The Lakes Entrance
“Prawns, prawns, prawns, prawns” I chant to Mr NQN who grips the steering wheel smiling. He’s used to these outbursts of food related happiness. I know we’re about to reach the Lakes Entrance and waiting for us are fresh prawns off the boat for our lunch. If there’s anything that can distract me, it’s food and today we’re heading towards the end of our Sydney to Melbourne road trip!
“Look a snake!” Mr NQN points out and I immediately contract in fear. He’s pointing at the road below where we’ve just passed a black snake sunning itself in the middle of the road. Then a bit later he says “Oops that brown snake wasn’t so lucky“. “Is it…dead?” I ask and Mr NQN says in his characteristically straightforward country-boy way “Nah but it’s got to be in pain“. We’ve taken a little detour to Bemm River which is a little fishing village where locals are friendly and resident pelicans bob up and down on the water.
We drive along the main esplanade of Lakes Entrance. There are signs displaying “Fresh local prawns off the boat” which is just what we have been dying to see. We enter one shop called “Ferry Seafoods” where there are local fresh prawns and imported South Australian frozen prawns as well as fillets of fish and huge lobsters.
We take half a kilo of the local prawns and a tub of seafood sauce. Then walking down a little further we spot a boat where a woman greets us and shows us the two types of fresh caught prawns from this morning’s catch. There are king prawns for $20 a kilo and medium prawns for $15. We ask which is nicer and she says that people like the taste of the smaller prawns but find them a bit fiddly. As both expert prawn eaters and peelers we go for the smaller ones.
Weighing the prawns
The prawns from the boat have a stronger prawn flavour and we both prefer them as the school ones are a touch bland. A woman walks past and cheerily says “A nice day for a picnic!” and we couldn’t agree more. We hit the road with our bellies full of fresh prawns and head towards our next destination.
The detritus
We take the drive to Bairnsdale and once we reach there we take the 40 minute drive in the forest to reach our accommodation, a luxury guest house called Waterholes. The road is windy and full of trees and quite narrow and we really feel like we’re getting right into the country. There are “W” signs along the way to show us that we are headed in the right direction (thankfully the GPS knows exactly where it is).
The room
We finally reach there and it looks like an oasis. Bob greets us and shows us around our room which is lovely and spacious and well fitted out. These are luxury rooms and there are so many nice touches like apricots and Lindor balls (Lindor ball freak here).
Yes we made a deal, I got the Lindor balls, Mr NQN got the apricots
The gardens
He shows us the large three acre grounds where they have all sorts of trees planted including chestnut trees and a large pear tree which is 130 years old and has been classified by the National Trust and still produces abundant fruit (only now it is eaten by parrots). On the grounds there are samber deer, kangaroos and wombats.
Can you spot the kangaroos?
The river
There is also a vegetable garden where some of the produce is grown. The river that the property runs along is pure water as they is no human habitation above it with the nearest neighbours 4kms away. While I do some work (there is limited wireless access in the main house) Mr NQN goes for a swim in the nearby river and comes back excited. “Feel my skin” he says and proclaims that it feels very smooth. I offer him one of the home grown strawberries that Kay has given me. It’s beautifully sweet and just like you always imagined a strawberry to be.
Asparagus with lemon butter
Later that evening, we have our dinner in the main house. Kaye cooks what she describes as “simple but healthy cuisine”. We start with aspragus with lemon butter.
Blue eyed trevalla with vegetables
Our main is blue eyed trevalla with green beans, potato, pumpkin, cherry tomatoes and olives. The roasted pumpkin is deliciously sweet and the fish is cooked simply but it is lovely and fresh.
Salad with cucumber, tomato and fennel pollen
Close up of fennel pollen
The salad accompanying it has salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber and fennel pollen with a delicious dressing. We’re intrigued by the fennel pollen which has been featured on overseas blogs, particularly in the U.S. These are little fennel flowers that impart a strong aniseed flavour-much stronger than fennel has ever tasted by itself with each bud giving a strong hit of aniseed.
