The Estelle for Valentine's ♥

A week before Valentine's, when we called up The Estelle to make a booking, the last table was just snapped up.

But they still took my name and number, so if anyone pulled out, I'd be first on the waiting list.

The boyfriend suggested Flower Drum, but I wasn't very keen. Asian fine dining just didn't quite appeal to me. And there we were, left with no venue for our first Valentine's date.

Thankfully though, a couple of days before Valentine's, The Estelle called to say that they've decided to open up their private dining room and they could accommodate us for the night. Wheeeeeeee~

The Estelle usually offers the Chef Tasting menu:

• 3 courses for A$50;
• 5 courses for A$70;
• 7 courses for A$90; or
• 9 courses for A$110.

If I'm not mistaken, if you go for the 3 courses, you're allowed to select the dishes you want to try.

However, if you opt for the 5 courses or more, you will have to advise the waitstaff on what you eat and what you don't. The chef will then determine the dish and the sequence of the meal.

On Valentine's, they offered only the 7 or 9 courses, so the boyfriend and I decided that we would go for the 7 course tasting menu.

When we arrived, we were served with complimentary amuse bouche by the Chef to kick start our 7 course dinner.

The rock melon cube presented in edible see-through wrappers was good stuff - very refreshing and yummeh snack!

And then there were more complimentary snacks to tickle our taste buds - chickpea fries cigar with olive salt and squid cracker with sour cream.

I loved the squid cracker and was THIS close to asking for more crackers. They really brought back the nostalgic taste of Malaysia's prawn crackers and the accompanying sour cream was delightfully light as a dipping.

First course: Celeriac, carrot & turmeric

Whilst the other couples were served with the beetroot and ashed goats cheese, the boyfriend and I got the celeriac, carrot and turmeric simply because I specifically told the waitress that I dislike beetroot. :P

It was a light start to the meal - it was tasty and all the components went very well together. It was indeed a harmonious dish to kick start the night well.

Second course: Smoked eel, carrot and camomile

This is the best eel dish I've ever had! The eel was so delicately smoked and it goes so very well with the camomile infused cream.

The bits of brioche crumbs also gave a really nice contrast to the texture. The portion is a tad too small though, and I really wished there were more.

Third course: Truffle risotto

Truffle, truffle, truffle... oh, how I love the fragrant truffle! Period.

Fourth course: Grilled barramundi & peas

The barramundi was needless to say perfectly cooked and had an Asian twist to it. Whilst I thought this dish was very well done, I thought it was a bit too "normal". I guess I kinda expected more.

Fifth course: Sher wagyu rump, black garlic & king brown mushroom

And then came the highlight of the night. The black garlic and pureed mushrooms accompanied the succulent wagyu so well. Yums!

The only critique that I have is that the portion is way too small. I WANT MORE MORE MOREEEEEE!!!

Sixth course: Rhubarb, rose & musk

Beneath the rose meringue and raspberry dusting, lies very juicy cubes of rhubarb, and musk infused vanilla ice cream. It not only looks amazing, t'was very summery and refreshing!

Seventh course: Sour cream, pumpkin & salted caramel

Oh dear, pardon me because I don't remember exactly what this dessert consist of. :$ I remember there being airy olive oil sponge, pumpkin seeds, Chinese five spice and ice cream.

It wasn't quite my kind of dessert, but it sure was an interesting combination. At least the boyfriend liked it! He went, "Really nice."


Overall, it was a really great dining experience. The atmosphere at The Estelle was warm and relaxing, the staff were all friendly and provided excellent service.

And most importantly, the food, so delicately crafted with such creative flavours. It is so reasonably priced for the quality food that we get. I give The Estelle a double thumbs up! :)

Thank you boyfriend, and The Estelle for the memorable Valentine's dinner. I had a wonderful night! ♥