Western Australia Road Trip - Margaret River Part I
We planned a weekend trip to Margaret River since my partner's family was here for a visit. In Western Australia, when you mention Margaret River you will immediately think of the famous HUGE wineries, the margaret river chocolate factory, never ending roads with breathtaking views,whale watching, multi-million dollar beach houses that you can stay in for the weekend, fine dining and lots of food!
Our first stop was Flutes Restaurant.
We ordered a plate of garlic bread for starters, and lemon lime bitters (nice drink made of lemonade, lime juice and bitters which is slightly alcoholic. very addictive drink and it is popular in australia)
The restaurant is located by the lake and it is surrounded by greenery and colourful flowers. The restaurant is well-lit by natural sunlight and it feels so relaxing and romantic to dine here.
This was my order:
Seafood Plate - $38
Wonton wrapped tiger prawns with nam jim. Gratin of fennel seafood mornay with croutes. Seared scallops with Japanese baby octopus. Salt & pepper squid with preserved lemon aioli
yummy yummy yummy. the flavours go so well together, and the gratin was really good with a nice seafood taste. I love the scallops which tasted very fresh and refreshing. The presentation was spectacular and made my meal so enjoyable
Duck Breast - $35, on a wild mushroom risotto cake, pea fondant & bloody orange glaze.
Peking Duck & Mushroom Spring Rolls - $18
Fish of the day - $36
everyone was very happy with their meals. The duck was soft and the risotto under the duck was delicious. Fish was cooked to perfection with a nice citrus based sauce that went very well with the fish. The spring rolls were yummy too but it paled in comparison to the others. I always think presentation is very important as you will be impressed (therefore bias) before you start eating. There must be so much thought and effort put into each of these dishes both for taste and presentation.
Lamb Shank - $36
Slow braised with preserved lemon couscous, blistered cherry tomato, caperberries, olives, capers, confit of garlic, finished with rosemary lamb jus.
The Lamb Shank might have been the winner of the day. The meat was roasted till it was soooo soft and tender. It's so tender it can almost melt in your mouth. It was served on a bed of couscous but the couscous did not go very well with the lamb as it lacked flavour. However, the very wonderful lamb shank made up for everything. YUMMY!
Dessert - Creme Caramel and Sticky Date Pudding
There is always room for desserts and coffee is a must especially when I am surrounded by the beautiful scenery. The sticky date pudding was moist, warm and perfect. I love how sweet it us, it was drenched with a sticky toffee/caramel sauce, yummo! The Creme Caramel was good too, flavour was just right (not too sweet) and it was a perfect compliment to my coffee!
Stay tuned for Part II and Part III.
For more photos please visit my food blog here