Edible Posts: tourist

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Friday, April 27, 2018

Miss Marple's Tearoom

With just a week to spend in the Melbourne Autumn, I had to get out of the city and into the Dandenong Ranges. After an ambitious climb up the (I say ambitious because it's been at least 5 years since I last went up them), we made the short trip over to Sassafras for a return visit to Miss Marple's Tearoom.

As before, it struck me how quaint the tearoom is, how busy it is (we were lucky to snag a table for two straight away even though we only arrived 30 minutes after opening), and how eye-watering the prices were. But you go in knowing what to expect, which is all of the above.

To start things off, we had a pot of the Yorkshire Gold tea.

Yorkshire Gold Tea

I'm not entirely sure that I would call this the "best cup of tea in England", but it certainly was pretty good. With the requisite milk of course.

From there, we moved onto a few dishes to share.

Soup of the Day (Cream of Broccoli) & Pimlico Pastie

First up, the soup of the day. On the day of our visit, it was a Cream of Broccoli rendition, that was silky, rich, and was obviously made with extremely fresh produce. Indulgent while feeling healthy at the same time, this was accompanied by slightly salty, freshly baked bread.

We also ordered the Pimlico Pastie. The accompanying salad was nothing to get excited about, but the large-sized pastie itself had a wonderfully buttery pastry and filled with a soothing variety of vegetables (including onion, celery, and potato if my memory serves me). At $17, it's pretty expensively priced, but you pay for the venue and atmosphere as much the food itself.

To finish, of course we had the Devonshire Scones.

Devonshire Scones with Raspberry Jam & Cream

Far from traditional, these rectangular, mostly-crustless scones were light, but incredibly filling. After trying both cream first (Devonshire) and jam first (Cornwall) methods, we decided the best construction came from the jam first method - sorry Devonshire.

Miss Marple's Tearoom is decidedly a tourist destination, and one you would be advised to try and visit shortly after opening to have the best chance of getting seated without a wait. The food servings are generous, but pricey. And while you don't have to, I recommend getting the Devonshire Scones (their star menu item after all).

Which has left me a craving for these scones all the way over the ocean in the USA. Time to track down a recipe...

Miss Marple's Tearoom

Mon - Fri 11:00am - 4:00pm, Sat - Sun 11:00am - 4:30pm

Monday, July 31, 2017

20 Eiffel

I was lucky enough to spend my birthday in Paris (!) and we decided to spend my birthday dinner in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Bib Gourmand rated 20 Eiffel did not disappoint. While it was filled with tourists, it was far from a tourist trap, with delicious, well-thought out food, at reasonable prices, served with efficiency and a smile. What else could you ask for.

We went for the three course menu (32€) available for lunch and dinner. There's also a two course menu (24€) available for lunch only that also seemed like great value.

Of course, whatever money we might have saved was cheekily spent on wine: two glasses of celebratory champagne, and this bottle of gorgeous, rich Bordeaux.

Chateau Malescasse Haut Medoc

We were seriously impressed by this bottle. It was fruity, fresh, and rich, full of sweetness but with depth.

But onto the food.

Being in France, I chose the escargot (sea snail) with chorizo mousse dish as my starter.

Poêlée d'escargots décoquillés, mousse de chorizo

The snails had a meaty texture and were accompanied by a silky broth full of sweetness and umami. Definitely a great way to start a meal.

M chose something lighter:

Saumon mariné, granité de concombre

Salmon with cucumber granita I believe. I tasted a small bit of the salmon and it was delicate and oh so slightly cured so that the flavor really shone through. Fresh and luxurious.

Tender duck with cherries was on the menu for my main.

Filet de canette aux cerises

The duck was medium-rare and moderately game-y, nicely fatty and juicy, and oh-so-tender. The skin wasn't quite as crispy as I hoped, but really now I'm just being picky. The cherries were ripe and syrupy, cutting through the richness of the duck with ease.

M chose the fillet of veal with mashed peas.

Filet mignon de veau, purée de petit pois à la sarriette

Simple, elegant, and cooked to medium-rare perfection. Somewhat humble but impressive at the same time.

Dessert was an amusing affair - our reservation had not mentioned who's birthday it was, so both birthdays came out with candles. More wishes for me then right?

Fraises, crème légère à la violette et meringue

I had a elegant little strawberry pot and violet tinged cream and meringue. Elegant and a satisfyingly sweet note to end the stellar.

While I've never tried making a souffle, I don't think I have the courage to try. I've heard such horror stories, but then again, that never stopped me from attempting to make macarons (and failing multiple times).

Soufflé au parfum du jour

No such drama with M's apricot flavored souffle. Light and fluffy, it wasn't too fruity, and once again was an elegant end.

Which is about how I'd sum up the entire experience: simple, elegant, and well-crafted. Reasonably priced, great service, and in a desirable location. What's not to love? Take me back to Paris please.

Eiffel Tower

20 Eiffel
, , France
Mon - Sat 12:00pm - 2:00pm, 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Barcelona and San Sebastian

We recently took a week-long holiday in Spain, spending 3 days in Barcelona and a day in San Sebastian, eating and drinking our way around the cities.

All I can really say that it's hard to go wrong with the food. Some places we went were more tourist-y than others, but all in all, the food was spectacular. As it stands, this will mainly be a photo only post because 1) as I said, there are so many places that serve great food and 2) I was somewhat tipsy for most of the trip so actually remembering where we went and what we ordered (especially in San Sebastian) proved a little difficult.