Author: tduchess

Find Your Muse

Find Your Muse

Posted on by tduchess

Muse Kitchen is not only an assault on your senses – it is an awakening of your soul. 

A spin-off from the larger Muse, located at Hungerford Hill Winery, Muse Kitchen is set a bit further out in Pokolbin, within the beautiful grounds of Keith Tulloch Winery and in my opinion, does not play second fiddle to its larger rival. In fact, I prefer this restaurant.

The magical hideaway that Muse Kitchen is nestled within, is an Alice in Wonderland like place where you completely forget about the rest of the world and are sure you have happily fallen down the rabbit hole. 

The service here is beyond expectations and you find yourself smiling even before you have ordered. The menu is smart, sophisticated and has a sense of rustic charm making it difficult to decide, and wanting to order everything including dessert. The service is smart and efficient but not intrusive or in your face and if you are a Hunter Valley virgin, the staff will happily recommend a great drop to suit the dish of your choice. Although this is fine dining, there is nothing pretentious about Muse Kitchen.  

Then…. There is the food. The word ‘food’ seems an understatement when describing the art on a plate that is delivered to your table. The aromas that float through the restaurant, leave your mouth watering and you find yourself wishing that each dish ready for delivery is yours. 

We each chose the Wagyu and the Lamb and because it’s a cold day out, these warm country style dishes (Approx. $36 each) are the perfect thing to warm your insides. They arrive in big, deep, stoneware bowls and the fresh crusty bread, warm straight from the oven, is just tempting us to wipe the bowl clean! These dishes would go perfectly with a deep glass of Red, but as it is in the middle of the day, we choose a bottle of the 2015 Keith Tulloch ‘Semi-Dry’ Semillon ($24) which is zesty enough to perfectly compliment the flavours within each of the dishes. YUM! 

A masterpiece for the senses is every dish designed by the Chef at Muse Kitchen. Each ingredient is fresh and vibrant and is beautifully paired so that every bite involves a myriad of flavour combinations. The dishes create a sense of warmth and make you want to share and swap with one another so you can experience everything this restaurant has to offer. 

The Chef at Muse Kitchen is not merely a Chef – he is a magician. We don’t know how the magic is done, and want to know, but also know we will never be able to replicate the slight of hand that results in the enchantment of every dish. MUSE FLOWERS

All in all, do not go to Muse Kitchen if you want a quick on-the-run lunch. Take the time to immerse yourself in this beautiful place and the love within menu. Order a beautiful bottle of wine, share your dishes and take the time to enjoy the overall experience. Muse Kitchen is the inspiration for art with food, and rivals some of the greatest masterpieces of all time. An awe-inspiring experience!

Muse Kitchen
Keith Tulloch Winery
Cnr. Hermitage & Deasys Roads,
Pokolbin NSW 2320
http://musedining.com.au/
http://musedining.com.au/kitchen/contact/
http://www.keithtullochwine.com.au/

A New Custom

A New Custom

Posted on by tduchess

We decide to try something new. Some investigation on the net finds some very cool and trendy bars and restaurants in the Newcastle area. Why didn’t I know about these places when I lived here? Luxury in Newcastle – Who’d of thought?!

Neither KAM or I have ever been to the places we have selected to visit and we are like little children on Christmas Eve, dying to get there to start our food and wine adventure of Newcastle. I am sceptical and somewhat nervous, as I have my doubts that Newcastle could be a place of trend and any type of hip. But as we arrive in the pouring rain to our first location, Customs House Hotel, we are not disappointed and feel right at home in this ultra cool but super chilled-out space.

BAROur first impression is the lady behind the bar who let’s me swim for a bit in their extensive wine list. We choose a glass to start of the Brokenwood Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. The waitress tells us to take a seat on the beautiful covered veranda and she will bring it out to us. Although the weather has turned nasty we are seated a cute cafe table on a veranda that rivals one from Downtown Abbey. The foreboding structure of this place, does nothing to describe the cool surprise that awaits behind it’s somewhat intimidating facade. The wine, with the bottle is casually brought out to us and the waitress checks the wine with us before pouring the glasses. It is ice cold. And has a hint of spice that lasts on your tongue. Perfect to pair with the two meals we order – which come out at the perfect time, having just enough time to relax and feel like we have arrived.

