Daylesford - Hepburn Springs 1

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" IS THIS THE WAY TO WODONGA?". ASKS MY DEAR WIFE. Aiyoyo OMG this woman has no sense of direction at all, I am afraid. We are heading north westerly this morning and not northerly my dear; for Australia's spa capital - Daylesford and Hepburn Springs region, set in the Flinders Ranges.

First stop, the Daylesford Sunday Market at the Railway Station. The day is hot and sunny, very sunny. Stall holders selling knick knacks as if browsers have not had enough clutter in their lives. We only stay there for 10 minutes or so, preferring to be away from the crowd. As if the long weekend crowds of people are not enough we also have to contend with Mardi Grad revelers.   

Feeling famished, we phone ahead to the Lake house to make a booking for a table for two and promptly get ourselves seated in Two Chefs Hats 10 minutes later. Lucky we get the seats. This is a fine dining experience for us and we are usually not in this league. But what the heck, we only live once, and the Lake House is highly acclaimed in its food, spa, and hotel.

Two Chefs Hats - The Age Good Food Guide. Australia's Best Regional Wine List - Gourmet Traveler Wine. The Australian Hot 50.

My entrée, crispy pig, red radish, bacon and a lot of other ingredients I forgot or cannot identify .....
 

SM's main is snapper with squid ink pasta, artichoke, mussels, seasonal greens and mussel foam sauce. It looks very busy. 

My main consisting of chicken, scallops, prosciutto, some puree I cannot identify, and some other bits and pieces I cannot tell what exactly they are! The plate looks really beautiful like in Master Chef Professional tv programs. First time I ate a flower, too.

Empty plate but we still feel hungry after eating our mains. Damn.

Dessert is a de-constructed  cheese cake - caramelized banana, butter, parfait of peanut butter (savoury), sesame ice cream,  sesame tuilles. I am not a food critic, but man, this is good.

The coffee is really good. Can rival St. Ali's. Over all the dishes we have had today are out f this world. They are so complex and so unusual to or palette. I feel I am more "educated" now than before I have the meal but really, I am not. I now know that it takes so much effort to cook a great dish, and it takes even more to be able to discern a great dish than a good one.