Melbourne's CHINCHIN makes for awesome Asian (2-14-24)

 Those of us who know restaurants and fine dining always say to try and avoid eating out on New Year's Eve, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day as the menus are often inflated and not very good. We had no choice being in Melbourne for our last night before boarding a 32-day cruise to places in Australia, New Zealand and Bali. We checked with various dining establishments and when we saw the menu for ChinChin we confirmed and paid a month ahead(nonrefundable!) and it was the perfect choice indeed.

There were two menu choices, and we went for the 130AUD "Celebration Feast" which is a super reasonable $85 eight course menu (which includes tax and most folks here do not tip big--but we did!). We added Coffin Bay Oysters with Red Nam Jim to start but passed on the wagyu upgrade; they were plump and super but again we scraped off some of the spicy topping as the oyster needs to star, not the sauce! Our super server Freya turned out to be an aspiring opera singer to boot. She sent over Julian the sommelier as we told him we wanted amazing local wines and he was BRILLIANT. We talked a lot and settled on a 2023 Art Series Leewin Estate Riesling made by Paul Atwood in the Margaret River region of Western Australia, where we visit on our next trip Down Under in 2026! It was brilliant with all the spicy food as ChinChin is known for its multiple-pan Asian cuisine that kicks the spice indeed.

Course #1 was a Hervey Bay Scallop(diver) with curried corn, Thai basil and crispy shallot and we begged for more. Next was a Kingfish Sashimi with lime, chilli, coconut and Thai basil that starred the fish in a ceviche way that was so simple yet simply perfect.

Tartare of Wagyu Beef was included in this menu and came with Sriracha Caramel, Soy and had these fabulous Sesame Crackers to eat it on. This dish was smokey and sinewy and indeed a truly novel tartare for us that we fell in love with immediately. We were moving on to heavier dishes and after another chat with Julian we opted for a Terlato &  Chapoutier "Malakoff Vineyard" 2016 Shiraz from the nearby Grampian Mountains in Victoria. This wine made by the famous Rhone wine grower Michele Chapoutier was so subtle and so French, smooth yet full of fruit and had aged to perfection. It was divine with the Wagyu tartare and ensuing Crispy Duck served with Chilli Jam, Pancakes and Slaw. Crispy Duck here is a super tender confit duck formed into a brick and then deep fried and was a marvelous way to prepare a meat in the most novel of ways. 

Wine #3 was Torbreck "Steading" 2018 GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvèdre) that we had tasted a couple of days earlier at the winery in Barossa Valley and it was a dream pairing with Larb-Spiced Roasted Beetroot with Cucumber & Mint Raita which came next; a vegetarian dream indeed with the yogurt raita balancing the kick-ass spice of this "salad."

The last savoury course was Yellow Curry of Coconut-Steamed Toothfish, Zucchini, Squash and Tomato. One might think it odd to have a fish dish at the end, but this was a spicy curry indeed loaded with veggies as well and toothfish is the Australian kin of the sea bass.

Dessert was Dark Chocolate Mousse with Coconut Ice Cream, Coffee and Salted Peanut Brittle Meringue.

We went home thrilled with our brilliant dining choice for the last night on land in Australia and were so happy to meet Freya(our new FB friend) and feature her in the fotos all posted there!

If we have to admit, when we arrived the music was loud, LOUDER, LOOUSEST but it kind of mellowed as the evening went on to fun 1980's disco. It was also very cold and Freya got the a/c set better as well--they really loved us! AND my one big complaint--paper napkin. 

That said, the evening was super fun, super food and we would go back in a flash and hope to when in Melbourne again in 2026!

--

IDES in Melbourne is magnificent (2/13/24)

 We had three nights in Melbourne, but the first night we drive in on the Great Ocean Road all day and had a quick Greek dinner at IPSOS in Lorne on the coast which is nothing to write about. The next night we chose IDES(pronounced as in "Ides of March"). we arrived and the small bar was in a room by itself with two couples drinking and James pioured us some Rhubarb Juice as we perused the bar menu for cocktail choices. Will decided on the Frozen Gibson which is a pre-made martini of their own make and I went for the Frozen Dirty Vodka, also pre-made with local Melbourne vodka. These are pre-mixed and bottled and kept ice cold for fun.

