Eating out in the Snowy Mountains, Australia @ Not Quite Nigella

Category Archives: Snowy Mountains

Snowy Mountains eating and travel

The Last Of The Snow Bunnies, Thredbo

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

With bonus shin bruising!

Good Sunday to you Dear Reader! So from my earlier story on Thredbo, where was I? Oh yes my shins were bleeding and bruised from my morning ski lesson and incorrectly put on boots (that would be my own fault). I have managed to slowly hobble my way onto the shuttle bus and back to The Peak where we are staying. I punch in my number and slowly remove my boots and clothing. My thermals which seem to cling tightly to my shins and ankles feel like peeling off a bandaid from a wound and I hobble around the apartment like I’m starring in the movie Misery and Kathy Bates is slowly chasing me around the house with an axe.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

I hang everything wet (and it’s all pretty much wet from the rain) up in the drying cupboard which is a huge cupboard with a heater blowing in there that dries all the ski gear. High heeled boots would not do for the night and I make the quick decision to suspend my “no ugg boots out of doors” rule and wear my fluffy new fur tipped ugg boots and outfit from Birdsnest.com.au and we are going to drive down to dinner. But not before the crackle of fireworks are heard and we watch skiers with red lights shushing down the mountain to the burst of fireworks.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

The skiers heading down

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

Fireworks display

We make our way to our dinner degustation for the evening, Segreto restaurant at The Thredbo Alpine Hotel. The restaurant itself is tiny and when I walk I to the door I have to ask if I am entering through the right entrance (I am, it just doesn’t look like the correct entrance) and I take a seat and wait for Chris from Toyota and his partner Charles. After not being able to find a park Mr NQN drives back to The Peak to park the Toyota Prado Kakadu and walks down. And this is where you rally feel sorry for me as I have the second Veuve Clicquot degustation dinner that weekend.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

There are five courses including one amuse bouche so really it is more of a slightly more comprehensive dinner than a full blown degustation. Service is generally good although from one waitperson it borders on brusque and alternates between pleasant to curt within the one interaction which is just all kinds of odd. However we do notice that our champagnes are regularly topped up whereas the other night they weren’t. A Veuve Clicquot representative gets up to speak about the brand and it is a similar speech to what she told us but this time she also tells us that they invented the riddling table where the champagne rests so that the yeast settles to one end and is then extracted from the champagne. Veuve Clicquot is also a Pinot Noir dominated champagne which is a signature trait of theirs.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

Raspberry juice acidule, wasabi emulsion served with Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV

Served in a shot glass our amuse is a raspberry juice acidule with a wasabi foam on top. The first sip of course yields much wasabi foam while the second and third are more balanced with the chilled raspberry juice sweeten with mirin. The wasabi foam is nicely balanced and not too sinus clearing.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

Tuna and scampish with puffed cereals, mustard seed sorbet, miring dressing served with Veuve Clicquot Vintage 2002

This was undoubtedly a favorite with everyone at the table. A large tuna fillet seared on the outside was topped with a multitude of things. At first thought to be too many, and even though there were many components, they all did blend together nicely. There were little puffed cereal pieces, sorrel and celery leaf salad, what appeared to be crab salad (scampi was mentioned on the menu and there was no correction given but I would say that it was certainly crab), as well as the piece de resistance, mustard seed sorbet which was divine. It was sweet most certainly but there was just the right amount of mustard seed so that it wasn’t hot but had the trademark mustard taste.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

Iodized asparagus, mollusc juice, roasted pork belly, celeriac mousse served with Veuve Clicquot Rose NV

Sadly this dish in contrast wasn’t a favorite. The iodized asparagus and mollusc juice ended up becoming a semi set jelly that dissolved easily and became quite watery. The pork belly as a result ended up tasting quite wet and losing all of it’s juicy unctuousness.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

Roast Duck Magret, savoy cabbage purée, preserved lemon mayonnaise, cardamom crumble, chestnut beignet served with Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rose 2004

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45 comments | September 18th, 2011 by Not Quite Nigella

Frolicking In A Winter Wonderland

thredbo food wine

“Look at all the snow up there!” Mr NQN points out to me.

