Truffle Degustation at Darlington Estate Winery, Perth Hills

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"

I know, I know; I whinge about the winter chilliness a bit too much.  You see, I’m not normally that much of a whinger unless I’m sick or I’m cold.  However during winter I am generally both of those things more often than I am not.  This is why I am so thankful for the wondrous fungus Tuber melanosporum, or more commonly known as the black truffle.  Its short season coincides with the deepest part of winter here in Perth and is becoming a key element to my winter survival strategy.

Being right in the height of the truffle season I had already gone a bit giddy with my annual winter addiction at our truffled dinner at Divido and then even further at Clarke’s.  Although I knew the Mundaring Truffle Festival was only a few days away, I figured why not bury myself even deeper into truffle glory and enjoy it to its fullest!

Darlington Estate had kindly extended the invitation on Twitter to Perth bloggers to create a foodie table on their opening night of their Truffle Degustation.  I was joined by fellow bloggers Strawberry Thief, Red Hot Spatula and Perth Food Journal. Being relatively new to the blogging scene it was wonderful to be able to put faces to the blogs that I read each week.  Better still I knew that I would be dining with like-minded people who consider constantly photographing their food is a normal way of life.

Darlington Estate is one of the oldest wineries in the Perth Hills, and over the years they have won many awards both for their wines and for their restaurant. The vineyard is set on steep terraced slopes surrounded by bushland and is supposed to offer lovely views from the restaurant. Having only dined here at night, I have missed out on this part of the experience….poor me, I will have to come back again sometime! It can be hard work being a foodie!

"Amuse bouche" "scallop" "proscuitto" "salmon roe" "cauliflower puree" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Amuse bouche

Prior to commencing I was informed that the chef was well aware of my allergies and that all the dishes were able to be served to me relatively unadulterated except for the truffle brioche.  I was assured that the chef would come up with something else for me for this course.  To get us in the mood out came our amuse bouche; a seared scallop wrapped in prosciutto on a bed of cauliflower purée with salmon roe and truffle. This was a beautiful blend of flavours and balanced nicely although my scallop was ever so slightly overcooked.

"Truffle brioche" "truffle butter" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Truffle brioche, truffle butter

I cursed my wretched gluten intolerance as I watched everyone sink their teeth into the soft and buttery brioche.  The truffle flecked butter spread creamily over it like velvet and was definitely a hit.

"Truffle parsnip chips" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Truffle parsnip chips

Just as my jealousy started to heighten our waiter came over with my special gluten free replacement dish; a very generous sized bowl of truffle parsnip chips.  They were crisp and perfectly seasoned and I had to fight off the Boy from trying to steal a few from me (which he did actually successfully manage twice before I gave him a cold steel look….”don’t steal MY truffles!”).

"Hervey Bay" "scallops" "barigoule potatoes" "truffle and cauliflower puree" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Hervey Bay scallops, barigoule potatoes, truffle and cauliflower puree

Each dish that came out was so beautifully presented and the scallops were no exception. Again my scallops were cooked just slightly past that soft delicate point of perfection.  There was a hint of firmer chewiness but certainly not enough to be a significant detriment to the dish. The cauliflower purée and barigoule potatoes gave a hearty more wintery depth to this light dish making it a gorgeous entrée to kick off this cold night with.

"Linley Valley pork cheek" "truffled almond puree" "parsnip crisp" "red wine jus" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Braised Linley Valley pork cheek, truffled almond puree, parsnip crisp, red wine jus

The braised Linley Valley pork cheek was also plated beautifully, if only I had better light for my photos to do this dish justice.  The meat was tender soft and the subtle sweetness of the truffled almond purée was delightful.  The jus was nearly good enough to lick the plate for.

"Tinder Creek" "confit duck leg" "wild mushroom risotto" "truffled gruyere" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Tinder Creek confit duck leg, wild mushroom risotto, truffled gruyere and white wine sauce

The duck was most definitely my favourite dish of the evening.   The meat was richly flavoursome and simply fell apart under my fork. The truffled gruyere oozed through the meaty flavoured wild mushroom risotto forming fabulous strings of cheesiness joining every forkful.

