3rd Annual Truffle Degustation at Parlour Wine Room

Having missed almost the whole Fireside Festival (due to my Hong Kong trip) i was very happy when i managed to come back in time for the 3rd Annual Truffle Degustation at Parlour Wine Room (16 Kendall Lane, NewActon Pavilion). I've never been to the previous two years' truffle degustation, so i was definitely looking forward to it.

It was a cold and windy night and i was so glad that upon arrival, we were seated right next to the fireside and in tall tables too. Parlour Wine Room has a rustic Victorian decor with lovely Victorian armchairs and sofas and beautiful lamps. The piece that i liked the most was the center blue ceiling lamp because it was quite unique and it looked like a lot of blue-shaded balloons held in a cage. The night started with a welcome speech telling us a bit about the truffles used (which are grown in the Canberra region) and the matching wines for the dishes in the degustation menu. Then we were offered some drinks and bread (accompanied by truffle oil and paprika).

The degustation started off with a Shiitake & Truffle consommé which was nice considering that i have not had a decent consommé in ages. The shiitake taste was quite predominant but it had subtle hints of truffle too. The next entree, the Kingfish Ceviche with Shavings of Truffle was simply lovely. The fish was fresh and its subtle sweetness went well with the truffle.

Shiitake & Truffle consommé

Kingfish Ceviche with Shavings of Truffle

The Truffle Scented Milk Curd with House Made Lavosh was something different since it's not the usual type of entree that i would order. I liked the crispy house made lavosh and as for the curd, it was alright - something different.

The next dish up was the Seared Scallop, Smoked Duck, Cauliflower Puree and Truffle Paste. As usual, i love my scallops and this one was no different. It was juicy and nicely seared. Even though the Smoked Duck had was a bit dry, it still had a nice flavour and it went well with the cauliflower puree and truffle paste and also the vinegared enoki mushrooms.

The first main was the Truffle Scented, Mushroom Ragu Paella. I thought it was a funny name for the dish because it looked and tasted more like a risotto than a paella. I quite liked the dish and was delighted by the use of a variety of mushrooms in the paella. Lovely dish!

Second main was the Stuffed & Smoked Pork Trotter, Apple & Truffle Mayonnaise and Wilted Romaine. The pork was nice but i didn't fancy its flaky texture. The mayonnaise was definitely IT, it helped to bring all the components of the dish together.

Before the final entry of our dessert, Poached Pear, Truffle Pastry with Almond & Truffle Honey Cream, we got our palate cleanser which was a Mango Sorbet on a Bed of Olives with Fennel Sherbet. I don't want to sound overly excited over a Mango sorbet, but it was definitely a very fine one. Unfortunately the olives didn't do it for me but the fennel sherbet added that exciting fizziness to the sorbet. The final dessert overall, for me, was a bit disappointing. Firstly because i am not a big fan of poached fruit desserts and secondly (perhaps the main reason) because the truffle was too overpowering in the cream that made the whole dish 'fall apart' - i did like the truffle pastry though.

Mango Sorbet on a Bed of Olives with Fennel Sherbet

Poached Pear, Truffle Pastry with Almond & Truffle Honey Cream

The dinner was enjoyable and the staff was very attentive and efficient. Definitely loved the decor of Parlour Wine Room and there were certainly a few memorable dishes from the truffle degustation menu such as the Kingfish Ceviche, the Mushroom Ragu Paella and the delicious Mango Sorbet! Looking forward to the 4th Annual Truffle Degustation next year!