Lemon Delicious Pudding
Our Lemon Delicious pudding comes with a little jug of cream. We cut a hole in the centre of the fluffy as a souffle pudding and pour the cream inside and dig in. It’s light and ethereal and lemony.
Fruit salad and bircher muesli
I’ve mentioned this before but the advantage to staying out in the country is the absolute silence. As a frightfully light sleeper I relish the idea of not wearing earplugs and whilst my friend Miss America can find the quietness and stillness confronting (he lives in the busiest area of Potts Point so it’s understandable), I love it. We sleep like babies out here and wake to a gorgeous morning and remark how we’ve really lucked out with the weather on this trip.
Mushroom and cheese omelette
Breakfast is a combination of bircher muesli, fruit and toast along with a delicious mushroom and cheese omelette. It’s sustaining fills up just right and throughly refreshed and recharged we set off on our last day of our journey. With a hug for our gracious hosts Kaye and Bob we’re on our way. It’s the longest stretch of drive we’ve had thus far and we arrive at Max’s Restaurant on the Mornington Peninsula where Max Paganoni greets us.
He’s a lovely host and shows us the amazing view that stretches out in front of his restaurant and winery. He points out Seal Rocks where a building blew away, the Nobbies and French Island where Kylie Minogue recently bought property.
He is a proud member of the Mornington Peninsula Gourmet which is a group of food producers and businesses in Mornington PeninsulaHthat focus on foods grown and produced in the region. His proudest moment is the Morello Cherry Balsamic vinegar which he learned to produce on a trip to Modena, Italy where the best Balsamic is made. Aged Balsamic is a true treasure with bottles being ages for 20-25 years at a cost of a few hundred dollars for a single bottle. “Have you tried some?” he asks and generously brings us the bottle of the Ferrari designed bottle of “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale” Modena made Balsamic. It’s heady, gorgeous stuff indeed. You can really see why it commands such prices as it’s syrupy and rich.
Max’s theory is that balsamic, which is usually made from scraps from cooked grapes would be even better if they made it out of the local Mornington Peninsula cherries. So 10 years ago, he started the process and this year he is releasing his first batch of Morello Cherry Balsamic vinegar. With a glass of Red Hill Estate Mornington Blanc de Noirs and a glass of Red Hill Estate Mornington Blanc de Blanc we try some of his aged morello cherry balasmic with some fresh oysters and it’s sublime, a distinct flavour of cherries witha viscous syrupy texture.
The Ferrari designed bottle
Oysters with Balsamic dressing
Max’s Dukkah
An amazingly generous host, Max then gives us a canister of their Dukkah which is delicious with sesame seeds and pistachio (I find some dukkah’s can be sawdusty but this is not with a nice nutty mixture), a bottle of their extra virgin olive oil and their table balsamic and the prize is a bottle of his treasured morello cherry balsamic vinegar which he is designing a box for and will retail for $60. Max points out his grandfather in the corner who at aged 92 dines every week at the restaurant and sits in the designated “Pa’s Corner”.
We take a little drive around the area checking out various farm gate businesses and see that there are PYO strawberries, and farmgate apples and tomatoes although a flight back to Sydney the next morning isn’t very conducive to these so we have to pass these by.
Montalto’s working garden
Our next stop is dinner at Montalto Winery which is a place that proudly boats a chef’s hat in the new The Age Good Food Guide. We meet Heidi one of the owners along with her parents and she shows us around the vast 50 acre grounds through the working vegetable garden that grows corn, tomatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, tamarillos, passionfruit, pumpkin and sorrel and we see the olive trees that border the property. Usually pine trees border vineyards to help keep out the wind but they make use of as much of the property so that it all “works”. She shows us past picnic sites where for $70 a person plus wine, you can get a picnic lunch and the rose garden. Mr NQN asks “Can people go for a walk on the estate with a glass of wine?“ and she answers of course and right on cue, a couple walk past talking and holding glasses of wine. There’s also some amazing sculptures on display here too as part of the sculpture prize and exhibition.