“Mmm yes and see the hot donut stand just underneath it?” I say the falling snow reminding me of icing sugar on the aromatic donuts that have assaulted my olfactory senses.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

It was Mr NQN’s birthday weekend and one of his dearest wishes for any birthday is to go snowboarding. Yes he’s one of those sporty types. As for me, I’m still using the excuse that I have one leg shorter than the other and hence apres ski is more my thing (and yes I’m conveniently ignoring the fact that most people have one leg shorter than the other ). But as long as there is such a thing as apres ski then I am happy to cater for his wishes because I get to explore the food at the snow. And I am determined to make him love birthdays. The poor thing has received such things as toilet cleaner, rocks from the river or recently a Dr Phil self help book from his family so I wanted him to look forward to his birthday every year.

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

We had just driven six hours from Sydney in our Toyota Prado Kakadu. We are travelling with Toyota who are a major sponsor of Thredbo who have also kindly loaned us the Prado so that we would have a nice comfortable ride (Mr NQN was driving and I managed to nod off several times) and wouldn’t have to worry about snow chains. Thredbo is a ski area six hours south of Sydney and about three hours south of Canberra where you can stay right on the snow without having to drive a lengthy distance to get there.

thredbo food wine

On the way we stopped at 3 seeds in Fyshwick which is a gourmet canteen and cooking school about three hours out of Sydney and about half way along the drive to Thredbo. The owners Catherine and Andrew are the former owners of Pod Food where I enjoyed a meal a while back. They’re about to move a few minutes away to the Fyshwick markets where they’ll conduct their very popular school and serve freshly made pre packaged goods for people who want good home style food without having to go out to a restaurant.

thredbo food wine

Pan seared mushrooms with Persian feta, truffle oil and roasted tomato on toast $15.50

We’re here for breakfast and we’re starving considering the early hour of departure. The mushrooms came as a recommendation from Catherine as they are a popular item and when you sink your teeth into the first bite you are hooked. Despite the fact that I bake so many sweet things, I’m more of a savoury person and this is a crunchy, soft, spongey, savoury umami mix of flavours. The Persian feta gives the seared mushrooms a richness while the spongey toast soaks up all of the flavours while still remaining slightly crunchy on the outside.

thredbo food wine

French toast with berries, maple syrup and vanilla yogurt $15

“This French toast isn’t any good” Mr NQN says before looking up at me mischievously. ”OK hand it over” I tell him and he reluctantly does so. It’s lip smackingly good, the same bread used in the mushroom dish above absorbs the eggs while still remaining texture and it is paired with a generous serve of berries and fresh medjool dates. The quenelle in the centre isn’t the vanilla yogurt, it tastes mostly of butter but I think there was enough tanginess from the berries. Our tummies happily full we get back on the road to drive the remaining three hours or so to Thredbo.

On the way we stop by Bird’s Nest boutique which is one of my favourite online boutiques. I recently bought a cape from them and tweeted about how happy I was with their next day delivery service just because I really think online stores in Australia should have next day delivery. It annoys me that I often get overseas packages faster than packages from Australian stores and they wonder why we shop overseas! Oops I did go on for a bit. Rant over. Anyway lo and behold a month later I was there getting outfitted for some apres ski clothes.

thredbo food wine

Why don’t all dressing rooms have rules like this?

thredbo food wine clicquot in the snow

Staple the Label kimono wrap-big love for this. I’ve worn this loads of times and always get compliments.

Bird’s Nest have 30 full time and part time staff and 80% of their business is done online. The reason for their success is that they have 150 brands and 3,000 items rather than a small selection of clothes that a lot of online stores have along with a next day postage guarantee and a no questions asked returns policy.

thredbo food wine

We check into our accommodation at The Peak which sits on a road parallel and above to the main village street. The view is stunning and looks out straight onto the ski slopes. Our penthouse apartment (apartment # is enormous with two bedrooms and a loft with two queen sized beds and two single beds. And a sign tells us that it is for sale at a reduced price ($1.4 million if you’re curious ).

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62 comments | August 23rd, 2011 by Not Quite Nigella

Pender Lea Post Office, Jindabyne & The Lott, Cooma

pender lea post office

“I’m going to pinch that light!” I whisper to Queen Viv.

