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.




Mothers Day Lunch @ Yering Station, Yarra Glen

For mothers day this year we wanted to have a nice lunch out in mum’s area, and what better venue than where my sister is to be married next year!

Yering Station, for those of you who don’t know is such a beautiful place. With gardens and tree lined paths leading you everywhere, it feels like a paradise. The old barn holds wine tasting and sells other local and delicious produce while the new nearly all glass building on the hill houses a beautiful restaurant.

Seated in the corner, surrounded by floor to ceiling glass we enjoyed our lunch overlooking the views of the yarra valley.

The food here is also lovely. For my main I ordered the special of the day which was John Dory fillets on potato and artichoke purée and a dashi sauce, served with king brown mushrooms, baby radish and caviar. While it was a little more deconstructed than I was expecting, it was delicious all the same. The dashi sauce was creamy and rich which was paired beautifully with the John Dory. The mushrooms and radish didn’t add a whole lot to the overall dish, but were nice in themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mum ordered the beef, which came with the rosemary and garlic potatoes. It was, as I was told, delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dessert I ordered the Hazelnut mousse, with hazelnut praline and frangelico cream.  I could have eaten just the praline and the cream to be honest… they were beautiful! The praline was rich and thick and the cream was light and had that hazelnut hit from the Frangelico. The mousse was encased in a sponge cake, which I wasn’t expecting sadly. Not being a huge fan of sponge cake had a known that I would have ordered something else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mum, on the other hand ordered something I would never have chosen but absolutely loved. She ordered the Chocolate Marquise with berries and Licorice Crumbs. The Marquise was rich and thick and so chocolaty it was amazing! The berries helped freshen it up. The crumbs were an explosion of flavour. They looked like cookie crumbs yet had such a strong licorice flavour. This dessert was amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, the meals were delicious, often not what I was expecting, or necessarily would have ordered, yet delicious all the same. Next time I would order what my mum order, hands down!

I am looking forward to dinner there next time…in a Bridesmaids dress!!

For more information:

Yering Station

38 Melba Highway

Yering VIC 3770

(03) 9730 0100

www.yering.com/

An amazing night with Gourmet Traveller and new friends @ Stokehouse, St Kilda

A foodie at heart I read Gourmet Traveller each month and always find myself looking longingly at the Gourmet Traveller Dinner pages. Last month when the magazine came out and I saw they were holding a dinner at Stokehouse in St Kilda along with Willow Creek Winery I picked up the phone. A three-course dinner with matched wines following canapés and sparking…my hopes weren’t high on availability. To my surprise they had a table for four left…I booked it straight way (I figured I could find three willing participants).

When the 21^st of March finally rolled around, I was like a kid on Christmas. I was so curious to find out what these dinners involved and was looking forward to finally getting to see the new and improved Stokehouse. When a young women called to confirm my booking she also informed me that we would be on a shared table of ten…I was a little apprehensive as you never know who you wind up next to, but what was I to do!

As we arrived at the beautiful St Kilda location, we made our way upstairs and were greeted by numerous waiters and waitresses with glasses of 2006 Willow Creek Vineyard Brut in abundance.   As canapés were served and generous top ups of sparkling were given, we headed out onto the balcony to take in the amazing scenery. While I only managed to get my hands on one of the canapés going around, it was magnificent. Brioche crumbed prawns with herbed mayonnaise. These little bundles of goodness managed to be the perfect combination of crisp and fried while being light and flavoursome.

Soon enough we were ushered to our tables. There we met our fellow patrons. In a lucky turn of events we had been placed on a table with common interests flying and where the conversation literally didn’t stop the whole night.

Menu’s were given and to my surprise we all had a choice of four options for each course! Later we were informed that this amount of choice at a function like this was rare and was testament to both the chefs and the wine that four courses were able to match one specific wine.

I ordered the Seared Atlantic scallops, verjus gazpacho, compressed apple and cucumber salad, walnuts and Serrano ham. It was served with a glass of 2009 Willow Creek Vineyard Chardonnay.

Seared Scallops

It was amazing; the scallops cooked to perfection were plump and soft while the fresh salad created a sharp contrast. The walnuts and the ham created both salt and crunch, really finishing off the full flavour of the dish. In addition to this the fruity Chardonnay complimented the flavours beautifully, and surprisingly those around me with different entrees agreed.

Moving onto main…I ordered the Local Snapper fillet, blue swimmer crab cannelloni, needle leeks, shaved cauliflower and watercress emulsion.

Snapper w Blue Swimmer Crab cannelloni (with the shared side of fried potatoes)

Again, this was a creation of beautifully paired flavours and textures. The snapper melted in your mouth while the cauliflower created a perfect fresh contrast. It was then topped with flavoured breadcrumbs to again complete the texture combination. The sides of roasted fried potatoes were also delicious!

