Muse Restaurant

For our first year anniversary the wife and I went for a drive to Hunter Valley to tick off eating at Muse Restaurant. It's been a long time since we've dined out at any fancy places where every dish requires it own set of cutlery.

We chose the Tasting Menu rather than Ala Carte because it allowed us to sample a large range of their best dishes BUT only very small portions.

We started off with something not on the menu. I love the little complimentary dishes the chef pairs up with the tasting menu. 

The flavours were well thought out... with the initial introductory dishes bringing out a massive hit of earthy flavours that were far from bland.

It was creatively plated and kicked off the meal with fireworks and high expectations.

The first official dish on the tasting menu was Sashimi of Hiram's Kingfish with fennel, apple, their own verjuice, Coppersfolly wasabi yoghurt. As expected the dishes came out delicate and well designed. You wouldn't expect anything less of the number one restaurant in Hunter Valley... The wife and I love the sashimi and this dish didn't disappoint. The dish was the refreshing layer of the menu. It really added the zing to the taste buds after our starter.

The next dish on the menu was Pan Seared Sea Scallops with melon, tamarind, nasturtium, bonito crumb and clam butter. The dish yet again was small and my appetite grew slightly impatient at this point. Especially since after this dish more patrons walked in and the wait grew longer between dishes. The scallop were well seared, the sauces were sufficient but I'm not a big fan of fruit in my mains.

Next up was their Hunter Valley Quail with salted baked beetroot, Binnorie Goats Cheese and horseradish. The goats cheese was super creamy and smooth. The quail was very tender and cooked differently to how I normally have it (very Asian styled).

Next was their Milly Hill Lamb 'served pink' with salt baked sweet potato, cultured goats milk, lentils, herbs and flowers. This dish reintroduced the earthy theme for the menu. The lentils, herbs and flowers had that raw element to compliment the slightly sweet lamb. It was definitely an interesting dish... but probably my least favourite in the menu.

Our palate cleanser dish was a sorbet... not just any sorbet.. but the best sorbet I've had. If dessert places can make sorbet like this... it could put Messina out of business. It melted in your mouth like snow caps on mountains and you can taste every drop of the fruit flavoured dew. This set up for an incredible finale dish... and most important dish, the dessert.

When their dessert, Muse Coconut hit the table... my jaw dropped. It was magnificently presented.... and as for the taste... BEST DESSERT EVER. The combination of a dark chocolate shaped like a coconut shell, coconut icing, coconut in a creamy texture, edible flowers... it just blew my mind with textures, visually and coconut sensation. I devoured my dessert because I was just so happy (that's literally the only word I could describe it to be, literally happy like a kid getting a soft serve from Mr Whippy). Every bite just brought back the child in me... to remember the sensation of enjoying a great meal.

As we requested the bill, they even brought out some fancy dark chocolates to finish off.

I had my reservations about fancy degustations... especially after being to places like Quay and Tetsuya... I hate the fact it's so proper, a bit snobbish feeling and the fact I would be paying so much for so little... and most of the time only one dish was half memorable... but this place really takes the cake (or dessert) because the menu was so damn brilliant...

With top quality food, friendly service and a great location... I'd say its worth spoiling yourself to treat your tastebuds to something a bit fancy and utterly mouthwatering... and best of all I left feeling full...