I'm a believer

You all know the scenario. You go to a restaurant, pore over the menu, take ages deciding, pick what you think is best and then you see the fellow at the next table having something that looks infinitely more interesting. And your meal is decidedly mediocre.

Those plastic meals in the window at the Chinese restaurant are maybe a good idea after all. And that tacky computer screen on the counter at the Thai restaurant which rotates through photos of the dishes on the menu has actually been quite helpful.

Once in a blue moon you get a pleasant surprise. You strike the jackpot. You actually feel you’ve chosen the best dish going.

I had that experience at Credo restaurant in Olinda this past weekend. The Spouse and I decided to head out towards the Yarra Valley. No specific destination therefore no recriminations on poor navigation or harsh criticism of the woman doing the voice-over on the GPS system. We just followed our noses and, thanks to roadside signs, decided to revisit Olinda, previously a good experience

I’d had an early breakfast thanks to the draconian garden hosing regulations (6am-8am Saturdays). He’d had a more leisurely brunch. We hit Olinda around 2.30pm and I was famished.

He opted for a steak sandwich on ciabatta with roasted tomatoes, caramelised onion, garlic aioli and fries. I decided I would raid his fries and go for the $12.90 antipasto platter, which I expected to be the usual deli selection of salami, olives, cheese and maybe a couple of gherkins and a trio of ciabatta slices.

Initially I thought I’d received the wrong order, but, as it looked pretty impressive, I wasn’t going to hand it back.

There were three nice plump scallops in a shell with tender florets of cauliflower in a creamy sauce, pieces of slender spicy sausage, a handful of glistening black olives, small chunks of blue cheese, a small piece of barramundi, a slice of roasted beetroot, smoked salmon, sliced eggplant and red pepper rolled together, a couple of nuggets of sweet potato, a stuffed tomato, some crispy bacon and Turkish bread and a mere hint of rocket. I certainly didn’t need any of The Spouse’s fries.

The waiter came by later and asked if I enjoyed the antipasto. No need to ask, really. Clean plate. I said it had been a very interesting selection and he told me they liked to feature items off their main menu.

More of a tasting plate, really. And it was well worth the trip into the Dandenongs.