We were escorted through several doors into a small room next door with about 9 tables for two or 4 people and it was a very serene quiet setting with some neat art(one painting was abstract, but I saw Chasidic guys in it!). Liam was the sommelier and he said they do offer a wine pairing(alas not all Australia) so we agreed and then chose some extra options like starting with the yummy Merrimbula New South Wales Rock Oysters topped with chorizo vinaigrette. This was an interesting choice of topping and was okay, but took away from the yummy oyster, Huon Valley Tasmania Sparkling from Barrington Wood was delicious, and it was nice to have all Reidel crystal as well (just as most of the wineries in the Barossa Valley did for our multiple tastings!). 

Next came Nori (cup) with Carrott Confit which is thickened with stock and had wasabi and sesame. The next course was Creamed Corn custard smothered with Smoked Caviar from Spain with Tonburi & Rosemary Oil that was served under a dome with a smoke emerging for the reveal (all on video on FB). This was a divine creation and one of the best courses we enjoyed anywhere so far on this trip. On the side was the Parmesan Doughnut that looks like a coconut doughnut but is savory as it is made with corn and is akin to a cheesy corn fritter. We must have switched wines, but I do not seem to have it my notes.

Superb Steamed Rockling (whitefish)from Tasmania was in a Chive & Shiso Seed Sauce that had chicken infused but was more like a gel or consommé on crack; it was topped with scallop and nigella seed. Served with local Melbourne Sake called Tachiminori, it was a fun pairing. On the side was a charred zucchini flower stuffed with edamame that was amazing.

The "main" was Roast Pork Loin with Mustard Sauce and came with a row of condiments: Apple puree. Sorrel pesto with perilla(Japanese basil), Pumpkin seed, Cauliflower puree with pork crackling and while these were all fun and nice, the pork itself was unexciting and completely tasteless without the mustard sauce or condiments. Accidental Red Syrah/Merlot blend 2023 from Dhillon from Glenhope Vineyards in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria(the state Melbourne is in) had a nice acidity but was fairly light.

Duck Liver Parfait Tart was another dream dish that was gone in two or three bites and paired wonderfully with Barbeitto Madeira 10 year old made from Verdelho grapes.

Next was Perilla(Japapnese basil relation) & Plum Jelly (oops, forgot the photo), followed by a conquering Caramel Cake with Dark Chocolate & Peanut was a really wonderful dessert with the intense chocolate coming from the Daintree Rainforest where we visited the week before. Dos Maderas Triple Aged Rum made with 5-year-old Manzanilla and 5-yr-old Pedro Ximemez Sherry Casks hailed from Jamaica and was a beautiful finish to the evening.

Adelaide's BOTANIC will blow your mind, mouth and beyond impress (2-9-24)

 Our second and final night in Adelaide was at BOTANIC, aptly named as it sits in the magnificent Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and the team actually forages through the gardens for various ingredients and produces some of the most novel ingredients used for a meal that indeed impresses.  Chef Justin James, who came over and chatted with us extensively at one point during out 4-1/2 hour journey, hails from Detroit and it's indeed a long story how he ended up in Adelaide!  His team of Julius from Munich, Elle from the UK and Ruby & Chris(locals) were on top of everything for the 21+ course meal which actually included over 40 different dishes! Wine pairings were fabulous and since Will was not in the mood for booze, he chose the amazing Temperance Pairing. There is a huge open kitchen with a bar surrounding it for a view of the chefs all night. These guys often yell out like some kind of rugby team announcing something, but we never figured it out. The 15 or so tables are all surrounding the kitchen looking both ways as the entire pavilion is glass enclosed overlooking the gardens. Even the loo has bird sounds in it!

This oiled wheel works so well serving what we had to declare as the best meal indeed in Australia, and one of the top ten in the world!

