I decided on The Grand Dining Room @ The Grand Hotel. The Dining room is tucked away in the front corner of the hotel. As soon as you enter the main pub area there is a door to the right that takes you through to the cosy, intimate Dining Room.
We were greeted by a super charming host. He pulled out my chair and offered to take my coat...from that point I knew we were in for a great night. After my glass of bubbly and Nick's beer were brought to the table, we were asked if we wanted to move to a more private table in the corner of the room that had became available. Another tick in my book service wise! So we moved tables and started to study the menu.
Not long after we were served drinks a complementary starter platter arrived that consisted of some fresh crusty sour dough bread, some creamy butter and a small bowl of olives. There were a couple of different varieties of olives (I loved tasting and comparing the different types), and they were all soft and juicy, in a delicious herb infused olive oil.
Natural Tasmanian Oysters served w lemon wedge
Those of you who know me well know about my love of oysters. I couldn't go past the oyster entree special. Freshly shucked Tasmanian oysters. Nothing fancy. Just served with some lemon. The oysters were quite small, however they were super fresh and I slurped them down nice and quick.
Gratinated Half Shell Scallops w Spinach & Parmesen
Nick went for the scallops. Which I was also considering...but decided against because I don't like ordering the same dish, and I knew he would let me have a taste of his anyways. As soon as Nick handed me his fork I could instantly tell the scallops were great because he gave me the smallest bite size amount possible. ha ha. It was delicious. The combination of the spinach and parmesan sitting atop of the scallop was amazing. In each mouthful you got the freshness from the spinach, and a creaminess from the melted parmasen. If you like scallops, this one is definitely a must try!
Risotto Of The Day - Asparagus, Brocollini & Truffle Oil
Now the mains. I went for the risotto of the day which is surprising for me. I often have a pasta dish. But not risotto. I'm so happy that I went for something different to the norm because it was so super amazing. I'd have to say it was probably the best risotto I have ever had. As soon it was put down in front of me I could smell the scent of truffles wafting towards me. My mouth was watering. Although the dish was quite simple with only a couple of ingredients the flavours were very strong and intense. Again it was the combination of the fresh brocollini and asparagus, paired with the taleggio cheese that gave the dish the perfect balance. And the drizzle of truffle oil floating on top of the risotto made me want the dish to never end.
Roast Duck w Semolina gnocchi & Orange & Juniper Berry Sauce
Nick went for the Duck. Surprise Surprise! He is very predictable whenever there is duck on a menu. But his decision was well made because the duck was cooked to perfection, and it had a caramelised orange and berry glaze coating which was delicious. Also served with the duck was a semolina gnocchi which was also very tasty, and complemented the duck well.
So overall a great experience at The Grand Dining Room. From the service to the food we just couldn't fault our experience, and will definitely be returning. For those of you who want to give it a try, it's in the entertainment guide (Gold section) which gives you 25% off the bill.
Out Of Pocket:
Natural Tasmanian Oysters served w lemon wedge: Forget exactly how much it was? Think it was $18ish??
Gratinated Half Shell Scallops w Spinach & Parmesen: $22
Risotto Of The Day - Asparagus, Brocollini & Truffle Oil: $26.50
Roast Duck w Semolina gnocchi & Orange & Juniper Berry Sauce: $38
The Grand Dining Room Address:
333 Burnley St
Richmond
Tel: 9429 2530
No comments:
Post a Comment