Mains were served with a Willow Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir. It was a sweet, almost strawberries and cream flavoured Pinot Noir that simply got better with each mouthful of the food. I sampled the beef and that was a divine wine and food combination.

Gruyere and Peppercorn Crusted Angus Beef tenderloin

As the generous top ups of wine flowed as did the conversation, and I found myself getting instruction on photography from Hugh, the owner of Hugh Gallery in Flinders. While orders were being taken and conversation was growing, we were taking abstract photos of peas, muscatels and cutlery.

Abstract Peas

 

 

Getting Creative…

 

 

Finally to dessert…

I ordered the Hazelnut chocolate mousse and nougat crunch, salted hazelnut caramel, honeycomb and Valrhona chocolate ice cream.

Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse

I am no where near exaggerating when I say this was one of the best things I have ever tasted in my entire life. Again the focus of texture combinations was flawless. The chocolate ice cream sat on a bed of nougat while the chocolate mousse was cased in chocolate sauce and then topped with salted caramel shards. I was almost speechless for the entirety of the meal.

My sister ordered the cheese platter for one for dessert and the home made walnut bread that accompanied it smelt so amazing I assumed there must have been a dessert option I missed. The detail they must have taken to create the delicate cheese platter for one was astounding.

Gorgeous Cheese Platter w muscatels, quince and  walnut bread

The desserts were served with a 2008 Willow Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which was very full bodied and rich on the palet. It was my favorite wine of the night, yet it complimented the cheese far better than the chocolate delight I was served.

At the end of the meal, the Chef Oliver Gould came and spoke to the room. Not very surprisingly after sampling his menu, he spoke of his focus on texture and balance. This really shone through in his creations and just elevated the meals above what you usually receive in restaurants.

I must also stress here that the wait staff at Stokehouse are literally some of the most accommodating and delightful in the business. They make you feel like they are lucky to be serving you.

It was a wonderful and insightful evening and I would recommend putting a night at Stokehouse on your foodie bucket list!

Happy Patrons…For more information:

Stokehouse:

30 Jacka Blvd
St Kilda VIC 3182
(03) 9525 5555

www.stokehouse.com.au/

Willow Creek Vineyard

http://www.willow-creek.com.au/new-cms/index.php

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/

 

Family and birthdays @ Innocent Bystander, Healesville

In a promise to report honestly on my restaurant experiences, it is here that I will share with you my first negative experience since starting my blog…

When we asked my mum what she wanted to do for her birthday she had two requests. To be taken out for dinner and for it to be near her house in St Andrews.

With these stipulations my sister and I looked into some of the wineries in the Yarra Valley and came across Innocent Bystander which had great reviews from numerous sources and is in both The Good Food Guide and Cheap Eats Guide…how could we go wrong. On top of this they have their own bakery, winery and cheese room.

As we arrived we were overwhelmed by the beautiful steel brewery vibe of the venue. We could see produce for sale at various stations and cheese and breads on display. With a gluten free menu provided to me we were very happy. This however didn’t last very long.

Upon closer inspection of the gluten free menu there were a few items, which raised concerns including the arancini, the fries and the fried cauliflower. When pushed the waitress reluctantly asked the kitchen returning to inform me that yes these foods were deep fried with wheat and gluten products rendering them no longer gluten free. In an attempt to not let the service or the mistakes disappoint I chose other items.

The menu features tapas style entrees including nuts and olives, breads, arancini, sashimi and hams. The main section is divided into two, their gourmet pizzas, which they are known for, and then other mains including dhal, steaks, a snapper dish and a seafood salad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gourmet pizzas were received very well by those at the table, as were the gourmet sides that included asparagus with buttered almonds.

 

 

 

 

 

My entrée of king fish sashimi with white miso dressing was lovely, the strong taste of the miso balanced the intense experience of the raw fish and my main of pumpkin and red lentil dhal (without the cauliflower) was again quite good. It came with a layer of toasted slivered almond on top which gave crunch to the somewhat soft textured dish.

 

 

 

 

 

All of the meals were beautiful, yet that is not what I remember when I think of the night…I remember the service.

More than one wine we ordered from their list was not available, and we were constantly given attitude and snappy remarks when asking for help.  After questioning the missing wines we were told we were lucky to have received what we did.

Finally in an attempt to give mum a good birthday, my sister secretly gave the waitress a candle to put in her dessert. When the desserts arrived with no candle, we asked quietly what had happened and again got treated with contempt.

All in all, the wait staff were a little too pretentious for their own good and acted as though the venue and the food spoke for itself. I speak for myself here when I say service is almost more important than the food in a venue like this and I would rather miss out on good even great food for friendly and helpful service.

In all honesty, I wont be making the trip to Innocent Bystander again.

For more information:

336 Maroondah Highway Healesville VIC 3777 - (03) 5962 6111
Open Weekdays 10am-10pm; Weekends 8am-10pm

www.innocentbystander.com.au/