Category: Port Fairy -

Clonmara Tea Rooms

1/11/2015

Lunch beckoned and I'd read about Clonmara serving traditional and homely fare so we called in on our way back to

Port Fairy from our sojourn to Tower Hill where we'd completed a brisk walk so needed a feed! In spite of it being 1pm and prime lunch hour, we secured a roomy table in the cute courtyard. Whilst the place was busy it wasn't frantically so and we were able to relax and browse the menu as well as enjoy the fresh air.

So the menu promised a little bit of British at the end of the Great Ocean Road. In honour of the United Kingdom, Steve ordered an English Breakfast tea, I had an Irish Breakfast tea and for Scotland, Steve decided to eat his way through what was called The Flying Scotsman.

In essence it's a Ploughman's and it arrived on a road board with giant pickled onions, a pile of pink ham, Stilton, Cheddar, a salad, baguette, chutney and triangles of butter.

There were plenty of other Ploughman's variations but I plumped for the bacon and Brie baguette and we decided to share some potato skins. Other temptations were Welsh rarebit, bangers and mash, fish and chips...

Well they're certainly generous here at Clonmara. My baguette was packed full of crispy bacon and creamy Brie. The baguette was crusty yet soft so definitely a well executed but simple sandwich. I stole some of Steve's chutney as I like a bit of sweetness to my bacon and Brie.

The potato skins were about ten half shells (they must use a lot of mash) all golden and crispy with a huge dish of sweet chilli and sour cream. Very delicious but just so much of it!

The tea went down a treat and in spite of sweet treats tempting us like spotted dick and apple pie, we were just too full.

A highly enjoyable lunch spot that was quick and satisfyingly homely.Simple far but done with warmth and generosity; exactly as a tea room should be!

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The Stag

31/10/2015

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Our first night dinner in during our Port Fairy getaway was at The Stag. We made our booking before the Good Food Guide came out and before there were a few press clippings exuding this place so we were keen to find out if it lived up to the hype.

It's a quaint old homely building on a corner and as we entered through one of the doors we stepped straight into the dining area. Having to wait a moment in between tables of diners, mostly couples was a little conspicuous but we were soon show to our own table and we settled in.

Rather than go with the Tasting Menu we decided a la carte and to share each other's dishes so the result would be similar to Tasting Menu. We also loved that the wine list was all Australian wines and lots of local choices.

The welcome was warm and professional and service throughout was to this exemplary standard. We thoroughly enjoyed being looked after by the ladies in the house who were efficient, friendly and when the wrong menus were brought over and we were asked about water preferences twice, it was all managed so warmly that it didn't matter.

Our first choices were:

Abalone, smoked eel, shitake mushrooms, roasted sea lettuce
Seared kangaroo, Bunya nut, Warrigal greens and cured egg yolk

I opted for the abalone and it was really a standout dish. Tender slices of white abalone almost calamari like in texture but so tender and far more flavoursome it was like the flavours of the sea met with earthy notes from the ground from the mushrooms. In spite of the similarity in texture of mushroom and abalone, it just worked. I didn't experience texture of eel but I tasted it so I think it was in the form of the puree beneath the abalone. Very clever and a wonderful way to showcase Port Fairy's produce and export.

Steve's kangaroo was a take on a steak tartare really with crispy curls of what we assumed was the Bunya nut and egg yolk. To me the flavours were quite intense. Tasty but not the perfect marriage of abalone and musrhooms.

Main courses were:

Lamb rack, roasted eggplant, sheep's milk yoghurt, herbs, spices
Wallaby fillet, Warrigal greens, karkalla, native currants

I have to say I loved the lamb rack dish I'd chosen and was sad I had to give up half to do a swapsies with Steve. It was beautifully roasted with tender spiced eggplant and then a tang from the yoghurt. It was pretty traditional and classic but when done well, nothing beats a classic really in my book and this was done so well.

Steve thoroughly enjoyed the wallaby fillet. We did wonder if it would be too similar to the kangaroo entree dish given they're both from the same family and the Warrigal green was ever present. However, not the case and this was another tasty offering.

Cauliflower, cheese, horseradish cream, ham hock
Asparagus, prosciutto, egg yolk, garden herbs

Our accompaniments were astoundingly amazing. I'm so glad when we didn't know which side dishes to order and deliberated this with our waitress, that she encouraged us to go with both. They couldn't have been any more different except for the wonderful porky goodness of ham hock (which was caramelised or fried off so more like cubed bacon and I love bacon) or the crispy shards of prosciutto.

The cauliflower had been char grilled so there was some lovely roasted flavours coming out and although creamy wasn't heavily so and in spite of not being a fan of horseradish, this was so subtle and really just take the edge of the creaminess. And then the asparagus; such a wonderfully green and clean flavour coming through enriched with gooey egg and salty, jewel like crispy fragments of prosciutto.

We cleaned up every dish! It did mean we had no room for dessert but we were so satisfied with this meal that I didn't need a sweet finish. Two side dishes took up all the tummy room and that's what filled us up. Although I'll make a general comment about the dishes except for the sides and that they do err on the small size so sides are a necessity. I think I'd have loved another piece of lamb and that's what would have pushed it to beyond great for me in terms of value and taste.

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Clonmara Tea Rooms

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