I-Garden Flower and Green Ants was a bouquet of flowers with a marigold at the center over a parsley-water poached fuji apple that is fermented for 3 months with crunchy ants on top(Will, actually ate these in Queensland right from the tree and they have a very lime-y flavor indeed!). The apple had a blackened leathery flavor that was mild but unique.

II-Abalini from Port Lincoln(related to abalone), Botanic Curry Paste & leaf, Pickled Myrtle Buds had a punch and was as tender as could be--we have indeed found they know how to cook abalone here!

III-"Lick the Rock" features a rock coated with Wattle Seed & Celeriac Yogurt thst you actually lick off. It is here that the pairings also begin:  Poire Authentqiue Normandy Cider from Eric Bordelet was fruit intense but not sweet while Will had Fuji Apple tea/juice were for courses III & IV.

IV-Rock Lobster was accompanied by a corn-husked "boat" filled with Corn Puree, Tarragon & Anise Myrtle that you dipped the lobster into. YUM! 

V-Green Tomato was filled with Avocado & Tuna, Tomato gelee, Native Ginger and Atherton Almond and Mountain Pepper. For this and next course the wine was a 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Moonambel "Quartz Branco" from Latta in the Pyrenees of Victoria was an amazing wine that gets malolactic and lies treatment.

VI-Tomato & Lemon Aspen Broth was a deliciously rich unctuous soup that had toasted oak sticks in it.

VII-Raw Sharp Bay(Western Australia) Scallop covered in Salmon Roe/Foam with Seaweed & Samphire with Scallop Chips was another revelation as each dish was more impressive than the previous. This course and the next was paired with La Bastid Cosecha 2020 by Olivier Riviere, a Frenchman who makes his wine in Rioja from 70%Macabeo(Viura) and 30% Grenache Blanc with a creamy, rich mineral finish that shows off the terroir.

Will got a Shisho & Blackened Lime Kombucha!

VIII-Freshwater Northern Territory Croc Wrapped on a Branch with fermented honey garum(Tasmanian sea urchin bottarga), Geraldton Wax and Tree Green Ants(that lime!) was next was another tender novel meat served with Koshihkari super yeasty sake made in Melbourne and will got green tomato, strawberry gum, non-alcoholic sour beer!

IX-Tempura Perilla(miso-ish hibiscus) Leaves filled with Smoked Crocodile Rib & Sea Urchin was a sandwich with BBQ croc tempura and native finger lime also with the urhcin bottarga. Forget about any sandwich you have ever eaten--this WINS!

We say that alligator is like chicken, but croc is more like a meaty fish, but really has no comparison.Towels were provided after!

X-Kangaroo Chawanmushi, Native Cherry, Mango & Tarragon is the famous Korean custard on crack with flavors out of this world.  This and the next course were paired with Fleurie Origines 2021 from Gregoire Hoppenot was a brilliant Beaujolais Gamay pairing. Will had a raspberry, wattle seed coffee that was quite sweet. 

XI-Wagyu Glazed in Ants & Chilli on a hot rock was a load of fun with tender loin strips and all the condiments cooked on the rock with Japanese white oak and sorrell.

XII-School Prawns with pickled Kadaku Plum, Desert Lime, Oyster & Saltbush has us back with white wine in a Chenin Blanc 2022 old vine from Blewitt Springs in nearby Adelaide Hills/McLaren Vale. Will had apricot nectar with horseradish, pickled basil and seeds. School prawns are small shrimp that travel in giant schools, and these were served grilled in an oyster shell with a tomato/prawn hot sauce.

XIII-Marron(the local crayfish that is like a lobster) was cooked in Botanical leaves with Brown butter, Lemon Myrtle and Fermented Chilli Sauce and while Will got a Marigold Verjus that was sweet, I had the divine sparkling Deviation Road, 2018 Adelaide Hills which is 50% chard/50% pinot noir infused with botanicals from the garden and made exclusively for the restaurant and indeed this dish.

