It is BACK! Grand Lafayette Prahran has reopened after an eight-month hiatus, with this highly anticipated event sending stomaches rumbling from Melbourne’s North to South. Melbourne locals, especially those in the Prahran area, have been fortunate to call this institution their go-to Japanese joint for years – but there are a couple of changes to look forward to. The menu has been revitalised and there is a new team of chefs on board to carry the torch and surprise and delight new and returning patrons.
Now, let’s take a look at what’s on offer at Grand Lafayette Prahran.
The vision & team behind Grand Lafayette Prahran
COVID-19 and the many restrictions that followed had a devastating impact on the hospitality scene. Grand Layfayette’s 8-month hiatus was in no way wasted, and the restaurant has returned with a newfound vigour and cuisine style that the market is already loving. So, what exactly has changed?
Grand Lafayette will continue to seek inspiration from Japan, but you will see more of a blended approach to traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine and culture. The bright and fun decor, cocktails and crockery and perfectly juxtaposed against the authentic Japanese menu. Don’t worry, there are still more than enough modern fusions to be enjoyed on the menu.
Head Chef and recipient of the Misschu and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur 2014 award, Jonny Wu, will be one of the driving forces behind these bold and delicious changes at Grand Lafayette Prahran. Owners, Solar Liang and Monique Wu, are excited for Melbournians to sink their teeth into this fresh, crispy and down-right tasty Grand Lafayette menu.
“We’re incredibly proud to both reveal our new menu and finally open our doors [after 8 long months of closure] to a world of old and new customers. Regardless of if you’re one of our old regulars or a first-time diner, we assure you will find something new and exciting on our revitalised menu,” says Monique.
The new Grand Lafayette menu
The all-you-can-eat menu will not be returning to Grand Lafayette, and will instead be replaced with a stunning a la carte menu that has taken Japanese cuisine to a new level.
There is, of course, so much about the new Grand Lafayette menu that has been drawn from the previous offering. Be sure to order the bao buns filled with soft shell crab and Ora King Salmon – always a popular dish for the all-you-can-eat crowd. The juicy pork and maple ponzu gyozas are another old favourite, now presented in their luxe formation on petit plates.
This Grand Lafayette menu has been designed to honour the integrity of Japanese cuisine, and so it doesn’t feel ambitious to claim that Grand Lafayette will (again) solidify itself as the best and most authentic Japanese restaurant in Melbourne.
This might make us a little basic, but we absolutely love the Karaage Chicken dish, and the Tuna Tarte for something a little more adventurous. Cap off the meal with a Raindrop Cake for dessert and you are living your best Japanese daydream.
Oh! And fear not, the zany cocktails that you might be familiar with from Grand Lafayette are still being shaken and stirred, so it might be time to revisit these classics.
Grand Lafayette Prahran’s tempura station
You did not read that wrong. Grand Lafayette Prahran has a dedicated tempura station. This means that when you dine at Grand Lafayette Prahran, you can enjoy freshly made tempura dishes made by an experienced dedicated tempura chef. All your favourite proteins and vegetables will be floating and cooked in a dedicated tempura wok, warm and crispy, ready to be enjoyed.
Our favourite tempura items on the Grand Lafayette menu are the crisp prawns and exotic mushrooms, as they are cooked to absolute perfection. We hope it is not blasphemous to say these are better than what we have seen and eaten in Japan – fact! You can also order the whitebait, crab, and a selection of seasonal vegetables that have been freshly battered and fried until golden.
Sake Flights This Winter (2022)
Need more of an excuse to get to Grand Lafayette? Well, this winter they are sweetening the deal with a sake flight special for under $30. The sake special includes a rare sip of the highly prized Junmai Daiginjo! Junmai Daiginjo is made with the rarest of sake rices, known as Kikusui, a strain of rice that was almost extinct and revived from only 25 grains. Experience sophisticated aromas and mellow rice flavours at Grand Lafayette as a part of sake flight B.
That’s right, for the hot price of less than $30 per flight, guests are invited to sip on a luxe variety of well-balanced, rare and aromatic Japanese sake options from the Grand Lafayette collection. For first-time sake sippers, Grand Lafayette is sure to ignite a new love for the famed fermented rice, leaving tastebuds tingling and a soul-warming feeling perfect for neutralising Melbourne’s frosty air.
Will we see you at Grand Lafayette Prahran? Well, be sure you don’t stand in our way at the tempura station because this is a restaurant reopening in Melbourne that we are truly excited about!
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