"palate cleanser" "Lychee" "rosewater" "truffle sorbet" "sparkling shooter" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Lychee, rosewater and truffle sorbet with sparkling shooter

The palate cleanser was very refreshing with the delicate flavours of lychee and rosewater with just a hint of truffliciousness in the backdrop.

"Coffee and truffle pannacotta" "truffle marshmallow" "desserts" "truffle foam" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Coffee and truffle pannacotta, passionfruit and truffle marshmallow, truffle foam
"Coffee and truffle pannacotta" "truffle marshmallow" "desserts" "truffle foam""Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Coffee and truffle pannacotta, passionfruit and truffle marshmallow, truffle foam

Pannacotta is on my list of favourite desserts of all time. This coffee and truffle version did not disappoint. It held perfect shape on the plate and was delicate and silky smooth.  The adorable little fluffy truffle passionfruit marshmallow gave the dish a twist of originality.

"Truffle infused double cream brie" "linguette" "candied walnuts" "quince" "muscatels" "cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Truffle infused double cream brie, linguette, candied walnuts, quince and muscatels

Unfortunately for me there were no gluten free crackers available for the cheese course.  Not that this ever stops me, I am more than happy to eat brie sans crackers! Especially if it’s been truffled!  The brie was soft and creamy and served at just the right temperature to allow the flavours to develop.

Truffle infused double cream brie" "linguette" "candied walnuts" "quince" "muscatels" "cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Truffle infused double cream brie, linguette, candied walnuts, quince and muscatels

The petit fours consisted of the cutest little miniature toffee apples.  I have never really been into toffee apples myself and personally I would have preferred something chocolaty but if you are indeed a fan, these candied morsels would have been right up your alley.  The apple inside was cooked until it was soft and the toffee was hardened to a thin crisp shell.

"Petit fours" "toffee apples" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Darlington Estate Winery" "truffle degustation" "degustation" "fine dining" "French" "winery" "Perth Hills" "Darlington" "Mundaring" "black truffle" "tuber melanosporum"
Petit fours

For a degustation meal I was impressed with our serving sizes and considering the added truffle in every single dish I also thought the full ticket price of $110 (excluding drinks) was extremely good value. The service was attentive and friendly and we look forward to returning to the hills to visit Darlington Estate again.

Keep up with the latest on Facebook or Twitter!

Darlington Estate Winery
1495 Nelson Road, Darlington 6071 | (08) 9299 6268 | http://www.darlingtonestate.com/darlington/news.php
 
Price:                     $$$$ (Entrees $14-18, Mains $32-40)
Food:                    4/5 (accommodating for allergies, fresh produce, beautiful presentation)
Service:                3.5/5 (friendly positive attitudes but just a little slow on serving drinks)
Ambience:           4/5 (lovely setting up in the hills, I have to return for lunch as the view is apparently superb)
Drinks:                  3.5/5 (I only got to try their unwooded chardonnay 2010 so will need to come back to the cellar door for a proper tasting)
Total:                     15/20
 
Darlington Estate Winery on Urbanspoon

13 thoughts on “Truffle Degustation at Darlington Estate Winery, Perth Hills”

  1. Lovely post! You’ve just reminded me of the amazing truffle brioche with truffle butter… seriously delish and my favourite dish of the evening!

    1. Maybe you should come back and visit one day?! I have to say your eating travels still look pretty amazing from my point of view!

  2. What a wonderful meal indeed! So very lovely to make you the parsnip crisps, I hate it when no alternative is offered to the bread- even some olives would be nice 🙂 I think the price is just amazing for such a great meal too. Lucky you indeed!

    1. Hi Lorraine, I have to say I was pretty chuffed with my crisps. I did forget my table manners for a few minutes though as I stuck my fingers in the bottom of the bowl to get to the last truffle crumbs! 😛

  3. Maaan this has SO much truffly goodness. I absolutely love truffles too! Everything looks faantastic. SO cool they also gave you truffly gluten free options. $110 is defs a bargain for all that I think too! Yummm.

Comments are closed.