Balgownie Estate – Yarra Valley Winery

Dining at Rae’s Restaurant

We recently took a trip down the Yarra Valley and visited the Balgownie Estate just a 50 minute drive east of Melbourne. I had heard so much about this place and how good the restaurant was, so I thought I had to check it out for myself. Trent Martin the restaurant manager kindly guided us to our table, we sat alongside the window at the front of the restaurant. It was most beautiful looking out across the countryside of the Yarra Valley and watching the sun go down. Balgownie Estate are in such a prime position with the views never ending.

Inside the restaurant, it is decked out with modern interior, the earthly colours of the lounges, walls, standings and decorations make this place so warm and cozy. Rae’s Restaurant is only 5 years old, so you can only expect this place to be modern. During our dining experience, the place was almost full yet the atmosphere remained quite and intimate.

The executive chef at Rae’s Stephane Le Grand comes with loads of experience. He is from France and has worked in many counties and with some other top chefs to including Jacques Reymond.

We had their 7 course degustation menu with matching wines from their crop. Please note that if you are wanting to come and experience their degustation menu, it is best to mention this while booking your table in advance.

Sour Dough Rolls with parmesan and rosemary, infused olive oil with 4 year old balsamic

First up we had sour dough bread with Parmesan and Rosemary, infused olive oil with 4 year old balsamic. A perfect starter, the flavours were so intense but went well together.

Seared Scallops with cauliflower and passionfruit puree

The Seared scallops was served with the 2010 Balgownie Black label Savignon Blanc, the wine was so light and refreshing, it turned out to be my favourite on the night. As for the scallops, they were cooked so delicately and broke away easily with a fork. The cauliflower and passionfruit puree sounded different to me but the combination worked a treat.

Pan-Fried Tiger Prawns served on hummus with red capsicum chutney and a basket of Asian cress leaves

This is Rae’s restaurant’s most popular entree, before I tried this dish, I could smell the aroma’s coming off from the plate, such a rich aroma. The Asian cress leaves were served in a wonton basket. Executive chef Stephane Le Grand is so creative in all his food creations, and his presentation can not go unnoticed. Pan-fried tiger prawns was served with the 2008 balgownie Estate Chardonnay.

Lollipop of Duck Mousse, carrot and mango coulis, mango syrup of port and plum vinegar

Served with 2008 Balgownie black Label Pinot Noir, the aroma of this pinot noir was delightful, but the taste was not my kind of drink. I decided to keep sipping the chardonnay. The mousse in this dish is made from duck liver, so they held lots of flavour. I’ve got to say that the carrot and mago coulis went well with the duck, just adding a bit of a more sweeter taste to the dish.

Peach and Mint Sorbet

The peach and Mint sorbet was served as a pallet cleanser. Served with a new balgownie wine sparkling rose, this did a great job of refreshing our mouths before the next course. Stephane used chocolate mint instead of the more common mint herb, which gave a more chocolately taste to the dessert. I had never come across the chocolate mint before so this flavour was quite interesting.

Pan Fried saddle of lamb, za"tar spice, chestnut and pear puree, babaganoush, toasted almond flakes, roasted chicken and curcuma jus

 To add more colour to the plate, Stephane added a beetroot pesto and it certainly looked quite bright. The presentation of this meal was quite spectacular, everything had a lot of detail, even the wedge of lime had seasonings on top. The tender lamb was served with the 2008 Balgownie estate Cabernet Savignon, this wine from their bendigo crops was the first wine ever produced for Balgownie. It was first produced in 1968, and it’s popularity is still in demand.

bailey's pannacotta, raspberry compote, lemon-curd filled cornet, turkish delight and french meringue

De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon

The final dish for the evening was my favourite by far. This dessert was something special, the presentation was immaculate, and I have never tasted turkish delight as soft as this one. The bailey’s pannacotta had a very smooth consistency and was also served with a kiwi puree. The cornet was cleverly designed, and even had a tiny little French meringue on top. The dessert was served with a de Bortoli wine, as balgownie don’t currently have a sweet wine, though they are working on producing one in the near future.

I highly recommend this restaurant for their high standards in service and also to their fantastic cuisine. Even though the food is said to be modern Australian, the French background of Chef Stephane Le Grand clearly shows through in all his dishes, not just in taste but in the presentation too.

Balgownie Estate is not just a restaurant, but a resort and conference centre. They specialise in weddings of all sizes, and can customise your food menu to all dietry requirements. Balgownie have won many awards for their accomodation and facilities you can check it all out here.

Also to view Rae’s Restaurant dining menus for breakfast, lunch or dinner click here.