KAM says that the steak sandwich ($16) is the best he has ever had. The steak was succulent and from the moment he cut it in half, he couldn’t wait to indulge. The steak oozes out both sides of the sourdough bun and he says that there was no chewing involved – it really does melt in the mouth, despite the cliché!

Meanwhile, I am busy melting into a linguine with pesto, garlic, white wine and the largest prawns I have ever seen!($31). The texture of this dish blows me away and I want to simply bathe in this dish forever. The wine pairs perfectly with both dishes and I’m glad we ordered a wine with a bit of a kick to go with these funky, yet traditional plates. The dishes are massive too, but not so big that you can’t eat them. For the price, they are excellent value for money.

To finish off our experience we decide to try a glass of one of our favourites. Tyrrell’s Stevens Semillon. Love, love, love. And at $10 a glass or $44 a bottle it is cheaper than anywhere we have seen it before. I don’t really need reminding about good this wine is, as it is a favourite of ours, but the smooth sensation of this beautiful wine, never fails to surprise me. If you are a Semillon drinker, this wine is a hard one to beat.FullSizeRender (3)

Even on a crappy day, the view is spectacular and reminds us both of sitting at the Beach House in Port Macquarie on a Summer’s day. There is a vibe about this place, and you can tell that it pumps on days when the weather is nice. A perfect place for a weekend beverage. Cool music pumps throughout the building and as I type Donovan Frankenreiter comes on, somewhat cementing me to this place. We will return here. I just know it. It’s cool. It’s pretty. It’s like a secret that everyone somehow knows about. It’s very us.

Customs House Hotel
www.customshouse.net.au
1 Bond Street,
Newcastle NSW
[email protected]

Love in Lockdown

Love in Lockdown

Posted on by tduchess

Christmas is my favourite time of year! If you love everything from carols to fairy lights, then you need to experience Yulefest in the NSW Blue Mountains. Running from June to August, the place comes alive with Winter Magic and the possibility of snow just adds to the excitement.

However when it does snow in this beautiful place, there is a very good chance you will end up stuck in your hotel. And as the snow can last for days on end, you better have a pretty nice hotel to be stuck in!

Enter, M Gallery. Originally the Fairmont Resort, M Gallery have taken over and given this grand hotel a make-over she deserved. With traditional fittings mixed with modern leather and blazing fire places everywhere, you are in love from the moment you enter through the covered walkway lit with large Christmas wreaths. As the snow buzzes around us, the double doors open and the warmth hits you like a big M Gallery hug! The view over the Megalong Valley is imposing from the massive picture windows that are everywhere and you can’t help but be transfixed by it as you explore the place, often walking into things because you are distracted by its beauty.

When staying at this hotel, we choose to only ever stay in the Megalong Suite. We see it as ‘ours’ and are very upset if someone else has been booked into our space. At around $500 per night, this room is a little pricy, but trust me, it’s worth every penny!

This room is not only one of the nicest we have ever stayed in – it also happens to be the largest! Walking into the double height foyer of the room, the living room is cosy and warm with the fireplace on, welcoming you in and relaxing you with every step. The view over the valley through the large double doors is spectacular and you can truly see why this place is called the ‘Blue’ mountains as they shine in all their colourful glory!

The balcony is small but big enough to enjoy a coffee on a cold winter morning before racing back to jump into the biggest bed you have ever seen! You feel like you’re from the Princess and the Pea children’s story, getting lost in the myriad of comfy blankets and pillows.

This room has romance written all over it and with a ‘his’ and ‘her’ bathroom you can have your space or immerse yourself together in the biggest sunken spa tub you will ever see! The surround is big enough to have a bottle of champagne on the side and the lights can be dimmed to allow for candles to light the mood.

If you happen to get bored with each other (which is highly unlikely!) you can head down the corridor to the bar for a whisky or enjoy a game of snooker in the Billiards Room. There is also a cafe and a more fine dining restaurant on-site and yes, they do allow champagne with your breakfast in the morning! This is important!

But whether there is snow or not, we generally choose to lock ourselves in and fully relax. This place insights slow morning wake-ups, with newspapers and coffee in bed. You can snuggle and watch the sun come up over the cold, awe-inspiring mountains and have no need to get up and dressed, until you get hungry. But let’s be honest…. Who’s got time for food, when you’ve got a man like KAM beside you?!

Thank you Accor Hotels

www.accorhotels.com
Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains M Gallery
1 Sublime Road, Leura NSW
Email: [email protected]