myriad of sea- going traders that have graced its serpentine coastline. Rather uniquely this fusion of cuisines has then been judiciously molded and refined by the French, resulting what we believe is the most elegant, distinct and certainly most WINE FRIENDLY of all the Asian cuisines. You will notice a distinct lack of big, blousy, overly worked whites and heavily tannic reds, we believe these styles are too boisterous for our food. Instead we are strong on fragrant whites, fruit driven reds and even perhaps undervalued wine varietals from regions new and old. Ultimately the list is full of highly compatible wines, where in combination enhance both the food and the wine experience. As an added bonus you will probably try a new wine and with a bit of luck find new a ‘favourite’. We hope you enjoy the experience. Jane Lindsay BEFORE DINNER CLASSICS Delgado Zuleta ‘La Goya’ Manzanilla Jerez Spain 8 Pineau De Charentes Cognac France 8 Pastis Henri Bardouin Provence France 10 Pimm’s No. 1 Cup London England 10 Campari Lombardy Italy 10 VERMOUTH Maidenii Dry Vermouth Melbourne Vic 10 Lillet Blanc Bordeaux France 10 Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Blanc Savoy France 9 Primitivo Quiles Vermouth Rojo Alicante Spain 9 Punt e Mes Piedmont Italy 11 GIN Four Pillars Yarra Valley Vic 12 West Winds ‘The Cutlass’ Margaret River WA 12 Gin Mare Costa Dorada Spain 13 Hendricks Ayrshire Scotland 12 Tanqueray ‘No. Ten’ Cameron Bridge Scotland 14 VODKA 666 Cape Grim Tasmania 11 42 Below South Island New Zealand 11 Fire Drum Hobart Tasmania 12 Belvedere Zyrardow Poland 12 Crystal Head Vodka Newfoundland Canada 13 WHITE RUM Stolen Trinidad and Tobago West Indies 10 Mount Gay ‘Silver’ Barbados West Indies 11 ‘51’ Cachaca Brazil 10 Marie Galante Rhum Blanc Agricole Guadalupe 14 St James Imperial Rhum Blanc Agricole Martinique 12 • Our bar is well stocked; please consult your waiter if your favorite drink is not listed here. COCKTAILS Frozen Coconut Daiquiri 22 Kick off your evening with this delicious conversation starter, fresh passion fruit muddled with lime and infused with Agavero liquor and Cointreau served over ice Lemoncello Blush Martini 22 Grey Goose vodka and Lemoncello are shaken with muddled chili and lemongrass. Saucy Mary 19 All the usual suspects topped with Vietnamese mint and a dash of fish sauce to take you back to Sunday mornings in Vietnam and South-East Asia. Served mild or spicy – it’s your choice! Saigon Spiced Mule 20 Our take on the classic rum mule, using ginger, chili and galangal, sweetened with lychee and topped with Hepburn Springs organic ginger beer. A refreshing long drink that can be further spiced, to your taste. Viet Espresso Martini 21 The perfect party starter! Vietnamese coffee is the basis for this delicious cocktail and is shaken with Kahlua, vanilla vodka and poured over a base of condensed milk. MOCKTAILS & NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Strawberry and Earl Grey Iced Tea 10 Muddled strawberries with fresh apple juice, mint and iced earl grey tea Pink Grapefruit and Pomegranate On The Rocks 9 A beautiful summery mix of grapefruit juice, soda water, pomegranate syrup and pomegranate seeds. Virgin Watermelon Mojito 10 Fresh watermelon and mint combine with a squeeze of lime a hint of star anise and a splash of soda. Coconut and Lychee Granita 11 Frozen lychee and coconut water ‘slushy’, full of flavor, vitamins and electrolytes! Moritz 0.0% Alcohol Beer 9 All the dark malty flavor of Moritz premium Spanish beer, none of the alcohol! WINE BY THE GLASS SPARKLING 100ml NV Holly’s Garden Blanc De Noir Whitlands Vic 14 Bright sparkling wine with zippy citrus flavors, a subtle creamy texture, and a smooth, dry, fresh finish. NV Zuccolo Prosecco Brut Grave del Friuli Italy 16 Delicious fresh and zingy dry Prosecco, It’s full and creamy with fruits of pear and apple. NV Champagne Laurent-Perrier Brut L-P Tours-sur-Marne France 22 Fresh and elegant, complex and well balanced with hints of citrus and white fruits. WHITE 150ml 2013 Castle Rock Riesling Great Southern WA 12 A wine with great structure and length. Intense lime and lemon backed with orange blossom. Try it with our Morten Bay Bug salad. Awarded Wine Maker of the Year 2014 – James Haliday’s Wine Companion. 