XIV-Saltbush Seed, Wattle Seed & Mountain Pepper Flatbread arrived next with 

XV-Clam butter & clam jam for the bread 

XVI-"one bite wonder" was Davidson Plum sorbet with Lemon Verbena with a casing or skin from the plum with mountain pepper that was quite leathery but fun.

XVII-was a super rich Bonito, cured Bush tomato, sunrise lime and Botanic reserve Beluga caviar that was paired with Tasmanian Freycinet 2021 sparkling while Will got Passionberry sherry that was sour, spicy and gingery!

XVIII- and 19 paired with Ngeringa 2021 Adelaide Hills "Iluma Vineyard" Syrah was smooth and delicious and with no acidity while Will had a Bunya Bloodline pine-roasted bitter orane/native thyme/beetroot drink. 

XVIIIB-Juniper Smoked Emu was with fermented Apricot & macadamia, and this was served with four surrounding dishes:

A-Warrigal Green, Kangaroo Caramel, Emu Liver & roasted kelp

C-tender Kangaroo barely cooked with Camel Hump Lardo

D-Maitake Mushroom cooked medium rare with black garlic was very soy-tasting.

E-Illawrra Plum rolled in Ants and Coriander that had an intense lime flavor from those ants!

Another multi-course arrived:

XIX-A-Mt. Gamba Muntari Sorbet & plum Granita with hint of native basil & hibiscus leaf

B-Jasmine with Strawberry Gum and a Bundle of Flowers(spoon)

C-Garden Tea and Graden Vodka drinks were paired as an herbal palate cleanser

XX-Fallen Bunya Branches were roasted with Native Thyme & Wattle Seed 

Lemaro Amare with caramelized lemon was for me and a Brulle bitter lemon for Will and I got the yummy Disznoko Takaji 2019 Late Harvest

XXI was a multitude of desserts:

A-Chocolate Covered Lemon Balm with Botanic Seed

B-Shitake Fudge with dried pickled mushroom--WAS THIS WEIRD

C-Kangaroo tendon with salted koji(caramel)

D-Quandong(local stone fruit) Brulee that was our fave dessert

E-Duck Egg & Blood Lime--a vanilla-like drink from the egg

F-the whole Finger Lime--cooked 7 hours with yogurt and quite bitter-limey

That's all folks and yes all the photos are on FB.

This definitely rates and one of the most unique and wonderful meals EVER!!

Bravo to the entire team!!

Adelaide's FISHBANK is fab for fish and more (2-8-24)

 Our next stop in Australia was Adelaide, South Australia and we chose FISHBANK, literally across the street from our hotel as the fish here is so amazing everywhere. FISHBANK is actually in an old, converted bank and has super high ceilings, creating large noise reverberation, but a fun setting with a huge open kitchen at the rear set up more like a bar and with a video screen some 30feet long above it with watery video features. There is a cute bar at the center surrounded by stools and many tables oddly some with nice white tablecloths and some without! Our table was next to a noisy woman, but she left soon, and we were fine. It is hard to avoid the noise din here. The chairs also come in two types, very comfy and horrid, the banquettes are fine though.

Will ordered a Negroni to start and I chose a carafe of Akishika Shuzo 888 Sake as I know we were ordering sashimi here for sure.

Adristi explained the menu and was most helpful and we decided to order in groups so all the food did not come out, that kind of made the meal longer and delayed as we waited a long time for her to return to take the second order because so many larger groups had arrived. 

We ordered the Kingfish Kombu Jime which is yellowtail sashimi marinated for 3 hours in seaweed and served with finger lime, Tasmanian wasabi and pickled ginger. The Fresh Tuna Loin came with the same condiments as well as soy sauce. The dishes were excellent and oh so fresh and tasty. We ordered a bottle of Yalumba 2021 "Samuel's Collection" Viognier from Eden Valley in South Australia which had some acidity and went superbly with all the fish. We moved on to oysters trying the famous briny Rock Oysters from Wapengo in New South Wales and comparing them to the local Pacific Coffin Bay from South Australia; the latter won as they were so rich and creamy! They came with a wonderful peppery mignonette as well as Nuoc Cham sauce which would have totally overpowered the yummy mollusks.

