Mini-break! We headed down to the Southern Highlands, nearly two hours outside of Sydney, for a winter escape and a continued birthday celebration (for me). I did a bit of research and saw that Birch has not been open a long time but is building a nice reputation for itself. They host special meals on Friday nights, featuring local wines and a special menu.
Something to start was a half shell scallop with kilpatrick foam, paired with Joadja Distillery Dry Gin with citrus foam. I found the citrus foam a little too bitter and tangy for me, but otherwise, it was a nice start.
The entrée was a beetroot soused salmon, citrus salsa and yuzu gel, paired with a 2017 Far Ago Hill Pinot Gris. My god, what a pretty dish. And the wine was really interesting: lots going on with it.
The main was black angus beef, smoked porcini, truffle butter and pomme noisette, paired with a 2015 St Maur Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.
The meat was perfectly cooked, and the dollop of truffle butter was outrageous.
The dessert was a wintery trio of crumbles of pear, apple and rhubarb paired with Cuttaway Hill Wines’ Traditional Methode Champenois (Special Blend. I was expecting a humble fruit crumble, but as you can see, this was a fancier dish than that.
What else to say? It was a great start to a foodie weekend away. The service was friendly and efficient. There was a nice buzz (I think these special dinners tend to be completely sold out). The setting is lovely too, with the restaurant taking over a wonderful old post office building. Oh, and for $99 each, I thought this exceptional value. We really loved our meal here: Thanks Birch!
