Lucky the company was good… @ Rae’s Restaurant, Balgownie Estate, Yarra Valley

I have received comments from readers that I am too kind in my reviews. People have said to me that to seem transparent, negative reviews are needed.  I hope that this review will show you that I’m not kind because I think I should be; I’m kind when I think it is deserved. Kindness was not deserved here, and I am going to share that with you.

My sister, my mum and I all drove out to the Yarra Valley for a ‘Collins’ girl evening over my sisters hens weekend. We dined at Rae’s Restaurant, stayed in the hotel and enjoyed amazing massages the next morning. The hotel, the massages and the hotel staff were amazing. The restaurant was a different story.

After arriving early for our reservation we ordered some drinks and took a seat outside. Our waitress told us she would check in every 20 minutes to make sure we were comfortable. An hour later and no word from the waitress we headed inside.

After taking our seat, we waited 10 minutes to just to see a menu. Happily chatting away as we always do, this didn’t really bother us.

The service that followed however did. We were the only table in the whole restaurant not to be given bread, or the pre meal Hors d’oeuvre. (My sister later asked as to why and they responded by bringing it out as they were taking away our entrees). It literally felt as though our table had not been written down. Not once were we asked if we needed more drinks and catching someone’s eye was like mission impossible. Now just to clarify, this restaurant positions itself as fine dining, so all of these things should be seamless; but no.

So to the food… For entrée we all ordered the Seared Scallops served with cauliflower puree and a pickled pear salad.

Seared Scallops

Sadly, it came with prosciutto, which was not listed on the menu and my sister does not eat meat. We had to send it back; which was extremely awkward to say the least.  When we did get to our entrees they were nice. Cooked well and the flavours were balanced nicely.

For main I ordered the Eye fillet. This was quite a show; the steak was served with a burning implement to create a smoked flavour, which was revealed as it was placed in front of you.

Steak Performance

Sadly for meat lovers everywhere my ‘medium’ steak was brown/grey all the way through and so chewy I didn’t bother eating the whole thing. The fat chips were probably the highlight for me here, which is a little sad.

Eye Fillet

It was served with an array of vegetables and fat chips.

Sides

My sister ordered the seared Salmon on a bed of tomato and zucchini risotto. She shared that her fish was overcooked and while the risotto was lovely it did not go with the salmon at all.

Seared Salmon with Tomato Risotto

So all in all, the chips were nice as was the Balgownie range of wine that we were drinking

As we were leaving my sister said to the manager kindly that we had felt our table had been neglected and he informed her that it wasn’t his fault, they were short staffed and he was new.

What makes me sad is this restaurant used to be phenomenal. I have a previous post to prove it. The flavours were unique and exciting and the staff were flawless. It seems that this new change in management and direction has led them astray.

It really isn’t worth the trip anymore.




18 Hours @ Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort and Spa, Yarra Valley

 

Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort and Spa, located in the heart of the Yarra Valley is one of the many beautiful wineries you’ll find there. My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to receive a gift of a night’s accommodation, a dinner and a massage the following morning.

 

6:45pm

We arrived at Balgownie and were welcomed by the view of the modern restaurant with floor to ceiling windows, situated perfectly on top of the hill.

 

As we ventured away from the restaurant to check in I was blown away by the surroundings of the hotel. Beautiful gardens and roses and architecture engulfed my vision.  From the second we walked into reception to the second we left the next day there was nothing but the friendliest of service. With an unexpected upgrade and discounts on wine we headed to our room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With stunning views and a modern interior the room definitely didn’t disappoint, and to top it off, there were 12 bottles of Balgownie wine on offer in the mini bar!!!

 

 

7:15 pm

We made the short walk to Rae’s Restaurant, which has a vast open feel with endless windows allowing you to see the entirety of the Yarra Valley as you dine. To take full advantage of this we ordered a bottle of the Balgownie Premium Curve Brut NV and sat outside. The weather was warm, the sparkling was light and view was amazing.

 

7:45pm

After getting a little sidetracked we were collected by our lovely young waitress who showed us to our table.  The menu, marked gluten free to my delight looked incredible. In addition, the prices run on a weeknight or weekend package of $55 dollars for two courses on weekdays and $65 for two courses on the weekend. This is great value for the venue and as we later discovered the food.

 

For entrée we both ordered the Pan-fried Tiger Prawns, coated in dukkah served on avocado, jimaca, mango mousse, thai basil and a vinaigrette of beetroot passion fruit. As it arrived, I saw a beautiful salad of prawns surrounded by swirls of different colours and amazing flavours. The prawns, perfectly cooked, held their natural sweetness and this was complemented by the spicy dukkah and the cool creamy avocado. The addition of sweet tomato flesh, basil oil and the beetroot created an incredible flavour experience.

 

As we moved onto the Balgownie Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, we awaited our main course.

 

For my main I ordered the Kingfish served with roasted Piperade with lemongrass and brandy, served on confit peppers, capers, white anchovy and basil mayonnaise with green asparagus and Kumara pesto. Again cooked to perfection the Kingfish was complemented by the tartness of the pepper capers and anchovies. The taste buds were then cooled by both the mayonnaise and the pesto.

 

I was informed that the 200gm Fillet of Beef with coffee, cumin and black pepper crust served with carrot chutney, duchess style confit of potato, with jus of roasted onion and balsamic, was also divine.  It too showcased more interesting and inventive flavour combinations.

 

All in all the food was of the highest quality in the way in was cooked; yet also in the way the flavours, textures and combinations were paired. This was some of the most inventive cooking I’ve seen. In addition, the service was lovely and more than willing to assist with dietary requirements and questions.

 

9:30 am

We made sure we checked out a little early so we could make full use of the free buffet breakfast served for hotel quests in the restaurant.

 

As we arrived, I was surprised to see bottles of open sparkling on offer, espresso machines and generous amounts of beautiful looking food. Sweet, savory, eggs, yoghurt, toasts, pastries, fruits, cheeses, meats, juice, coffee, sparkling…anything one could every need for breakfast, plus a kitchen taking requests.

 

I was again blown away when for the first time in the last two years of being gluten free; there was gluten free bread in the bread section…I was in heaven!

 

10:45am

After an amazing breakfast we headed to the Natskin day spa for our hour long massages. Again we were given incredible service with individual lockers provided, tea and refreshments served and friendly smiles.

 

12:30pm

We drove away, reluctantly, from the beautiful experience that is Balgownie Estate.

 

If you can get away for the weekend or even the night I highly recommend all that Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort and Spa has to offer!

 

 

For more Info:

 

www.balgownieestate.com.au/