Will ordered a Sesame Prawn Toast (I tasted it) with sweet chili sauce that was delightful and very prawn tasting with lots of chunks in it. We then shared a superb novel dish called Whipped Scallop with Swordfish Biltong and Mushroom that was indeed a scallop mousse, if you will, that seemed to have no mushroom but was topped with dried swordfish slices that were amazing; someone has to package these!

We shared a superb dish called KFC-Korean Fried Cauliflower that also had pickled cauliflower and garlic butter and while a bit spicy was a perfect vegetable creation.

Will opted for a Tuna Slider with Smoked Bacon on a Toasted Brioche which I tasted and it was yummy but quite rich and I was getting full; he declared it delicious.

We shared a Citrus Tart with snap fruits and cultured cream for dessert and all the photos are on FB including those of the toilets in the vault below the bank!

Tonight is BOTANIC the dining experience considering one of the most exotic and finest in all Australia!!

--

Sydney's ARIA is simply awesome (2-7-24)

 Our last night in Sydney was another elegant space opposite the opera house and appropriately called ARIA. 

There are no more than two dozen tables in this small space surrounded by circular glass and very comfy leather seats overlooking the Sydney Opera and Harbour Bridge. We settled in with hickory smoked Patron silver  madecocktails with Ferrand dry Curaçao and black salt rims which packed a punch.

It turns out the sommelier Kyle comes from the Bronx, and he gave us magnificent suggestions. Our white was a Yangarra Roux Beaute from the Claire Valley made from Rousanne and offered a creamy mineral finish. The half bottle of Ati Rangi Crimson 2022 Pinot Noir from Marlborough in New Zealand needed bit more heft for our duck course...we shall stay with Australian wines from now on.

Since we had had such a large lunch, we opted to not take the tasting menu and instead had the a la carte four course meal which was still a huge event that lasted 3-1/2 hours! Our tastes are so similar that we both chose virtually all the same courses.

Amuses arrived in the form of a gougères smothered with gruyere cheese, but they were oddly room temperature. The duck liver parfait was divine, but odd that they said it had cranberry after just asking us if we had allergies and told them we avoid grapefruit, cranberry and licorice!!

Our first course was a divine K'gari Spinner Crab with tomato, fermented chili consommé poured tableside and yummy green strawberries. The broth had a slight spice to it and the entire dish was truly wonderful. We get very spoiled with the best crab in the world from Maryland, but this was pretty damn good stuff.

Parker house rolls from Sonoma bakery(outside Sydney, not California!) arrived warm with cultured butter and a decadent kombi-chicken jus butter that I wanted to take home!

Our server Giovanni was from Napoli and he also was super helpful and Kyle kept checking in to make sure we were happy and the wine was poured.  Coral Prawn Ravioli with Tarragon, Lemon and Espalette was served by one of the chefs and will pinned his southern UK accent within miles. He poured the rich Sauce Americaine which was a decadent lobster reduction made with a hint of crime fraiche. Not only were the raviolis stuffed with huge chunks of amazingly tasty prawn but also there were five or six pieces of prawn in the dish itself around the ravioli and in the gorgeous sauce.  Luckily there was one roll left to finish off the superb sauce!

Our main course was the crispiest and most flavorful Maremma(named for the dogs that herd them) duck aged 14 days and served with Cavallo Nero or Tuscan kale, Wit-Lof, which is the local name for endive, which was  stuffed with duck confit and the dish was topped of with cherries and cherry gel. An onion purée rounded out this amazing dish that was one of the best ducks ever.

Since I wanted to try the cheese course for dessert, we decided to split that first and it came with a nutty Crunchy dry cheddar, as well as a cheese called Holy Goat LaLuna which was gooey and heavenly,  a Long Paddock blue as well as a wash rind cheese that was so fabulous I wrote the name down to try and find it again-- Woombye from South Queensland. This was our first really fabulous Australian cheese plate and it came with honeycomb, Pickled figs, Calvados infused apricots and flatbread.