“What, the gigantic one that is bigger than you?” she asks.

“Well … ermm yes I may need your help!” I say looking around furtively.

pender lea post office

Oops allow me to rewind a little, I was too busy chattering on for a moment. We’ve just entered the Pender Lea Post Office, a converted post office in Jindabyne. It is owned and renovated by husband and wife team Warren Hickey and Sonja Schatzle. And I’ve fallen in love with a light…

pender lea post office

Warren (left) and Sonja (right)

pender lea post office

The sink cupboard which Sonja rescued and restored

Queen Viv and I are staying here for the evening during our trip to the Snowy Mountains and we are also having our very own meal prepared by chef Warren. His wife Sonja’s experience in merchandising at Harrods and Marks and Spencer shows in the details and she is also an avid fan of the internet. “I love the internet” she says smiling. She points to a board that has come from ebay. The rafters are from ebay and they also love reclaiming and reusing items buying a 150 year old woolshed in nearby Braidwood and using that in the renovation.

pender lea post office

I just love details like this!

pender lea post office

Darlings, you know I am a devil about the details and I notice that there is a Diptyque candle, room temperature Evian, organic milk, Welsh blankets on the beds, old fashioned light switches, French soap and decorating touches include old lasts, vintage tart molds & pine cones. The properties are powered by their very own windfarm too.

pender lea post office

His and her shower heads-win win!

pender lea post office

Lovage and forgotten herbs

pender lea post office

In the herb garden outside they grow lovage, tomatoes (ox heart, black Russians), salad burnet (celery) and in weeks to come they will install a wood fired oven.

pender lea post office

Warren cooks

pender lea post office

Spatchcocks ready for roasting

Warren formerly from Level 41 and Bathers Pavilion is also a former private chef. They also owned Merritt’s Mountain House and after tiring of working with food for 17 hours a day they decided to cater for friends that were formerly clients from the restaurant. Suddenly what was supposed to be a move into reducing their working hours became an even bigger job and they were booking out three weeks in advance. They were both flown over to Aspen and then to London to cook for wealthy clientele.

pender lea post office

King prawn, snow pea & mustard cress rice paper rolls

Sonja brings over the appetiser and they are rice paper rolls filled with local prawns from Merimbula with sesame, herbs and topped with mustard cress. They’re a perfect balance of flavours and sweetness and freshness.

pender lea post office

Hervey bay scallops with basil, leek & chilli fritters

Our starter is a lighter than air leek fritter topped with basil puree and seared Hervey Bay scallops. The scallops are plump and the heady basil puree and fluffy fritters are a lovely match.

pender lea post office

Most. Gorgeous. Light. Ever.

You know I have a thing about lighting fixtures and when I’m working on the main table in the fireplace room, Queen Viv suddenly says “Look up” and I see the most gorgeous lamp shade ever. I want to run away with it. It’s from London and the decorating for the house was not done by an interior decorator but by Sonja who clearly has an eye for it and a bit of an obsession with reclaiming items like the stone and timber which is all reclaimed.

pender lea post office

Bread: Brasserie Bread caramelised garlic loaf and rye bread with butter and truffle butter

pender lea post office

Sashimi yellowfin tuna, snapper crab and avocado tartare & pomegranate balsamic

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47 comments | January 14th, 2011 by Not Quite Nigella

Schnapps, Fly Fishing and Spa in the Snowy Mountains!

schnapps lake crackenback

Any trip involving Queen Viv and I always has an element of getting lost. This was no exception. We were on our journey to the Snowy Mountains and had picked up our rental car. We then got a good 10 minutes lost amongst roadworks around Canberra airport and when we finally extricated ourselves from the maze I was frantic but Queen Viv patted my arm and said “Don’t worry, I’m used to getting lost”.

schnapps lake crackenback

Two and a half hours later, and without getting lost (it’s hard to get yourself lost following the Monaro Highway) drive to the Snowy Mountains! Now I realise that you might think “Why on earth is she going to the snowy Mountains when there isn’t any snow?”. Well despite being able to walk in vertiginous heels, I am a klutz when it comes to the snow so I actually don’t mind missing out on the snow (apres Ski is another matter darlings ).

