Eleonore's @ Chateau Yering - Yering

Name: Eleonore's @ Chateau Yering

Address:
42 Melba Hwy
Yering 3770 VIC

Phone: (03) 9237 3333

Food: ModOz, European
Average price: two course - $70pp, three courses $95pp, eight course degustation - $130pp

Complimentary:

Cold white or wholemeal rolls with butter, salt and truffle butter.

We ordered:

Entrée: Seared Red Mullet
tagliatelle of calamari and fennel, citrus, Jacqueline emulsion

S thought this was ok, but average in terms of taste.

Heirloom Tomatoes
bocconcini leaf, tomato foam, organic roquette, tomato chips, olive jam

Whilst I loved the  array of flavours, the large slab of bocconcini was a little dull and did wash away the other elements.

Twice-Cooked Free Range Pork Belly
scallops, smoked banana purée, black pudding, pineapple and truffle salad

R raved about this - Even though he was not a fan of scallops. The puree was sublime, the pineapple added a pleasing surprising element and the pork was tender, but was not the star. Overall it was a wonderful dish.

Steamed and Grilled Sea Eel
crisp sushi, avocado mayonnaise, teriyaki braised mushrooms, white asparagus, flying fish roe

A raved about this - '10/10, this is beautiful'. 

Mains: Seared Mulloway
nasturtium leaf coulis, shaved young coconut, compressed cucumber, radish, crab rémoulade, caviar

A really enjoyed this dish.

Baked Silken Tofu in a Crisp Taco Shell
fricassee of wild mushrooms and asparagus, corn custard, black bean dressing

This was heavily salty, I assume from the sauce they used. The tofu was what I expected marinated silken tofu to taste like, the taco was hard to break through as it was soft and not super crispy and crunchy. The rest was nice, if somewhat a little one-dimensional thanks to the overall saltiness of the dish which smothered everything. The portion size wsa generous but it wasn't enjoyabel to eat.

Fillet of 9+ score Wagyu
braised ox tail, shaved truffle, potato foam, salt crust roasted beetroot, périgord jus

R thought this was very nice but S thought it was average and that his truffle slice was a little cardboard-y.

Desserts: Mango Soufflé
passionfruit jelly, coconut and lemongrass ice-cream, pineapple bubbles, fresh tropical fruits

The souffle was nice and light, even if the crust was edging towards 'slightly over-chewy'. The leaves did not meld with the flavours at all; the ice cream did not taste like coconut or lemongrass although the creamy consistency was lovely. The fruits were ok, but after spotting a short, dark hair on a slice of mango, I didn't eat any more of them.

Milk Chocolate Mousse Sphere
pistachio crunch centre, chocolate aero, chocolate and mint ganache, pistachio ice-cream

This let down both R and A. R simply found himself wondering, 'Why am I still eating this, it is so boring, I would have rathered an Aero Bar.'

Cost: $355 - for 4 entrees, 4 mains and 3 desserts.

Service: Great. Attentive but unobtrusive. It would have been nice for them to explain the meals again once they arrived since they are so complex.

Atmosphere: Like a trip to the past. The room is period and very large. As there were no other diners it was dead silent until they put on a CD. The view is lovely, and we were treated to a helicopter landing right in front. If you don't like red walls with patterned green carpet then you won't want to eat here.

Parking: Ample except for when the Farmer's Market is on, then you will be driving in circles waiting for someone to leave.

Website: http://www.chateauyering.com.au/index.asp

Hours: Sat-Sun noon-3pm, daily 6.30pm-10.30pm

Would I return: No - too far to drive and too much to pay for a disappointing ending.