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MELBOURNE | Enter Pontoon of The Stokehouse Precinct on any sunny afternoon and you’ll be met by a lively horde of guests packing tight around tables with a cocktail in one hand and seafood nibbles in the other. The place has the energy one would expect of a beachside joint with expansive views of the ocean, just a stone’s throw away from the sand. And with a menu crafted by head chef Lance Cameron, previously of Hawker Hall and The Press Club, it’s no surprise people sacrifice their personal space to indulge in the Mediterranean dining.
However, we’re not always in the mood to stand while we eat or wait to order our food at a bar. Sometimes, we just want to be served. Pontoon understands and has answered our calling with the introduction of The Diner – a sectioned off area with table service and the ability to take bookings. Same great menu, same boozy selection, no yelling an order over the bar. We accept.
Cameron’s new menu still reflects its roots of grilled meats and seafood. Dishes are simple, yet well crafted. Entrees, including hot & sour pork belly and lettuce tacos with Kingfish ceviche, are designed to share. Straight off the grill, diners can enjoy a rotating selection of market fish amongst heartier dishes including steak with a chimmichurri sauce or pulled pork served with pita, cumin yoghurt or red cabbage.
However, the showstopper here is the slow cooked lamb shoulder, marinated in Greek yogurt and left to roast in the oven for 12 hours. This is one of the few original dishes that made it onto the new menu, and with good reason. The meat is so tender you’ll never once have to pick up your knife. And just when you’re convinced you can’t possibly squeeze any more lamb into your stomach, you realize the dish is served with all the makings of lamb lettuce wraps and you’re reminded that saying no to vegetables would be negligent of your health. Before you know it, the dish is empty and you’re moving onto dessert.
Sweets include an apple and rhubarb crumble and chocolate mousse. Or if feeling especially boozy, try the Butter Rum cocktail, with spiced rum, butterscotch, cinnamon and butter, or the Arctic Shock, with white chocolate, Kahlua, Smirnoff vodka, and espresso.
The Diner is a clever addition to the Stokehouse Precinct that caters to guests searching for a more relaxed dining experience. Make a booking and you’ll never have to shout your cocktail order over a sea of shoulders again.
The Diner At Pontoon
30 Jacka Boulevard
St Kilda
Victoria 3182
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9525 5445
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Sun – Wed: 12:00pm to 11:00pm
Thu – Sat: 12:00pm to 12:00am