Tags
Art, Australia, Box on Collins, cray fish risotto, Federation Square, Food, friends, Ian Potter Centre, Melbourne, Moreton Bay Bugs, National Gallery of Victoria, roquette and apple salad, travel, vacation
After lunch at Straits of Malacca, V and I decided to walk off our meal by wandering over to Federation Square. I took a few quick snaps as we walked down the street towards our destination.
contrast of new and old
Federation Square
- Walking around Federation Square
We wandered into the Ian Potter Centre (National Gallery of Victoria) and spent the latter part of the afternoon admiring works of art. I must admit that my art knowledge is somewhat lacking so most gallery visits for me are pretty quick and simple — walk, walk, walk, look, look, I like, I don’t like, walk, walk, walk… It really makes a difference when going to a gallery with someone who understands and appreciates art. V really knows her stuff and our visit to the art gallery was like an educational (and culturing) trip for me! When she paused to admire something, she would take a minute to point out (to me) what she was looking at and why it was amazing. I learned a lot that afternoon.
Taking a break from the art work and enjoying the building itself
After walking through all the exhibits at the gallery and a short rest at the hotel, V and I were ready for some dinner. We walked along Collins Street and looked at a couple of posted menus. V let me decide on the restaurant and I picked Box on Collins.
Interior of Box
After another round of intense “menu-studying,” we placed our order with the friendly server. I should clarify … I am usually the one who does the intense studying. Some of the most difficult decisions I make happen to be at restaurants. 
Roquette and apple salad with a balsamic and virgin olive oil dressing (shared)
Risotto
While I can go back to the Box menu to label my photos, things get a little more complicated when one of us orders from the specials of the day menu. I think V ordered the risotto off the daily specials menu and the proper name is not on their regular menu. The bill did say “cray ris” so I shall assume it was a cray fish risotto with other delicious goodness in there.
I don’t recall eating “bugs” before so I decided to try the Moreton Bay bug halves. As we had a late lunch, I was not feeling very hungry. Instead of going for the “Main” size, I opted for the “Entree” (smaller) order. Thankfully I ordered the smaller portion. I cannot imagine what the “Main” size would look like.
Moreton bay bug halves pan seared with white wine, roasted garlic and parsley served with jasmine rice
Bug halves
The bug halves were delicious. I had been tempted to order the bug halves in honey and sesame seed but decided to order the garlic and parsley instead. I was quite happy with my choice … simple yet flavourful and not masking the original taste of the bugs.
What a fun day out. The national gallery looks amazing.
The gallery was very interesting and we had a good balance of food and walking.
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