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I'm a bit divided on my experience here. The highs were really high, but the lows were also really really low.
First off, service and the venue was great. My only complaint was how secretive the waitress was about each dish. I totally understand keeping the diners guessing on the ingredients, but felt we would've appreciated it more if they had told us after the first few mouthfuls, instead of making us wait till the menu was emailed to us. I mean if you're going to serve ants in the entree or tripe as a dessert why not brag about it????
Our starters and snacks and desserts were amazing, but the mains were a massive fail. I totally understand that the chef was attempting to play on
the sweetness in Thai cuisine's savoury dishes, however I don't think he quite made it. Duck and banana isn't innovative, it's just not right (but the duck was perfectly cooked) and the granita over our mackarel was far too sweet for the fish.
We also got the matched alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and the non-alcoholic ones are a MUST!!!! I dont often say this, but they were way better than their alcoholic counterparts. Brie and lychee? Who knew they'd go together. On the other hand though, whiskey and bread? Far too heavy handed.
I'm still undecided on how I feel about Nora, all I know is I walked away craving good, simple dishes that I could appreciate without thinking too hard.
You have to try this place!!
What you see does not equal what you eat.
This place challenges your taste / smell with textures that you thought you knew all into confusion.
Awesome food, 10 courses of clever and craziness.
I would highly recommend to have the non alcoholic drinks with your degustation as it compliments and enhances the food.
Good job!
Had an absolutely fantastic dinner at Nora. I can't decide if I preferred the degustation here or Vue De Monde. While the restaurant is much more low key, the quality of the food is extremely high as is the overall dining experience. The unique flavours, beautiful presentation and overall flow of the meal was fantastic. The service was the perfect level of attentive, but not intrusive. For those who enjoy Thai/Asian flavours, I highly recommend.
Faultless. Experimental. Classy. Unpretentious. Delicious. These are all the words I can use to describe our dinner last night at Nora. From the moment we walked in and saw that there were only ten table settings for the whole restaurant, we knew this would be a personalised, intimate dining experience. The staff were so attentive and served us with a smile the whole night. The chef was able to accommodate our dietary requirements fantastically, and every dishes was packed so full of flavour, and so creative that it just left us in awe. The alcohol pairing worked brilliantly and was well thought out. One of the best dining experiences you will find in Melbourne. Highly recommend!
Honestly the best and most surprising dining experience I've ever had. I need more words in my vocabulary to describe the journey we took this evening. Like closing your eyes and blindly jumping in to the clouds.
Booked this place with a group of friends. Was honestly expecting a bunch of random Thai dishes served fancy (didn't read up about the place prior). But boy were we surprised! This is what I'd imagine an Asian version of Heston's fat duck to be like. The drinks pairing was excellent and taste and texture of all the dishes were great. Half the time we had no idea what we were eating but they were all scrumptious! They send an email at the end of the meal detailing the ingredients used (most of which were a surprise). Would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for an Asian inspired degustation. Thumbs up to the team at Nora!
Definietly a fine dining experience. A small place with an intimate feel, a perfect date night. Come with an open mind and open tastebuds and you'll enjoy every minute. As for myself i loveddd it.
Um... Ok...
Well as I walk to my car with a grin the size of the west gate on immediate reflection whilst I will say the mackerel and the Tom Yum were sensational.
I couldn't fault one dish, or any aspect of the entire experience.
Probably one of the most complete meals and meal experiences I've had in Melbourne, for the money, for a very long time.
And I'm kinda over pretentious meals so this speaks volumes in itself.
This was refined, fun, well priced but seriously delicious and inventive.
The team at the helm is pure talent.
The place was empty! It was a shock, but I loved being one of only 5 people in the room.
