Every year in late November, thousands of people make the annual pilgrimage down to the ever beautiful Margaret River for Gourmet Escape. It's an amazing three days of food and drink events that celebrate a variety of awe-inspiring chefs, restaurants and produce. It's also been the bane of my existence because every year when Gourmet Escape rolls around, I seem to have a wedding of someone I love too much to even consider missing the celebrations for. But this year was our year!
Leading up to Gourmet Escape the boy and I were umming and ahhing over whether to go. We knew he had work on Saturday and Sunday for St Johns, so if we went down it would be a whirlwind trip. But then I received an invitation to attend the Breville Food for Thought session at Voyager Estate on the Friday... the event being Welcome to Planet Heston. Like all people I know, I'm a little obsessed with Heston Blumenthal so I jumped at the chance. Confirming my attendance I was also kindly given passes to the other Food for Thought session that Friday - Grow It, Cook It, Eat It. I was excited!
Since the boy and I were only able to partake in the Friday festivities, we decided to stay the night down in Margaret River on Thursday, splurging on a beautiful hideaway spot called Losari Retreat. It came highly recommended by a friend and as soon as we arrived, I could see why. I've included some photos below of our private cabin which had a perfect view of a lake, and a hot spa to relax in and really take in the beauty of this region. We've made a promise to one another that we'll be returning to stay here for a longer trip next year - it was perfect!
Margaret River is such an exciting area, one that Western Australians are so sublimely proud of - and with good reason. There's the wine, the cheese, the fudge, even great meats. There's so much wonderful produce, which shows why it's the perfect landscape for Gourmet Escape. But going down for one night only is a difficult feat as there's also plenty of highly rated restaurants and when you know you're only going to have one dinner, it makes it hard to choose!
I'd narrowed it down to Morries Anytime and Muster (part of the Must Wine group), but after speaking with fellow blogger Perth Munchkin, we decided to go with Morries. It seems like our decision was echoed after our hosts at Losari Retreat also recommending Morries and providing us with 10% discount cards. My tummy was rumbling non-stop after the drive down so I was elated that dinner finally arrived and we drove into town.
The sun set soon after we arrived and the restaurant became low lit and intimate, with the staff all bubbly and helpful - I have to say the service was impeccable the entire time we were there! While looking over the menu, we start off the night with a drink each. The boy opts for a beautiful Merlot while I choose a light cocktail that's creamy, sweet and just the right thing to perk me up after the drive. Yummy!
Looking at the menu there's some really exciting dishes to choose from. There's a selection of tapas if share dining is your thing, plus some mains if you prefer a more traditional eating style. While normally I'm all about tapas, the mains sound too good to pass on so we decide to each order a tapas dish for entree and follow it up with a larger dish.
For his entree, the boy chooses the tataki kangaroo with pickled pumpkin, soy and ginger dressing, garlic chips and micro coriander ($14.00). I'm so glad he did because I was eying that dish on the menu too - I was really interested by the Japanese flavouring with Australian protein. Kangaroo properly cooked can be a real treat, but it can also dry out really easily so all eyes were on Jeremy's dish when it landed on the table.
The kangaroo is seared lightly on the edges; the flavour rich and robust. I love the slightly sour dressing and pumpkin which is very, very moorish. The garlic chips and micro coriander is also vital in the dish as their punchy flavours cut through the others and balance all ingredients.
My dish choice of beetroot cured salmon came with compressed cucumber, beetroot gel, 64 degree egg, orange oil, micro beet leaves and crisp ciabatta ($15.00). Again, like the boy's beautiful dish, this one had a strong Japanese influence, and presented beautifully on the plate.
The soft, oily salmon is bright in colour, sitting atop of beetroot. It's really unctuous and delicate, working well with the cool cucumber squares which pop in my mouth. I do wish I'd stopped to show you the glorious yolky centre but I was too occupied by eating! I am currently obsessed with slow cooked eggs, so whenever I see them on the menu I tend to choose that dish - and as usual, it didn't disappoint. I love how this dish is really a celebration of colour and flavour on a plate, with contrasting textures.
