The Royal Mail Hotel

Dunkeld

Scoring three hats is no small feat in Australia’s culinary scene. In fact, only four Victorian restaurants have managed to achieve this coveted rating: Melbourne’s Vue de Monde, Attica and Jacques Reymond continue to impress urban gourmands, while the fourth, the Royal Mail Hotel in the state’s west, attracts diners searching for a different kind of gastronomic adventure.  And they’re prepared to travel overland for it.  Executive chef Dan Hunter has taken a humble dining room at the Royal Mail Hotel to The Age Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year 2011 in just four years, and this year took home the Guide’s Chef of the Year award. So, given all this, it’s safe to say that we are more than thrilled to be setting off to Dunkeld for a weekend of nothing but amazing food, wine … and perhaps a little walking.

After an easy three-hour drive we arrive in Dunkeld, the gateway to the Grampians.  The town itself is tiny – no more than 600 residents –but it oozes charm and offers picture-perfect views of Mt Sturgeon. We check into our room at the Royal Mail Hotel then take a quick walk in the crisp country air before settling in by the fire with a glass of wine. Before we know it, the moment we’ve been waiting for has arrived:  a 10-course degustation dinner at the hotel restaurant!

The service is impeccable; from the moment we walk in, we are guided to our table and presented with water, napkins, menus and bread – performed as an elegant, seamless dance by the waiters. We decide against the matched wine option and instead order a bottle of chardonnay, which is quickly fetched from the cellar, brought to room temperature (and here I am putting my white in the freezer to get that extra chill!) and poured into beautiful large Riedel chardonnay glasses. 

The freshly baked sourdough rolls and homemade smoked butter is our first insight into the treats that lay ahead.  This butter is just divine, the salty smokiness is simply moreish and as I apply and extra layer after layer I erases all thoughts of calorie counting this evening!

 The act of receiving each course is a work of art in itself. Two waiters swiftly collect a plate each from the pass and take their place beside you; once the plate has been served, one waiter will retreat, leaving the more senior of the two to describe the dish you are about to eat. And so we begin…

1.       rice paper, finger lime and salmon roe; rainbow trout, coffee, black treacle;
      chicken crisp

2.       tomato and prawn, cinnamon basil, daikon ice

3.       pancetta and spanner crab, rye cream, candied radish

4.       egg yolk and new potatoes, salt cod, fish crackling

5.       sand flathead and tomatillo, mustard, toasted nori

6.       eel and bone marrow, eggplant, pickled vegetables

7.       pigeon, salsify and medlar, cabbage braised in pecorino

8.       fallen fruit – apple, almond, caramel, chamomile

9.       burnt plum, pumpkin and aniseed

10.   pistachio, hazelnut, honeycomb, chocolate

Top thee dishes:

3. Course eight: fallen fruit – apple, almond, caramel, chamomile

A beautiful dish not only on the plate but also the palette. A small poached and semi-dried apple filled with almond cream sits on a bed of caramel, surrounded by wafer-thin pastry crisps. Taken all together, it’s like the best homemade apple pie you’ve ever tasted!

2. Course four: egg yolk and new potatoes, salt cod, fish crackling

WOW. The yolk is served whole, perched on top of the soft potato and cod and garnished with lovely salty fish crackling. I slice open the yolk with my knife and the warm golden liquid covers the bowl. Each mouthful is rich, soft and creamy with a added little crunch from the crackling.

1. Course ten: pistachio, hazelnut, honeycomb, chocolate

AMAZING. For the committed sweet tooth, this is it; the ultimate dessert. Hazelnut mousse –lighter-than-air yet densely velvety, all in one contradictory mouthful – and luscious chocolate ice cream sprinkled with chunks of honeycomb and pistachio … it really is the perfect end to what has been an extraordinary culinary adventure.

A new experience: Course two: tomato and prawn, cinnamon basil, daikon ice

To me this dish epitomises gastronomy in my mind. The unique combination of textures – raw prawn flesh and ice shavings – is one I find a little challenging and, while the flavour is fresh, clean and intriguing, I cannot decide if I am in fact in love with or have perhaps fallen out with this dish. 

Not to my taste: Course six: eel and bone marrow, eggplant, pickled vegetables

One of the stranger dishes on tonight’s menu and, although I enjoyed the flavours, I found the texture of both the eel and the bone marrow slightly off-putting. The bone marrow is so rich that you only need the slightest amount; I found it quite overpowering and a little sickly.

As our long evening of decadence draws to a close, I reflected on the service, which is second-to-none, and the technical precision in the open kitchen that turns out edible works of art crafted from local produce and highlighting the best of the region. The restaurant itself, however, is a little on the stuffy side – so quiet that you find yourself whispering to each other and, despite the prestige of the restaurant, there is no real demarcation  between it and the bistro directly next door, other than a change in floor covering.

As we head out into the cold country air and begin strolling the 50m to our hotel room, I am in blissful awe of Dunkeld and the little food mecca that is the Royal Mail Hotel. 

