"1"^^ . . "5"^^ . "One of the interesting parts of travelling for work is eating out in some great restaurants. One of the down sides is the table by yourself. At Ma'tine, as with an increasing number of the best places I have eaten, they solve this problem by having fabulously friendly staff and seats at the counter. The aforementioned staff, who even after a single meal feel like friends, were more than happy to plug the gaps in my rather inadequate grasp of the French language and translate the menu items. I eventually settled on grilled melon, spicy sausage and brioche with peanut cream accompanied by a latte and a glass of fresh green juice. \n\nOn its arrival, the dish looked spectacular. Slices of grilled honeydew melon, two pieces of toasted brioche and sufficient spiced sausage to bring together the sweet fruit and buttery brioche. The undocumented salad leaves atop the entire plate were an essential element of the meal that augmented the other ingredients whose sweetness and spiciness were all vying for attention. You could tell that the chef had really thought about how the dish was constructed when you came across the slithers of pickled red onion concealed within the salad. You didn't think that you needed them, but once you had a mouthful with them, there was no going back. \n\nThe food didn't last nearly long enough, but I did manage a second latte and a few glasses of water provided attentive staff. I can't believe how much people who bring me food can increase my dining experience. These people could have fed me cardboard and it would have been a pleasure. On paying, the lady who had assisted me with the menu commented that I was obviously from out of town, and I said that I was travelling from Perth. She asked how I had found the coffee as Australian coffee was one of their great influences. If only Perth would provide me with food as exciting as the one I had just eaten, then I would give up travelling and stay at home. \n\nIncidentally, the coffee was an inspirational recreation of a creamy Melbournian latte. Maybe a few degrees too warm, but I simply don't care."^^ . . . "4"^^ . "0"^^ . "2015-05-03T00:00:00"^^ .