ADELAIDE: Bird In Hand Winery

I'm not a wine lover, because I'm terrible at drinking. I get flushed all the time even after a few sips of alcohol. I guess thats how my body warns me to stop killing it slowly.

But I love dining at wineries!!!

I have been wanting to visit this winery since last year. None of my friends have eaten here, but I heard really good things about this particular sweet wine of theirs. (which was a disappointment for me at least )
 Oh btw, even though I get flushed post alcohol, I LOVE MY DESSERT WINE. 

There's 2 set menus - Joy flight ($130 - please allow 3 hours) and signature flight ($85 - please allow 2 hours)

Their menu is seasonal and I truly apologise for the 9 months backdated post. 

Actually why am I apologising ah? so many of my blogposts are more than 9 months old oops. hahahahhahaha

Anyway, I was using some blog drafter app previously and I used to upload all my pictures then delete them off my phone ( because I am poor, my iphone is the model with the least storage *cries*)  but it crashed on me and my pictures were deleted. But I just realised today that I have them backed up in my google drive ! yay!

I was never a fan of Goat's curd. But this goat curd blended in so nicely with the dish!

Lovvit when they serve hot trout instead of cold trout.

I really don't like eating cold savouries.

THIS DESSERT WAS SO GOOD.

I didn't think I would be full looking at the menu. I mean, essentially there were only 7 dishes excluding sides, I've eaten way more food than these at other degustations, mate. But by the end of it, I was SOOOO FULL. Even though the sides were SO AMAZING, I couldn't bring myself to finish them. Pretty weird, I think it's because the food service was at a slightly slower pace than others hence it allowed more time for the food to expand inside my tummy. hmmm, not sure if such unscientific unproven comments should be coming out of my mouth but lol whatever.

Very very good meal! I would go back again for sure !

Very happy girl ! Well worth the $135x2 = $170 excluding drinks I paid :D

 Bird in Hand Winery
Woodside SA 5244
Reservations ( click here)

MELBOURNE: Ten Minutes by Tractor

I lied. This restaurant is actually not in Melbourne itself. But close. It's actually in Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne, about 1 hour drive.
I don't exactly know what's there to do in mornington peninsula. We only had 2 objective - Lunch at this restaurant and have a soak at the peninsula hotsprings.
Perhaps you can leave me some suggestions? :D

Ten minutes by tractor's menus are seasonal, with an emphasis on fresh produce, sourced locally. They have their own gardens of heirloom vegetables, herbs and edible flowers and the chef has his own secret foraging spots where he harvests more plants!

Here's me in the herb garden

Ten minutes by tractor is not only a restaurant, it is also a vineyard ! oh I LOVE dining at vineyards, I feel that they always serve really good quality food. 

And because they're also a vineyard, you're just surrounded by beautiful grapevines and what not. 

This restaurant serve both ala carte as well as degustation menu.
We always go for the degustation menu ( 8 course - $155, 5 course - $125)

ALWAYS GO FOR THE 8 COURSE !

I love window seats :D

We were served by this very nice service staff + sommelier Poitre ( who is now my friend on instagram )

 Very good restaurant, highly recommend if you're in the area !
But please prepare 3 hours for the 8 course menu.

Ten minutes by tractor
1333 Mornington Flinders Road
Main Ridge, Victoria
Reservations

ADELAIDE: The Lane Vineyard

Retrospective blog post, dined at restaurant in December 2016.

Just a little trivia about my family, my mom is a very typical Asian woman who wasn't exposed to much western cuisine when she was a kid, hence if you ask her to choose between a FREE western meal and an Asian meal which she has to pay for, I can almost guarantee she would rather PAY for an Asian meal. 

I love The Lane vineyard. I think I've taken every of my close friends who have come visited for a meal there. It's just so pretty, overlooking the vineyard and there's a small lake nearby and they have a resident dog ( or at least they used to have him last year ) 

 

The menu works like this. 2 course for $60, 3 courses for $72 and Feed me for $80.

There's a couple of snacks which you can order ala carte on top of your course choice. And bread is free! Haha. 

 

Oysters for our ala carte. 

Our entrees: 

 

 

 

Our mains: 

 

Mom was not happy with this pork belly at all because there's a " smell ". And I completely agree. Despite living in Australia for 7 years,  I still have some problem having pork here because there's this really bad smell. My Australian farmer friend tells me it's because most restaurant serve male pork as it's cheaper. He says male pigs have increased levels of testosterone and so they have a stronger smell/body odour.  

 

 

Dad enjoyed his pretty lamb dish. 

 

The Lane always does a good fish. 

I apologise that this post is not going to be much help other than introduce this restaurant. The menu is seasonal and the last I've checked, they have changed their menu. 

This is their current menu as of 4th March 

 

 

Definitely a good place for refuel if you're around Adelaide Hills and doing some wine tastings. 

Not to mention, they offer good discount ( from memory I think 15%)  on their wines if you dine in too !

ADELAIDE: Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant

It's my Birthday!

Every year during my birthday, Nick always takes me to somewhere nice. Over the years we have been to Shiki, Hentley Farm ( click), Orana ( click). This year, he decided to take me to Penfolds. Our previous trip here was for Nick's graduation dinner, I remembered that day as the best meal I've ever had in Adelaide. I remember that Mayura Station wagyu which we paid an extra $30 more. It sparked subsequent 3 trips specially down to Mayura station at Millicent to have dinner. And probably a few more trips, just to buy their beef. 

We had lunch this time, because, they were fully booked out for dinner ): Well, lucky for Nick's wallet I guess haha. 

Lunch: $135

Dinner: $190

Liver Cream Puff, Crumpet with Smoked Eel Butter

Pork Belly

Again a really good experience. Definitely a recommended restaurant for special occasions!

Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant

78 Penfolds Road 

ADELAIDE: Hentley farm

Fatty and I have been to hentley farm a about 4times ( 3x for du jour and once for discovery menu ) and we have never been disappointed. So what's a better place to celebrate fatty and our friends becoming new doctors than having the discovery menu and hentley's?

We decided to have dinner there, bar opened at 6pm so we sorta chilled there had some cocktails before we were seated at 630pm

Our new doctors !! 

This jersey cream spread is the yummiest dip ever ! 

Quail eggs from their very own rear quails 

I'll tell you a funny story. So everybody who knows me well all know that I'm a huge fan of eggs. And I love quail eggs best. So I pestered my parents to get some quails for me. They did. Unfortunately, all 3 turned out to be male quails ( the farmer said you couldn't tell their sex when they were younger. I think it's bull crap) anyway, didn't get any eggs but had a wonderful 10+ years of free alarm at 6am every morning.

I absolutely love this squid shaved noodles in broth. I was telling Sam that he would be my BFF forever if he could replicate this. 

Liquorice dessert which I absolutely hated. 

I really enjoy hentley and I think if there's one meal you want to splurge on that is away From Adelaide CBD, hentley is your best bet !