A couple of weeks ago, Macca & I decided to visit the Yarra Valley for a weekend getaway.
We left Saturday morning and after a short pitstop for some crispy hot jam donuts, we were on our way to the Dandenong Mountains. We’d booked some accommodation in Olinda overnight and were keen to get started.
When we arrived at our abode, we a bit early to check in so the very knowledgeable and friendly proprietor offered us a map of the local wineries and breweries. We set off, map in hand, to the nearest brewery, which happened to be Coldstream Brewery.
We arrived mid-afternoon, me with a yearning for cider and Macca more keen on the beer. I ordered a pot of their apple cider on tap (which they also sell by the can) and Macca had their pilsner. The cider was surprisingly transparent and light coloured, looking more like Sprite or champagne than the darker oaky colour of regular cider. Our bar tender told us it was a mix of 4 different types of Yarra Valley apples, including Royal Gala, Red Delicious, Fuji and the elusive last one which eludes my memory. It was quite sweet and easy to drink, certainly very refreshing.
Macca then ordered their beer paddle, with 5 different types of their beer in shot glasses, suspended on a wooden paddle. The drinks were recommended to be enjoyed lightest to darkest, with the stout being a lovely dark oaky colour and rich chocolatey smell. I only ventured to smell the beers unfortunately and did not taste them but Macca thought them pretty decent.
I then ordered their other apple cider, “the original” which was stronger at 7% alcohol level as opposed to the more sobering 5% that I first tried. I’m not sure if it was because I was already a drink in, but this cider was a lot punchier in terms of its alcoholic hit. The bubbles certainly were felt more at the back of your throat and tingling your nose. For my money, I would prefer the 5%.
We also ordered some food by way of lamb shanks for me and buffalo wings for Macca. The long wait was a bit unfortunate as by that stage I was well and truly tipsy and getting a bit keen for some carbs to soak up that alcohol.
The wait was totally worth it, however. The lamb shanks were flavoursome and fall apart tender. The gravy was a lovely dark sticky consistently and beautiful rich taste. The potato mash was also not bad.
Macca’s buffalo wings were small but potent, with a very smoky flavour which I loved but was bordering on overpowering. It was also a lot spicier than, say, the wings at TGI Friday’s. The accompanying wedges were a thing of beauty though. Clearly a spud quartered or cut in six, they were thick, chunky, golden and encased in a lovely herb topping. Absolutely delicious.
In my alcohol-soaked state, I made it back to the car and played passenger until we returned to our little 2 storey, which was to be our home for the next 18 hours. We had splashed out on a fancy room with a downstairs black marble spa and bathroom and white marble upstairs.
I must say, I much preferred the upstairs as it was elegant and understated beauty, whereas the downstairs black marble and gold trim made me feel like I was in a gangster’s bedroom, alla Scarface (though with a distinct deficiency of white powder).
After a nap, enjoying the jets in the spa, we moseyed over to Copperfields which our inn-keeper told us was home to the best steak on the mountain.
The first feeling I experienced when walking in was stifling heat, not unlike the feeling one would have stepping into Professor Trewlaney’s office to have their tea leaves read. It was a little stifling and on a warm spring day, gas heaters inside I felt was a bit unnecessary.
There was a cute “complimentary” potato croquette each from the chef as we waited for our ordered meals to arrive. There was unfortunately, a long wait. Around 30 minutes later, I enquired with one of the wait staff how far away our food was to be reassured she would check with the kitchen staff. Ten minutes later, no further confirmation was received. Frustrating. Some time after that, our food arrived.
I had ordered the seafood platter, entrée size. Macca had the special, steak with balsamic and tomato sauce with prawns on top. The best food of the night were the prawns perched atop his bovine. Absolutely the juiciest, tender and freshest prawns I’ve ever had. They were large and had that beautiful pink blushing colour that was indicative of freshness. Macca said the steak (or more accurately 2 pieces of steak) was alright but not the best he’s ever had.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said of my seafood. The stars of the plate were definitely the crispy salt & pepper squid which was very well seasoned and had a lovely thin crispy exterior and given the body and tentacles were included, I can assume fresh cut and fried. Sadly, many other elements of the dish weren’t quite as fresh. The oysters were cooked, which I always dislike because often it’s a way to use up those that aren’t as fresh, raw oysters I much prefer. The antipasti, especially the smoked salmon, had developed a slight crust on the skin which led me to suspect that it had been sitting under the lights in the pass of the kitchen waiting for Macca’s steak to finish cooking. My prawns although similar in looks, lacked the freshness and flavour of Macca’s dish. Overall, filling enough but somewhat disappointing.
No matter, more alcohol was drunk and it was off to Pie in the Sky the next day for some pie floaters and scones. I ordered their Gold Medal winning Aussie beef pie in my floater of veggie soup, with a scoop of potato mash on top. Never having had pie floater, I wasn’t sure what to expect but the side-dishes were disappointing. The soup hadn’t been seasoned at all and the mash was so thick you probably could have used it as building material. The beef pie had a thick gravy and a lovely taste but probably not something that I would travel out of my way to experience.
Macca ordered the Devonshire tea, which came with handmade scones, cream and homemade raspberry jam. The scones were lovely soft and fresh out of the oven but the cream was the highlight. I can only assume it was local cream because it was so light and fresh that it was unlike anything I had tried before. Not at all heavy like the creams you buy from the supermarket. The raspberry jam was very seedy and lacked the sweet tartness I had come to expect from a great jam.
We then left the cool depths of the mountain and headed to Yarra Valley Dairy. The views were beautiful over the farm and there were plenty of cattle to be seen dozing in the field. The café itself was a quaint little wooden structure, with a tin roof. Macca thought it might have once belonged to an old milking shed or the like.
We wandered around their local produce section and purchased some pickles, Murray River salt and lemon myrtle pepper steak seasoning (which we have since tried on grass fed steak to great success). The pink Murray River salt I must say has also transformed my cooking, with a much more gentle salt flavour very dissimilar to the strong acidity that you often get from table salts and even the rock salt that I had previously used. The pickles also had a slight curry flavour which was lovely and reminded Macca of the pickles his grandma used to make.
We ordered the cheese tasting plate and some smoked trout. The trout was the standout by far, with a beautiful slight gloss over the coral flesh and a faint wiff of smokey flavour. The salty flavour also wasn’t overpowering as is the case with many commercial smoked seafood. The cheeses were great, though all soft cheeses which was disappointing in a cheese board. I had hoped to taste some hard cheeses too. Macca enjoyed the cow’s milk cheese similar to the camembert while I quite liked the marinated fetta, as well the herby incarnation.
By Sunday afternoon we were tired but vowed to try one more brewery before we left the Valley. We ventured into Hargreaves’ Hill Brewery but were well and truly stuffed from lunch. Again, Macca ordered a tasting paddle of beer (7 types this time) while I drank a bottle of local cider. He didn’t enjoy the lighter ales which reminded him of a horrible brew by the name of “Shipwrecked”. I didn’t mind my cider but was too tired and warm by that stage to tell the difference. We ordered some massive onion rings with a lovely rich garlicky aioli to top off the day, and our trip.
All in all, a great, relaxing weekend. Definitely recommend the Yarra Valley to anyone thinking of a weekend trip. It’s surprisingly close to the city and helps support our local area.
Apparently there’s a chocolaterie close by….Oi, Macca, I was thinking….
Tried and Bested 