We were in New Zealand and Australia just in time for the tail end of winter and the official start of spring. Already quite beautiful in Port MacQuarie (AUS), where Mel's brother was married -- congrats, Jamie and Melissa! And not too shabby in Auckland, either. I still enjoyed reading in the sun out on the terrace at Pam and Allen's place as I do in summertime, just with a long-sleeve shirt this time.
While in Australia we had some food and wine experiences worth noting. In Melbourne we had dinner at Markov Place (Drummond Street, Carlton) with our hosts from the biomedical research institute we were visiting. Great tasting menu with fresh oysters and paella, as well as a really nice Kiwi pinot gris. The coup de grace, though, was our dinner at Vue de Monde in Melbourne.
This is one of the top restaurants in a city where restaurants are very good. The experience was a first for us: a ten-course customized degustation menu with matched wines -- and over four and a half hours, no less. This is how to use your taste-buds to their full potential. Our personal culinary guide was a chef from Boston, so we got to discuss some of our favorites from our part of the world. Check out the sample menu below -- not exactly the same as what we had, but pretty similar.
Note the cheese course followed by a palate cleanser and two dessert courses. We all discovered some new delights -- the best truffle risotto ever, and some innovative ways to use the liver of a well-fed fowl. Thanks for your impeccable taste, Goffy -- we look forward to returning the favor.
We had the chance to visit just one winery while we were in Australia. Cassegrain wines, just outside Port MacQuarie, had some beautiful grounds and a great reserve semillon from 2000 that we brought back in my cunningly packed hardcase suitcase. This was different from anything we've ever tasted before: capsicum, citrus rind, floral and honey flavors with a deep straw-yellow color. We're looking forward to planning a meal for this one...