One of the sculptures
Another sculpture
I wonder what your postman would do if you had this by the gate
Afterwards we take a seat at the Montalto restaurant which is a beautiful glass fronted building. Service is deferential and top notch, when you leave the table the napkins are folded on the side and when you return a waitress or waiter magically appears to place it in your lap.
We start with an olive bread with their signature olive oil, a lovely strong, grassy oil.
Amuse Bouche: creamy cauliflower soup
Our amuse bouche is a sublimely creamy cauliflower soup “I could just eat this for an entree” I tell Mr NQN. The waitress comes to collect our cups and asks how we found it and we tell her that we like it. She then remarks “Some people just want to order it for an entree” which we can understand.
Duck: Asssiette of duck $21
The first entree is a terrine of duck, pork and foie gras, orange glazed duck leg on celeriac remoulade, brandy currants and liver parfait and duck consomme. I am very partial to an assiette plate as it allows me to try lots of different tastes. My favourite of this place is undoubtedly the tenderly gorgeous orange glazed duck leg. The rich liver parfait is lightened by the brandy soused currants and the terrine is good but I’m all terrined out by this stage of our trip. The only item that I don’t fall in love with is the consomme which tastes more of celery and onion than duck.
Pan fried scallops with proscuitto, Red Hill Summer “soft” goat’s cheese, figs and a walnut baby cress dressing $20
If I were to design a dish it would have fat scallops and the ripest, most perfect figs, a rich soft goat’s cheese and bacon or proscuitto. When I look down a smile spread across my face in pleasure, it’s just to my taste and I happily devour all of it.
Pork trotters on a de puy lentils $40
The very super rich trotters are filled with a mince and sit on a bed of de puy lentils that still have a little bite to them. Mr NQN likes these and finish it off but as I’m in the mood for seafood, I go for the other main.
Veal rib $44
Absolutely enormous, the veal rib is stuffed with minuet vegetables and is nicely charred on the outside. Alongside it is linguine tossed with scampi and crayfish bisque which is my favourite portion. One might call it a classy surf and turf although surf and turf isn’t something I’m usually a fan of as I usually just prefer more seafood which I find myself doing here.
Pannacotta $19
I’m too stuffed to contemplate dessert but Mr NQN can so he asks the waitress for a recommendation and she recommends either the chocolate or the panna cotta. As the chocolate is a little too rich to end this meal with he goes for the panna cotta which comes out in a glass. It’s a personal thing but I don’t really go for panna cotta in glasses. I like to see it wobbling in front of me in all of it’s voluptuous glory – it’s a bit of rated R theatre before ingestion. The vanilla bean panna cotta is a garden lemon verbena yogurt panna cotta with fresh, local raspberries and Shoreham honey jelly and isn’t quite as soft as I would like and it’s a little hard to control the ratio of jelly and raspberry in a glass.
And we couldn’t imagine a better way to end our fantastic trip than with a glass of bubbly Montalto Moscato dessert wine!
So tell me Dear Readers, are you a surf (seafood) or a turf (beef or lamb) person?
NQN and Mr NQN travelled from Sydney to Melbourne as guests of Sydney to Melbourne Touring.
Ferry Seafood
Main Esplanade, Lakes Entrance, Victoria
Waterholes Guest House
540 Archies Road, Bairnsdale, Victoria
Tel: +61 (03) 5157 9330
www.waterholesguesthouse.com.au
Max’s Restaurant
53 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, Vic
Tel: +61 (03) 5931 0177
www.maxsrestaurant.com.au
Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove
33 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, Victoria
Tel: +61 (03) 5989 8412
www.montalto.com.au
NQN and Mr NQN travelled as guests of Sydney to Melbourne Touring.
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53 Comments | Add your own
I think you finally sealed the deal I AM MOVING TO AUSTRALIA, i just hope my family is coming. Beautiful post and you spiked my curiousity with trevalla and fennel pollen never even heard of those.