 A pre-dessert arrived first in the form of strawberry sorbet olive oil coconut cream and lemon curd which was a great palate cleanser.

We split the desert as well, which was a Chocolate Mousse cake with chocolate ice cream, Caramel Passion fruit gel and Valhrona cocoa crumble.

We loved every bite of this our last meal in Sydney until we return in a month on the cruise..off to Adelaide next.

Shangri-La's ALTITUDE in Sydney will take you to new heights (2-7-24)

 Yesterday afternoon for lunch the sales manager of the Shangri-La hotel invited us to the 36th floor, the top floor of the magnificent Shangri-La Hotel where we were staying all week ,for a fabulous lunch which is served in Altitude with magnificent sweeping views over the entire City and Sydney Harbour. While our suite was 2 floors below and the views were similar, there was no way we could cook up a magnificent meal like the team at ALTITUDE did.

The lunch and dinner menu here is quite varied with many options from a la carte to tasting and set courses, so I thought I was being smart by just asking for two small dishes and started with a magnificent Wagyu Pastrami MBS 6+( which stands for the marbling level here in Australia). It was served with textures of corn, a rouille saffron crisp, orange, almond and basil oil. What a treat, and the meat was as lean as it gets with magnificent marbling, but not really fat, The wine was a 2022 Riesling from Frankland Estate in Western Australia called "Isolation Ridge" which we fell in love with up in Uluru.

My next course was a super tender Kangaroo Tatami with Cultured Yogurt and Lemon Leaf, Kutjera Bush Tomato Chutney, BBQ kohlrabi, macadamia nuts and Nasturtium leaves that just melted in my mouth. The chutney using the amazing local bush tomatoes was miraculous. A magnificent 2015 Torbreck(we shall visit the winery this weekend!) "Descendant" Shiraz from Barossa was awesome.

Will started with the Roasted Cauliflower and Turnip with Za'atar, almond, pomegranate, capers and green herb vinaigrette and finished with the same pastrami I started with. Fasi, our supreme host, had the tuna tartare and sirloin.

It was a wonderful meal but way too much food for the middle of the day and we  tried to hike it off at the Australian Museum!

Sydney's FISH at the ROCKS is a tad on the rocks (2-4-24)

 Back in Syndey after a full day hiking through and exploring the magnificent Blue Mountains to the west with our super guide Norman we were pretty hungry and headed around the corner for some fresh fish at FISH AT THE ROCKS. It's a small unassuming place with maybe twenty tables. The woman at the counter asked if we had a reservation and we did, but she could not find it. I looked at the computer and saw Will's name mispelled(Stephenson) as well as 745pm, not 7pm. They seated us and we noticed the couple behind us said they had a reservation as well and nobody could find it; they were finally seated after she produced the email confirmation. It was confusing.

We ordered a bottle of Vasse Felix Premier 2022 Chardonnay from the Margaret River region in Western Australia which we had up north and loved its nice acidity and slightly oaky flavor. We had questions on the menu, but the woman who was serving seemed confused. We finally asked where she was from, and it turned out she was French from the Alps and had only worked there for a couple of weeks. 

We got some answers from the woman who seemed to be in charge and ordered. Will did not choose as well as I did, and while the food was very good for me, his was just okay. My starter was Queensland Panko-crusted Crab Cakes with a Gochujang Mayo (more of that would have been nice) which came with a julienne salad which was basically 2 tablespoons of slaw. The crab cakes are a tad creamier here than what we like at home, but were quite tasty. Will had the Crab & Prawn Spring Rolls with Asian Slaw(same as me, but a tad more) and a Nuoc Nam(fish) dipping sauce, which again there could have been more of. we noticed the starters (called entrees here) run in the 20$AUD(about $15-18US) and mains are only a tad more at $30-45AUD($20-30US). 

Will's main was Fish & Chips made with local Flathead, beer batter chips(fries) and Lemon Tartare Sauce. He was hoping for those thick cut UK-style chips which did not come and he said the fish had too much batter and did not live up to UK standards.