2012 Sant’ Elisa Pinot Grigio Friuli Italy 10 Dry with citrus, pear and apple on the palate. Beautiful summery, easy drinking wine. Perfect with the soft shell crab. 2013 Tellurian Marsanne Heathcote Vic 12 Pale golden color with honeysuckle, melon and ripe pear aromas, creamy texture balanced with lively acidity. A treat with our sugar cane prawn. 2012 Mahi ‘Boundary Farm’ Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough NZ 13 Textured and mineral with nashi pear, quince and lemon sorbet flavors. Just add the spanner crab with coconut. 2012 Ocean Eight Pinot Gris Mornington Peninsula Vic 14 A Dandelion stalwart, Ocean Eight is a complex food wine with lovely texture, stone fruit and citrus flavors. Great with our Banh Xeo or sizzling pancake. 2012 Howard Park ‘Flint Rock’ Chardonnay Great Southern WA 13 Perfumed notes of white field flowers enriched with ripe pear and citrus oils, nutmeg spice and nougat. Citric palate with peach and honeydew fruits dusted with a fine nut-meal texture. A distinct flinty crisp finish. WINE BY THE GLASS (cont) ROSÉ 150ml 2012 Cep d’Or Rosé Provence France 12 Made from a blend of Cinsault, and Grenache, one of our favorite wines at Dandelion, plum skins and some dusty mineral notes. The finish is dry which makes the wine incredibly versatile when matching with any of Dandelion’s food. RED 150ml 2012 Georges Dubeouf Beaujoais-Villages* Beaujolais France 10 Glorious generosity of red fruits. Lifted aromas including a hint of rosebud. Try with the lamb ribs. 2012 Pizzini Sangiovese King Valley Vic 12 A luscious wine. White pepper, confected dark fruit, rich gamey and complex. Try with the Peking duck rice paper roll. 2013 La Linea ‘Norteño’ Tempranillo Adelaide Hills SA 13 Black cherry and strawberry flavors with earthy undertones and trademark savory tannins. The stickiness of the pork hock is beautifully countered by this wine. 2013 Stoney Rise Pinot Noir Southern Tasmania 14 One of our featured wines. It’s gorgeous, with elements of undergrowth, a supple texture and savory tannin. Perfectly matched with the duck in mountain spices. 2012 Shadowfax ‘Minnow’ Carignan Mataro Grenache Cinsault Geelong Vic 12 A youthful deep red, with a shiny and bright red edge. Bouquet of red fruit and spice. The wine is perfectly balanced, with a medium bodied palate. Carignan and Mataro bring volume and energy while Grenache adds fragrance and texture. Tannins are supple and very fine, allowing the subtle influence of the Cinsault to be heard. Mondeuse - a native of the Savoie in France - bringing extract and a hint of spice. 2011 Voyager ‘Girt By Sea’ Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Margaret River WA 13 Summer berry, cherry and plum fruits. Soft and juicy palate with hints of spice and nougat. Well suited to the duck noodle broth. *Available chilled To celebrate the festive season Dandelion presents a full range of Champagnes from our favourite house. Champagne Laurent-Perrier • Tours-sur-Marne, France Founded in 1812, Laurent-Perrier is the oldest continuously family owned House in Champagne! Renowned for its innovation and passion, the Nonancourt family’s independent spirit is the driving force behind the creation of unique and highly sought after Champagne. Laurent-Perrier has grown to become universally recognised for its spirit of independence. Today the House is led by sisters Alexandra and Stephanie du Nonancourt. Their father Bernard was responsible for the giant leaps in the fortunes of L-P, and in the development of dry, aperitif styled Champagne. In a blinding flash of genius, Bernard introduced a higher percentage of chardonnay at a time when Champagne tended to be sweet, served from a coupe at the end of a meal. He wanted the house style to be light and refreshing, and above all, to reflect the land on which it was produced. The pioneer of dry champagne! It is this sense of elegance and purity that has become the hallmark of Laurent-Perrier’s wines. A clear determination to abide by long established traditions: respect for nature and wine, and an unrelenting dedication to quality. NV Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut 26/145 Made exclusively from only the ripest fruit, blended from 15 crus, it is a no-dosage champagne. Very pale and crystal bright in the glass, a complex nose shows aromas of citrus, white peach and honeysuckle. NV Laurent-Perrier Brut L-P 22/130 A ‘non-vintage’ is always an expression of the House style, and is the signature champagne.