Wow you visited some really nice looking places. I could ho into a massive bag of prawns right now
The final leg of your trip looked just lovely.
I usually choose seafood over meat as it tends to be lighter meaning I can fit in dessert.
You do mean the pear tree is 130 years old, not 13??!
Gorgeous photos!
Fellow lindor ball freak here – Target recently sold the ‘Lantern’ tubes of lindor balls in a deal of 2 for $25 – and there are 32 balls in each tube! I snapped some up and ate them all myself :O
Lakes Entrance! One of the most beautiful places in the world! I wish it was closer to Sydney…
I’m a scallop person. And a pork belly person, and a veal person. So both surf and turf. P.s your trip looks absolutely AMAZING.
Beautiful post. I am very keen to try the aged Cherry balsamic. It looks amazing!
I have said it before – you are a lucky girl!
Happy Birthday for tomorrow
x
You really get to go to some wonderful places. I want to try some fennel pollen now too!
I hope you have a lovely birthday with some really yummy food. Cakes for breakfast lunch and dinner sounds good. Get cooking, Mr NQN!
What a way to end your trip!! Looks like both of you had a great time…
I have to admit that I’m a ‘turf’ person – as I’ve mentioned a few times in comments on here, I’m not a seafood person (except for fish & chips, canned tuna, and fried/crumbed calamari rings). I would prefer to eat meat…not a huge steak, mind you.
Love it! What beautiful places to visit! I particularly love the Pan fried scallops with proscuitto, Red Hill Summer “soft” goat’s cheese, figs and a walnut baby cress dressing. YUM, YUM!
I answer your question, I am definately a surf (seafood) gal at the moment. However nothing beats a good ol’ lamb shank or something of the like in the colder months.
Wonderful roadtrip. I felt I was right there with you, you were doing all the things that I love, with amazing weather as well.
Heavens ,I have instructions to be buried with a big bag of prawns, Kiwi peanut brownie buscuits and Young Chow fried rice (prawns again!)
I am a Surf fan.
Great blog , its like being there
Thanks!
Hi Lorraine, my fiancee (from the U.S of A) have just come back from the Lakes Entrance. What a beautiful spot and must heartily agree with the Prawn Feasts, superb. For a family travelling around excellent meals in the Lakes R.S.L Motel restaurant, seafood direct from the boats and nearly unsurmountable in portion size. The beauty of the area, the friendliness of the perople really makes this area a “Treasure”. Thanks for the fantastic blogs, look forward to them each day.
oooh, I like both but not on the same plate.Unfortunately where we live (a long way from the coast and fresh seafood)there seems to be an obsession with it.
And well done Mr NQN. Black snakes ok – brown snakes very bad. Always check the rear vision mirror to make sure the snake is on the road not in your engine.
What a lovely post, Lorraine. This looks like it was such a fantastic getaway! Your room is really lovely — so bright and cheerful. Cherry balsamic is such a fantastic idea! I bet it’s fabulous!
What a great couple of days! Those figs look just gorgeous.
I’ve definitely a surf person. Prawns prawns prawns prawns!!!
I remember staying at Lakes Entrance when I was a kid and still recall all the mosquitoes there were in our motel room. We drove through Omeo along narrow, windy, gravel roads late at night. I really thought the car would go over the edge. However, I would love to go back and have another look.
Hmmm… very interesting. Have been looking ard for a weekend getaway. NICE!
And welcome to Melbourne
Hmmm. I’m a turf woman – very controversial growing up on the coast but my love of lamb supercedes all other meats .
Wow. This is very nice. I love fresh prawns. And I love the finish, those meals look absolutely delicious.
How long did the trip through these places take in total?
What a wonderful trip! Beautiful scenery and great eats! The dinner at Montalto restaurant looks especially good!
Hahaha! Mr NQ’s comment abt the snake cracked me up. A sadistic humor, I like that!
This place sounds HEAVENLY! Seriously, from start to end….from the olive roll to the bubbly…what a perfect evening!
Wow. Those prawns are beautiful. That veal rib doesn’t look too bad either. I think I would be fine with either one.