18 O’s out of 20

Señoritas

16 Meyers Place, Melbourne

I am instantly intrigued: the neon street sign invites me in and promises to take me on a journey away from the laneways of Melbourne to the madness that is Mexico City.

And madness is certainly a word I would use to describe Señoritas: the restaurant is dimly lit, though the space is alive with colour; gothic artworks and Mexican religious iconography create a strong sense of light verses dark.  This unique interior has been created by Melbourne interior design consultancy Lombard & Jack, who have taken inspiration from the Mexican tradition of “Dia de Muertos” (Day of Dead) and pays homage to Mexican women and their iconic status. The space is fresh, modern and exciting and I can’t wait to see where this journey will take me tonight.

Head chef Hugo Reyes has designed a menu that is both authentic to his Mexican heritage, selecting traditional dishes from the Oaxaca and the Yucatan Peninsula regions, and contemporary to modern food trends. Seated, with wine in hand, we make our first order of the evening:  corn sautéed with onion and epazote (a Mexican herb), served with mayonnaise, queso fresco, chile piquin and lime, and two thick (but tiny) hand-made tortillas topped with poached duck, tamarind mole sauce and queso fresco. Unlike the corn at nearby rival Mamasita, it is not served on the cob; this time the kernels have been removed then seasoned with the tongue-tingling herb, but the flavour is essentially the same: yum! The home-made tortillas are great, thick and well seasoned and a perfect introduction to the tacos we are about to order.

Our tacos arrive one by one: grilled prawn with black refried beans, fresh tomato, avocado, chipotle mayonnaise and Mexican rice; slow-roasted Mexican-style pork with pickled onions and habaňero salsa; and, my personal favourite, confit of hapuka fish with Spanish onion, guacamole, coriander and fresh lime. Although it sounds like a lot, the portions are very small – not your everyday stand-and-stuff from mean Old El Paso. The flavours are there but, unlike other regional cuisines such as Thai or Vietnamese, they do not burst into life; they are far more subtle. But bland, no.

For our last dish of the day we opt for the free-range chicken breast with mole poblano, Mexican rice, refried beans and a cheese and sesame wafer. Mole poblano is a traditional Mexican sauce made from a stunning 20 ingredients, including chocolate and a variety of chillies.  Despite this, the dish is neither overly spicy nor sweet. The sauce, however, is very strong in flavour and I can imagine it may not be for everyone. I certainly enjoyed it –and, mixed with the chicken and Mexican rice, it was a great way to end the evening.

I pause for a moment to take in the eclectic restaurant around me, now full of diners enjoying a small taste of Mexico, and, although I have never visited the region, I can’t help but feel that Señoritas has really captured the essence of that enchanting city.  

Rated 14.5 O's out of 20

San Telmo

14 Meyers Place, Melbourne

In the last six months, Myers Place – a quiet, unassuming Melbourne laneway – has burst into life with the addition of three new restaurants, each bidding for a place in Melbourne’s dynamic dining scene.

Tonight we have opted for San Telmo, an Argentinian parrilla named after one of the barrios (neighbourhoods) in Buenos Aires. The restaurant is inspired by the traditional steak houses of Argentina and the owner’s love of the country and its culture, food and wine. Having been lucky enough to experience the Buenos Aires lifestyle for myself, I admit that my excitement and expectations are high as we make our way through the city streets this Friday evening.

Walking in, I am immediately transported back: the smoky aroma from the 2.5m parrilla (chargrill) filling the room, the black and white tiles that line the floor, dark wooden furnishings and leather upholstery, floor-to-ceiling wine racks, cow hides and large mirrors filling the vacant wall space – all reminiscent of the parrillas of old. I am particularly taken by the use of old jars and bottles filled with lights that hang in small clusters in an interesting take on the classic chandelier.

We take our place amongst the bustling diners and, without hesitation, order a bottle of Mendoza Malbec; it is smooth and velvety, a perfect complement for the meal ahead. Our waiter explains that in keeping with tradition, the menu has been designed to share, so with her instructions in mind we start ordering: pita bread with olive oil and pickled eggplant and two varieties of empanada – beef, egg & olive and provolone, mozzarella, basil & capsicum. The empanadas are a must: the traditional fillings are bursting with flavour and served steaming hot. A perfect way to begin

And so to the mains. Warned by the waiter that the portions are small, the four of us decide on the chorizo argentino, calamari, beef short ribs and the entraña – a 300g hanger steak – with side dishes of grilled capsicum with egg, beans & olives, crispy potato galette and grilled zucchini, eggplant & roast garlic, all cooked on the chargrill. Delish! By cooking each component on the parrilla, the fire and smoke create a new depth of flavour, authentic to the traditional Argentinian menu.

The evening passes in a steady flow of Melbec, conversation, laughter and great food, just as it did on our holiday in Buenos Aires. In my eyes, San Telmo has captured the essence of Argentina and its proud dining culture.

Rated 16.5 O's out of 20