Comments on: Dinner at Rae’s Restaurant at Balgownie Estate, Yarra Valley http://www.eatingmelbourneblog.com/2010/01/dinner-at-raes-restaurant-at-balgownie-estate-yarra-valley.html Restaurant, cafe and bar reviews, food and wine in Melbourne, Australia. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:58:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Audumla http://www.eatingmelbourneblog.com/2010/01/dinner-at-raes-restaurant-at-balgownie-estate-yarra-valley.html/comment-page-1#comment-469 Audumla Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:54:58 +0000 http://eatingmelbourneblogc.ipage.com/?p=17#comment-469 We found the accommodation was OK, but not up to what the photos made it out to be. The massage was great and the balloon flight was brilliant. The restaurant ... . that's another story. Me and my wife could not stop laughing all the way through the meal. Every dish was a more extraordinary exercise in ridiculousness compared to the last. Far too many components to each dish and combinations of food that should just not be brought together, cauliflower and mango ... mmm yummy. I asked for my lamb to be rare, it came out well done. My chocolate dessert had obviously been refrozen and was stuck to the plate. With so much local and fresh produce in the area it is a shame to see a menu full of out of season ingredients. Any decent home cook could produce better dishes. This type of food is what you would expect from a try hard student who's parents constantly say how wonderful they are. If you do stay at Balgownie overnight, just don't go to the restaurant. Get a lift or taxi to DeBortoli winery, they know how to cook. We found the accommodation was OK, but not up to what the photos made it out to be. The massage was great and the balloon flight was brilliant.
The restaurant … . that’s another story. Me and my wife could not stop laughing all the way through the meal. Every dish was a more extraordinary exercise in ridiculousness compared to the last. Far too many components to each dish and combinations of food that should just not be brought together, cauliflower and mango … mmm yummy. I asked for my lamb to be rare, it came out well done. My chocolate dessert had obviously been refrozen and was stuck to the plate. With so much local and fresh produce in the area it is a shame to see a menu full of out of season ingredients. Any decent home cook could produce better dishes.
This type of food is what you would expect from a try hard student who’s parents constantly say how wonderful they are. If you do stay at Balgownie overnight, just don’t go to the restaurant. Get a lift or taxi to DeBortoli winery, they know how to cook.

]]> By: Hugo http://www.eatingmelbourneblog.com/2010/01/dinner-at-raes-restaurant-at-balgownie-estate-yarra-valley.html/comment-page-1#comment-404 Hugo Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:12:53 +0000 http://eatingmelbourneblogc.ipage.com/?p=17#comment-404 My husband and i just arrived home from our long weekend stay at Mecure Balgwonie & your comments completely surprise us! From the moment we arrived, the staff where very caring & professional. The food at Raes, all be it, we only ate there for dinner once and breakfast twice was fantastic. My husband highly recommends the slow cooked pork belly...delicious!!! We have rebooked for later in the year with another couple & cant wait, will def. try the hot air ballooning next time My husband and i just arrived home from our long weekend stay at Mecure Balgwonie & your comments completely surprise us! From the moment we arrived, the staff where very caring & professional. The food at Raes, all be it, we only ate there for dinner once and breakfast twice was fantastic. My husband highly recommends the slow cooked pork belly…delicious!!! We have rebooked for later in the year with another couple & cant wait, will def. try the hot air ballooning next time

]]> By: Not happy Wen http://www.eatingmelbourneblog.com/2010/01/dinner-at-raes-restaurant-at-balgownie-estate-yarra-valley.html/comment-page-1#comment-350 Not happy Wen Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:00:26 +0000 http://eatingmelbourneblogc.ipage.com/?p=17#comment-350 Had a great time the first time I went there. Recomended to many friends and clients. BUT AND BUT. Went there for special occassion recently. Food delivered on dirty plates, orvercharged on bill, offered one drink at start and that is it. Service - could not remember what guests ordered or what the food was. Quite overpriced for the type of service you would receive in a cafe. Both men of the party rang to complain. Call not returned from one gentlemen and perceived and lack of caring for the gentleman that actually spoke to someone. VERY VERY DISSAPOINTING! Had a great time the first time I went there. Recomended to many friends and clients. BUT AND BUT. Went there for special occassion recently. Food delivered on dirty plates, orvercharged on bill, offered one drink at start and that is it. Service – could not remember what guests ordered or what the food was. Quite overpriced for the type of service you would receive in a cafe. Both men of the party rang to complain. Call not returned from one gentlemen and perceived and lack of caring for the gentleman that actually spoke to someone.

VERY VERY DISSAPOINTING!

]]> By: Food for Life http://www.eatingmelbourneblog.com/2010/01/dinner-at-raes-restaurant-at-balgownie-estate-yarra-valley.html/comment-page-1#comment-110 Food for Life Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:39:16 +0000 http://eatingmelbourneblogc.ipage.com/?p=17#comment-110 Tedious hotel trained chef fodder.Ridiculously over-fussy, gimicky (smears and drizzles) and poorly executed. I looked at the menu on their website and alarm bells sounded. What a hotch-potch of ingredients. Worse still from your comments and the photo this is then poorly executed on the plate. From my experience hotel restaurants are to be avoided at ALL COST unless leased to hospitality experts/real chefs. Tedious hotel trained chef fodder.Ridiculously over-fussy, gimicky (smears and drizzles) and poorly executed. I looked at the menu on their website and alarm bells sounded. What a hotch-potch of ingredients. Worse still from your comments and the photo this is then poorly executed on the plate. From my experience hotel restaurants are to be avoided at ALL COST unless leased to hospitality experts/real chefs.

]]> By: Agnes http://www.eatingmelbourneblog.com/2010/01/dinner-at-raes-restaurant-at-balgownie-estate-yarra-valley.html/comment-page-1#comment-111 Agnes Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:47:58 +0000 http://eatingmelbourneblogc.ipage.com/?p=17#comment-111 I HATE brown smears on plates - don't people realise how much it looks like.... well, you know! And gosh your plate looked unappetising. <br /><br />The ballooning looks fantastic though. :) That second photo is stunning! I HATE brown smears on plates – don't people realise how much it looks like…. well, you know! And gosh your plate looked unappetising.

The ballooning looks fantastic though. :) That second photo is stunning!

]]> By: Food lover http://www.eatingmelbourneblog.com/2010/01/dinner-at-raes-restaurant-at-balgownie-estate-yarra-valley.html/comment-page-1#comment-112 Food lover Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:07:14 +0000 http://eatingmelbourneblogc.ipage.com/?p=17#comment-112 It's a shame that a place with such beautiful views would have such bad service... I think these wineries are quite touristic and don't really worry about return visits. It's a shame that a place with such beautiful views would have such bad service… I think these wineries are quite touristic and don't really worry about return visits.

]]> By: mademoiselle délicieuse http://www.eatingmelbourneblog.com/2010/01/dinner-at-raes-restaurant-at-balgownie-estate-yarra-valley.html/comment-page-1#comment-113 mademoiselle délicieuse Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:39:04 +0000 http://eatingmelbourneblogc.ipage.com/?p=17#comment-113 Yes, that lurid lime green 'thing' has me puzzled too! Yes, that lurid lime green 'thing' has me puzzled too!

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