Cherry balsamic vinegar on oysters? Wow, how interesting is that! And a Ferrari-designed bottle? I don’t even want to know how much that bottle costs. I know, I know, if you have to ask…..
hope you enjoyed your trip- my sister lives in Bemm its such a lovely little town
I am such an excited food chanter too
Definitely a surf person – I could easily live without meaty meat. These long posts of yours are such agony – everything (food/scenery/hotels) looks so divine, it makes my head go wobbly!
Oh little prawny, how I miss thee here in this landlocked country…
oh your prawn picnic totally reminded me of my honeymoon. We went to Nowra and had the most delicious fresh prawns and oysters, the best I have ever eaten.
I love fresh prawns and soft fresh bread rolls and making a prawn sandwich out of them, its just the best spontaneous picnic food.
Your trip just looks awesome I am very jealous.
Mmm delicious … for some reason I feel like fresh prawns right now!
I used to live in Bairnsdale and visit Lakes Entrance a lot when I was a child so it is lovely to see this part of the world covered in your blog as I think a lot of people haven’t been to the area. I can remember loving the 90 mile beach and the seafood of course!
I <3 the look of that panna cotta and the fennel pollen is actually quite pretty.
for some reason, i absolutely love the fact that you felt it necessary to include a shot of the prawn detritus.
You got me at the souffle!
I must get that square sauce dish!!! Seriously… how many great places! Those photos are spectacular… how is it you don’t weigh 1000 pounds, Lorraine!
Mi dispiace. The balsamico is from grape must. It is aged in cherry wood. There are no cherries in it. Somebody misinformed you.
Enjoy Victoria.
Misread – now I understand – Max is making his own “balsamico” !
AWesome~
my eyes are set on the scallops *drools~~~
Your post is absolutely beautiful but I have to say, I scrolled back up to look at the fresh prawns
prawns prawns prawns indeed!! Sydney to Melb road trip sounds fun.. and all that glorious food!!
Everything looks so wonderful! The view of the lake is so calming. That’s the advantage of living in a vast country- you can always take your car and drive out to some amazing wonders… The meal at Max’s looks so good too. I will have to make a note.
I am having so much fun traveling with you through Australia! Love the stopover and the fresh shrimps and the last meal: I would eat lamb over fish any day!
That olive oil you were served sure looked thick!
I’m a food chanter too =) That’s a lot of prawns! You lucky girl!
This all looks glorious! Beautiful day, beautiful food.
I grew up on the Mornington Peninsula and, as with most people who grow up in a holiday destination, never really explored all the great things to do there. You have inspired me to ‘go home’ for a week and really get to know my home town. Thanks
Ps: Surf every time for me!
Wishing I could nip down to Lakes Entrance today as those prawns look so tempting on this sunny Sydney day. Very inspiring ideas for trip down south someday.
What a fantastic food filled end to your trip =) Ryan I I bought fresh prawns off a boat while we were on the Gold Coast in February – we still crave them till this day! Nothing beats them in flavour and texture.
Those oysters look yum. They’re the crown jewel of modern cuisines!
Oh wow, what a fabulous trip, Lorraine! Everything is amazing! The fresh prawns, the cabin, those fabulous Lindor balls that I’m a fanatic for too.
Definitely in the ‘surf’ camp but only when it’s fresh & well cooked!
Love it all, seafood and all meats but it has to be super fresh and cooked to perfection.
Fennel pollen used to eat it as a child, it grows by the roadside everywhere and councils consider it a noxious weed. Little do they know just how delicious Wild Fennel really is.When Fennel is out of season, I often pick the velvety fronds of wild fennel to enhance my pork dishes.
Next time you go on a road trip, Me come too
ooh all this looked so good! and FINALLY you are in my state so I have some new places to check out!
I ended up at your blog after visiting various cupcake blogs and I must say, not only are your cakes awesome but I was thrilled reading about your trip to Monalto winery – 10 minutes away from my home!!!
Peta
i love max’s
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