My BBQ'd Moreton Bay Bugs (I had to enquire as to what these were) were fabulous. These specialties are somewhere between a giant prawn and lobster tail and came with a kick ass XO dipping sauce and a nice-sized Greek salad on the side. I would order these delicacies again anywhere, even at the $90AUD($60US) price as it is more than a full-size lobster as I got 7 of these yummy bugs! I let Will finish the Chard and had a glass of Ponting 127 Shiraz 2021 from Barossa as my dish was quite strong and these guys stood up well to a big red with that XO sauce.

We were full and exhausted so headed back to our suite with no dessert.

Sydney's QUAY comes up with views, consummate cuisine and wins (2-4-24

 Back in Sydney after our treks to the outback and rainforest, we settled into our magnificent suite overlooking the city and headed just down the block for dinner to QUAY which sits in the cruise terminal at the very end overlooking the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and Walsh Bay. We were in heaven with the view and when our server Aynsley explained the menu we locked into a tasting menu(there are two choices) that was shorter, but ended up adding the cheese course and paired Australian sommelier wines for each course. It was an amazing journey that Chef Peter Gilmore and hi team took us through touching on all local ingredients that never stopped delighting and tantalizing our tastes buds.

Amuses arrived in the form of two unique treats: A Kombu seaweed tarte with creme fraiche and caviar and a totally wild Salted Savory Whit Chocolate "snail shape" filled with Oyster Cream and caviar!! Our mouths were in heaven.

Our first wine was Western Asutralia Frankland Estate 2011 Riesling "Isolation Ridge" from the Frankland River region that we never heard of. It had intense mineral and limestone taste and was as dry as can be and paired amazingly with our first course of Wild Tasmanian Blacklip Abalone, Young Bamboo, raw Aborlhos Island(extreme western Australia NW of Perth) scallops with seaweed and aged vinegar. This dish was all about the fish and featured the abalone and scallop brilliantly (unlike the same scallop we ha the week before smothered in lamb ragu!).

Our second wine was richer, but with an acidity to cut the food that worked as well: Cirillo Semillion 2019 from Barossa (where we head this weekend!) "Ancestor Vine 1850." The second course was Smoked Eel Cream with Sea Cucumber Crackling, Murray cod roe and flowers and the richness of the dish needed the wine indeed. (all photos on FB!!)

Course #3 was a "bonus" not on the menu of gorgeous crumpets (think English muffin on crack_ with a decadent truffle butter...then towels came to wipe our fingers! It was served with a Junmai Sake Kirei 92 from Hiroshima that we loved, but could have been a tad colder.

Course #4 was Southern Squid with Pipis(a local barnacle-like animaL0, Chrysanthemum buds, Barletta onion, Hispi(cabbage) stems, boiled pin-striped peanuts(the chef brought these from Brazil and grows them here), Umami Custard (made from shitakes), Shmaltz(YES!!) and Garum(fermented anchovy). We adored the Southern Australia Sauvignon Blanc from Terre a Terre (owned by French champagne-maker Bollinger!) 2012 which may be old but drank like a dream.

Native freshwater Marron is a local shellfish akin to crayfish and came with Bone Marrow Pasta, Summer Squash and Fresh Peita, It had a great lemony flavor and was paired with Solero No. 2 Wild Savagnin(another new grape) from Yarra Valley.

Our main course(no photo) was New South Wales 7-day aged pasture raised Duck with roasted lettuce, black garlic, Agretti(an unctuous saltwort!!) and it was paired with Murry River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 from Voyager Estate.

Our cheese course was totally wild and was paired with Yangarra Shoraz 2015 from McLaren Vale, but we were totally confused by the description, taste and presentation. Very outre indeed. One was a goat with walnuts, the other a kind of cheese layered Napoleon.

Dessert was a gorgeous presentation of White Coral made from lychee, rose, vanilla and nectarine and was paired with Chalmers 2021 Moscato Giallo "Appasiamento" from Heathook in Victoria.

What a night!!

More treats came as we wobbled home up the hill to our hotel.