Will be back, many times over if it retains this quality, focus and finesse. Wow
A fascinating journey into the unknown! As soon as we walked into the restaurant we felt a lovely, calming vibe surrounding this petit place and then along came an element of mystery and quirkiness as we embarked upon a gastronomic Thai adventure! Expect the unexpected on this fabulous journey …… Chef Sarin Rojanametin, Jean Thamthanakorn and the rest of the Nora team certainly know how to enhance your dining experience with amazing flavours, ingredients and presentation of the dishes accompanied by impeccable, friendly service.
An incredible dining experience in this unassuming restaurant in Carlton. Nora is simple elegance. The degustation was incredible with flavours and concepts I'd never experienced. The suggested wines were absolutely awesome and the service was on point. I would highly recommend Nora.
Great concept of highlighting the heritage and source of the produce with a slight fusion twist to produce some interesting surprises. Great service and cosy atmosphere.
This dinner was so much fun! The staff were great. Excellent, attentive service, but not intrusive or overly formal. The food was so creative and fun. Not to mention delicious! Thai-inspired fine dining that really worked. Again and again I was shocked by unusual sounding flavour combinations that actually worked. This place really blew me away. Something completely different from the usual fine dining scene. I would definitely recommend!
I was given a voucher to eat at Nora for my birthday and, having never heard of the place, was a little skeptical.
2 hours and 12 courses later, I can safely say Nora is unbelievable. Courses included a mix of rice, meat, fish and sweets - all of which were very interesting. Foods you'd expect to be very savoury were sweet and vice versa. Get ready for an experience!
The service is excellent too.
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Like Thomas Harris's Red Dragon, Nora has undergone a transformation. From the cosy café, it has now transformed into one of Melbourne's best fine dining destination.
In a city that is saturated with amazing eateries, it takes something special for a new restaurant to stand out, and Nora does just that.
The venue is very intimate, seating fewer than 20 diners. Everyone gets the set menu, which has to start at the same time. You will understand why that is the case as the courses start to come out.
More than a meal, we were treated to an experience. One where every detail has been carefully and artfully thought of and put together. The blurb on their website claims that Nora offers Thai food, that has been pulled apart and put back together. And, in many ways, that was what we were treated to. Classic Thai ingredients, traditional cooking techniques and the flavours we all associate with Thai food, just not the way we expect it to look.
At Nora, not everything is what it seems, or maybe I should say, NOTHING is what it seems. The most amazing part of the experience is the surprise element, so I don't want to give away too much of the menu.
The dishes are innovative and yet pay tribute to Thai cuisine in every way. Every dish was delicious, finding that sweet spot where flavours and aesthetics meet. Every course has been given a name, which is just as whimsical as the food being served. Some examples are "Tagliatelle of Oyster Not Oyster", "Too many Italians and only one Asian" and the pick of the lot, “Daft Punk is playing in my mouth”.
The service was exceptional and our waiter was very passionate about the restaurant and the food being served. They have a very small team at Nora and every member of that team was busy at work that night.
Overall, this was one of the best experiences we've ever had in a restaurant, anywhere in the world. For a bit of local perspective, Nora is right up there with Attica and Brae as Australia's best.
We will definitely be coming back here.
Little tip: pay attention to the music.
Restroom review: Simple but clean.
COME HERE FOR the smoked pork hock (winter camp fire). Absolutely loved it - flavourful pork which is amplified by the cauli. Very refined. Definitely more to Nora than their famous baked goods. Food and menu ahead of it's time in Melbourne, still finding its niche
BUT only filter coffee is served. Menu is small, quirky and can be a little intimidating for the uninitiated
OVERALL a lovely unique cafe in Melbourne. With an open mind, you’ll love it as much as I did
Outstanding degustation. Every course was wonderful. Far better than other more well known foodie degustations.
Honestly the best and most surprising dining experience I've ever had. I need more words in my vocabulary to describe the journey we took this evening. Like closing your eyes and blindly jumping in to the clouds.
Wow what a great experience. Went for the 10 course menu and we enjoyed every dish. We also enjoyed the non alcoholic pairings.
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