Choosing his main was an easy feat for the boy, with his eye immediately drawn to the mushroom, goats cheese and chive agnolotti with pickled pumpkin, sautéed kale, smoked pumpkin puree and micro rocket ($31.00).
While I'm surprised he's chosen a vegetarian dish, one bite and I can see why. It's extremely intricate in it's layers of flavour from the meaty mushroom, the creamy cheese, the sour and smokey pumpkin elements and the rich kale. It's so flavourful and hearty, and the pasta is cooked perfectly al dente. It's also rolled so thin you can see the dark filling bulging beneath the surface. I haven't had pasta that good in a really long time.
My main is the special of the day - confit rabbit with gnocchi, mushroom, kale, micro herbs and a herb and sherry cream sauce. Predictably when I heard 'gnocchi' I was pretty much sold - but I also really enjoy rabbit when it's cooked properly so I was eager to try Morries version.
As soon as it hit my table I knew I would love it. The hearty aroma was mouthwatering, and I could see that the rabbit looked juicy and tender without having dried up. One bite and that confirmed it - it was perfect. While there were a couple bones left in the meat I discovered as I made my way through the dish, that didn't change my adoration in the slightest. It was comfort food at a restaurant level, with the little pillowy gnocchi soft and toothsome, the mushrooms retaining a little bite and the sauce rich. I really, really liked this dish which might look humble but really was so impressive!
Feeling quite sated, the boy and I are still happy to peruse the dessert options for that evening. There's four different desserts to choose from on the menu, plus they have a special tasting plate ($31.00) which is a share dessert. We decide to go with that option and soon enough a giant plate comes our way laden with three different desserts.
We start off with the lemongrass parfait which comes with finely diced cooked pineapple and a crumbly biscuit to scoop up the soft ice-cream. It's so tasty and definitely my favourite on the plate, with the flavour screaming off the tropics, and it having the right cream vs sugar ratio to allow you to eat away easily. I love having the slices of strawberries on the side to scoop in for some added zing.
The lemon tart with stewed rhubarb and raspberry sorbet looks a treat! The sorbet is vibrant in colour and flavour, and the tart has a nice crumbly crust with a barely set centre. We need to move quick as the sorbet starts melting pretty quick!
The kaffir lime creme brûlée comes out with a coconut cake and coconut sorbet that is white as snow. The creme brûlée has that oh so satisfying toffee layer that cracks when my spoon forces it's way through, and the flavour of the lime is strong without overpowering. This is definitely the silkiest custard I've ever eaten too! The coconut cake and sorbet are also very enjoyable, though coconut is not one of my favourite flavours so I mainly leave this one up to the boy who's all to happy to finish it for me.
I have to say, Morries Anytime really blew me away. It was the perfect place to start our mini getaway and I actually wouldn't have changed a thing from our dinner there. I'll be making sure I come back next time I'm in Margaret River for sure!
The next day we arrived at Voyager Estate bright eyed and bushy tailed. We'd had the most relaxing evening after dinner at Morries, taking advantage of the lake view from our hot spa which was so restorative and lovely. Checking out earlyish we explored the area, driving out to different local shops to do some retail therapy. We fell in love with one store in Witchcliffe that specialised in homemade candles and repurposed wine barrels - we may have purchased a few too many things there!
Soon enough the time came for us to make our way to Breville's Food for Thought session, Welcome to Planet Heston. It was slightly overcast but the air was warm enough and there were definitely flies hanging around. I soon learned there was no escaping them throughout the day!
As we walked onto the grounds and through the archway I may have given a little fan girl squeal. Heston Blumenthal was standing right next to me! While I would have loved to bend his ear and chat, he was deeply engrossed in conversation with one of the organisers of the event so I made my way in, picking up a glass of Voyager Estate's 2011 Girt by Sea Cabernet Merlot on the way in.
We're seated at the media table, which is decorated just like the others with long plates of handmade chocolate truffles, and beautiful roses from the grounds themselves in pretty test-tube holders. The stage and marquee are quite striking - simple but elegant. I love the greenery that's threaded through the sign on the stage, and the gold chandeliers swinging in the wind from the marquee. It's so bright and airy and I know I'm really going to enjoy sitting back and listening to our hosts for this first session, renowned food writer A A Gill and Heston.
