Lockdown hasn’t stopped the Deck Café Lovedale from tantalising your taste buds, now delivering their chef prepared, ready packed ‘Degustation to your Door’, along with instructions on how to put together the 5 course degustation menu of fine food and wine. Food has never been so fun!
When my boss asked me if I wanted to give Degustation to Your Door a go for this month’s Fun and Food review of course I said yes. But not before a quick google search to find out exactly what degustation was because honestly, I had no clue. A classic bogan move.
For those, like me, who are a little less refined when it comes to food culture Degustation is the appreciative tasting of chef’s signature dishes focusing on the gustatory system, the senses and culinary art, usually consisting of several courses and regularly paired with matching fine wines.
In this case, you’re given the opportunity to taste 5 different dishes, dessert and enjoy a glass of wine with each course. My regular review partner Shaun heard food was involved and was more than happy to provide a helping hand.
So let me take you on our degustation journey with our 1st course, the Duck Liver Parfait with Cornichons & Sourdough, paired with a glass of Gartelmann NV Blanc de Blan. I enjoyed this dish, and the cornichons added a burst of flavour with each bite. My partner on the other hand couldn’t get past the fact that it was duck liver, but said the wine was top notch.
On to the 2nd course, the Orange and Dill Salmon Gravlax with Celeriac Remoulade & Baby Beet, paired with Gartelmann 2021 Semillon. Again, Shaun left this tasting up to me as he’s not a fan of seafood, and I loved it. This was a great 2nd course that reminded me of Spring with its fresh and melodious taste.
The 3rd course was by far my favourite and the wine to die for, the Smoked Paprika Braised Octopus and Chorizo Hot Pot with Chimichurri & Mango Puree, paired with Gartelmann 2021 Verdelho. The chimichurri and mango puree added an excellent, zesty tang and the octopus was beautiful. Paired with one of the nicest Verdelho’s I’ve tasted, I almost licked the plate clean when I was done; the dish and pairing were delectable.
Shaun was in his element for the 4th course of Asian Style Pork Belly with Green Paw Paw Salsa, Green Tea Noodle Salad & Ponzu Dressing, paired with Gartelmann 2021 Rose. Two beautifully cooked pieces of pork belly and the noodle salad were gone in the blink of an eye, I’m almost convinced Shaun inhaled it. In his words, “that was so good.”
For our last course before dessert, we shared the Lamb Backstrap filled with Fetta, Macadamia Nuts & Potato Fondant, paired with Gartelmann Reserve 2016 Diedrich Shiraz. We were already stuffed by this stage but managed to have a few bites with a glass of red before setting our sights on dessert.
The desserts included the Raspberry Passionfruit Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis & Meringue Kisses, and the French Chocolate Tart with Honeycomb & Vanilla Mascarpone both paired with Gracies Ambrosia. If you have a sweet tooth these dishes will make your tastebuds sing with joy. Although we were both bursting at the seams, we managed to clear both plates. The cheesecake was bursting with sweet flavours and the chocolate tart wasn’t for the faint hearted, providing a rich, chocolatey oomph with every heavenly bite.
The best part about Degustation to Your Door from the Deck Café Lovedale is everything is ready for you, perfectly packaged with inside tips on how to put together each dish. If you’re looking for dishes full of flavour, you’ll find it in every single course.
Our degustation journey ended with a couple of very impressed, very satisfied and slightly drunk (those wines really were delicious) bogans. We highly recommend this degustation sensation.