schnapps lake crackenback

We arrive at the Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery where we are greeted by owner Brad and Jo from Snowy Mountains Tourism. I know I don’t drink a lot but I have had some lovely butterscotch schnapps in my life and it’s a drink I am happy to try.

schnapps lake crackenback

Eight years ago Brad and his Austrian born wife Monica started Wild Brumby distillery and they are reportedly the only true schnapps distillery in Australia. We take a seat outside and Brad offers us a sip of their most popular schnapps. I take a sip and this is a pure, sweet, smooth peach syrup. I ask if there are any flavours added as it tastes so much like how you’d imagine the sweetest white peaches to taste and he tells me no, there are no added flavours at all, the fruit taste is from the fruit itself. I down my shot in no time before realising that I only had a muffin on the plane this morning and that I had better pace myself.

Still when he offers me a taste of the butterscotch schnapps I don’t refuse. The butterscotch schnapps is actually an item that isn’t traditionally made in Austria and he tells me that you also won’t find it in Europe as it is an American and Australian item. I quickly finish that and go onto the sour apple schnapps which is served over frappe ice which is gorgeous-it’s not sour as such but it is made using granny smith and tart apples. I’m getting a taste for this!

schnapps lake crackenback

The peach schnapps is popular as it is a relatively low alcohol level at 18.5% whereas some schnapps can be 40% and above. It is such a popular ski time drink that became popular because the RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) laws meant that serving a 40% alcohol was not practical whereas this lower alcohol schnapps allowed them to serve it to patrons. Cheaper or not properly made schnapps contains high amounts of methanol which is the ingredient that can make people blind.

schnapps lake crackenback

Part of the schnapps making process-the 150 litre double boiler

And what is the secret to their schnapps? I ask because I’ve had quite a bit when tasting but I don’t get that flush that I do whenever I drink. One of the secrets is having a good relationship with the fruit growers so that they receive fruit that is ripened on the vine. The fermentation process is strictly controlled and takes about 3 week. The distillation process is done in the enormous 150 litre double boiler in the centre of the restaurant. The fermented fruit is piped across from the adjacent location where it ferments in the German copper machine and it is distilled from there.

It’s time for lunch so we take a look at the menu which is all very Austrian in theme as Monica is from a family of bakers and distillers. They started off their food operation as a single pot of goulash which they served along with tea, coffee and schnapps and its popularity meant that this increased to two pots and then three. They then decided to make schnitzel (pan fried here, not deep fried) and took on a cook that specialised in schnitzel. Now between this property and their other restaurant Knickerbocker they have six chefs. As much local produce is used on the menu and the entire property has no septic system and it is run on three giant 5000litre worm farms. Brad uses the castings on the grounds.

schnapps lake crackenback

Goulash $18

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32 comments | December 24th, 2010 by Not Quite Nigella

The Coach House, Tumut, The Snowy Mountains

On our drive back to Sydney, exhausted but blissfully happy at having a great time at the Snow, we sought out a great place to have breakfast. The little country style shop near the house was closed this Monday morning so we drove towards Sydney through Tumut to find a bigger town. I was looking for something cute and blog worthy whilst everyone else was looking for a meal to fill their growling stomachs. Luckily we happened upon the Coach House.

Housed in a sandstone building, there is a front counter with hot pastries, pies and sausage rolls and walking through, an eating area with handy monogrammed green blankets to help ward off the cold. We grab a blanket each and settle in to examine the menu. Ordering and paying at the front I ask about certain items and choose the home made raisin bread and pancakes (told you I was hungry!). The breads, pies, sausage rolls and quiches are all made there daily.

Poached eggs and toast $9

It takes a while for our food and drinks to arrive and when they do, they arrive one by one. Anneli’s poached eggs arrives first. The wholemeal bread is delicious, with a lovely crunch to it- Anneli loves it so much that she enquires as to whether they sell it by the loaf. They do, but require a day’s notice. After a few more queries they offer her a frozen wholemeal loaf which she happily purchases ($4).

The Hot Chocolate with marshmallow, one of those items that the cold weather enhances so superbly is not very impressive, tasting like the base is made up of water and chocolate instead of milk and chocolate – weak and watery.