The Thai sesame chicken salad is a cool mouthful that's pleasant and fresh. I would have loved the sesame flavour to be pumped up a bit more as Thai cooking is usually a bit more punchy and zingy, but nonetheless I do enjoy this canapé and am happy to accept another to much away at.
The buckwheat blini with horseradish creme fraiche, smoked salmon, salmon roe and dill is definitely my favourite of the canapés. It's soft and sweet, with just the right amount of creaminess to balance out the oiliness of the fish. I love salmon roe so enjoy the little pops of juice that flood out as you bite down. So good!
The talk itself was a very entertaining hour and a half. A A Gill was an absolute riot, and you can see that he and Heston have a really long standing history so they kept each other amused, energetic and engaging. Tackling all things Heston made for an interesting session as we learned all about what makes this scientist cross chef tick.
Hearing the stories of how he immersed himself into discovering why certain foods have certain reactions when cooked, pickled, adjusted etc was a great back story, as was the tale of how the Fat Duck came about. I had such a great time, and really found myself trying to mentally file away all the facts and stories he shared with us. It was amazing to get to know the man behind the household name.
Finishing up at our first Food for Thought session for the day, we had an hour and a half to kill before the next. So the boy and I piled back into the car and headed back towards town to purchase some locally produced goods like olive oil, skin care products and of course fudge. There's no getting past the deliciously addictive Margaret River fudge. We bought ALOT of it!
The next Food for Thought (also at Voyager Estate) was called Grow It, Cook It, Eat It and featured an illustrious group of speakers. Matt Preston was the MC and posed a series of questions to famed Australian chefs Peter Gilmore, Darren Robertson and Matt Wilkinson.
This session featured a different selection of food than the first, and I can say I loved the afternoon bites much more - they really hit the spot!
I start off with the Voyager Estate lamb slider to accompany another glass of Merlot. The wine is really delicious, I've made a mental note to pick some up next time I'd like a tasty red. The slider is also wonderful - soft, buttery brioche encasing tender lamb, relish and crispy cos lettuce.
The mushroom arancini is hot and perfectly crisp - sitting in a nice pool of creamy aioli. There's something so moorish about a great arancini, that lovely balance of the fried outside crumb with the soft rice inside. The flavour of the mushroom is strong, and there's a good kick of what I think was gruyere cheese inside. Just what you need to munch on with wine!
The lime and chilli barbecued prawn is the star on the plate, though it is tough competition. First of all, it's giant and utterly juicy. The flavouring is mild but I think that's for the best in this instance as it really allows the produce to shine. I just wish we could have had a few more of these - they were so good!
We finish off our savoury items with some freshly made turkish delight. I've had some good turkish delight in the past but also some very bad - so bad that it actually turned me off this treat for some time. I bit into the Voyager Estate version tentatively and then a big smile broke across my face - it was really, really yummy. Soft, lightly flavoured with rose and just sweet enough to cleanse your palate after the hot food.
This talk was just as interesting as the first. Centred mainly around sustainability in sourcing produce, having transparency in knowing where your food comes from and working with local growers to ensure that the farmers and chefs are both collaborating and supporting one another.
I'm a huge fan of Matt Wilkinson and so I really enjoyed hearing his thoughts on this new trendy wave of 'kitchen gardens' and also just how he likes to work with growers to allow their produce to shine. I have to say, these two Food for Thought sessions really were worth driving down to Margaret River for!
I had just the best time for my small glimpse of Gourmet Escape and am really looking forward to coming back next year for the full weekend. Hopefully there won't be another wedding to disrupt my plan of returning! A big thank you to Bright Communications for extending the offer to attend, and for organising my media passes. The boy and I took a leisurely drive back up to Perth feeling restored and relaxed, and stopping off at different points to stock up on cheese of course.
Your accommodation looks so lovely!! I can imagine that fire and spa being so cosy in winter. The food for thought events sound really interesting - I would have loved to catch A.A Gill while we were down there.
ReplyDeleteIt was gorgeous - I'm dying to go back already! A A Gill was hilarious, such a cheeky trouble maker but in the best possible way.
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