EAT [TAKEAWAY]: NAVI HOME, DINNER FOR TWO [RESTAURANT NAVI, YARRAVILLE]

Restaurant Navi has been on my to-eat list for quite some time now… For most of last year to be exact. I’m actually surprised I hadn’t gotten around to it sooner given the restaurant’s close proximity to home (only one suburb over) but that’s probably also the reason why I was in no rush. Silly me.

Like many others in the same boat and born out of necessity, Restaurant Navi have introduced Navi Home, their version of takeaway. Or delivery if you’re like me and located in a neighbouring suburb. The dinner for two menu offers a taster of the restaurant, runs every Friday and Saturday evening, and the main dish changes on a regular basis.

I decided to seize the opportunity and jumped on their website 2 minutes before bookings opened one week. Keen beans you could say but I was on a mission to finally get my fix. And that I did.

On our dinner menU

Signature black garlic and salmon roe macaron.

Corn fed duck

Fermented vegetables, rotolo, dashi

Mary’s greens and tomato salad, white balsamic, shallots, Main Ridge feta

Chocolate parfait, brownie, salted wattle seed caramel

Our takeaway spread came with all the instructions needed to warm or prep each dish. Many of the dishes could probably be eaten straight from their containers but where’s the fun in that? For me at least, the plating is part of the Navi Home experience ;)

As an unexpected bonus, we also received a freshly baked (still warm upon arrival) sourdough accompanied by a silky butter. Bread and butter is actually one of the things I most look forward to when fine dining - it’s almost always one of the many standouts of said dining experiences, and Restaurant Navi’s did not disappoint. I’ve had some great breads from some local favourites lately, but the freshly baked quality of Restaurant Navi’s loaf made it a punch above the rest. The gorgeous crust had quite a crunchy bite and the bread was sensationally soft and fluffy light. The creamy butter was the icing on top. I actually didn’t think much of the bread when cutting it open - it was missing those air pockets I often look out for in a sourdough - but all these thoughts went flying far out the window after that first bite. The Navi Home also includes baked goods on Saturday and Sunday - music to my ears. As I type, I’m making a mental note to put in an order for bread and other goodies.

Back to the actual menu.

The adorable sizing of the salmon roe macaron was quite a sight to behold but also worked in its favour given the punchier flavour profile; the salmon roe was quite strong on the fishy front. A contrast to the fuller flavour of the roe, the subtle sweetness of the delicate macaron shell helps to dial this back.

Blushing pink in colour and with a crispy bite to its skin, the duck was perfection. Juicy and succulent, what more could you want? The accompaniments all complemented the duck beautifully and the quality of the produce utilised across their menu was also evident in every bite, elevating even something as simple as a salad.

Dinner ended on quite the indulgent note with the chocolate parfait - a super dense chocolate brownie base topped with a velvety smooth parfait, and paired with a crumb, some sort of soaked tangy berry and a gooey, salted wattle seed caramel. Similar to the macaron, the smaller serving size also helped here as a balancing act. Add in a spot of tea… heavenly, really.

I’m sure it goes without saying given the high praise for all the dishes that Restaurant Navi’s at home dining menu comes highly, HIGHLY recommended. Bookings do sell out (and with good reason) so be sure to set those alarms if you don’t want to miss out. I will be keeping my eye out on their menu changes to come, and also look forward to visiting and dining at the restaurant in person on the other side of all of this.