I have wanted to go to 10 Minutes By Tractor for a about a year now and had planned to go with a group of friends for my birthday. That ended up not happening but our friends decided they would still take us for me as my birthday gift. They picked us up at 7pm as the booking was for 8:00pm. It is a 45 minute drive down to Main Ridge and it is a beautiful drive as it is in the country. It was raining quite heavily but that did not dampen the mood as we were excited to be going.
I could not get any good photos because of all the rain and being dark from the front. It is a small restaurant and most customers were dressed like you were at a expensive establishment except for a few who had t-shirts and jeans. They had an extensive alcohol list including a limited range of cocktails but the wine list is amazing.
They do A' la carte or the Degustation and the Degustation is either a 5 course or a 8 course. We had all not really eaten to save space so we went the 8 course. Most of the fine dining experiences we have done give you small portions but not here. We should have done 5 courses but we know for next time. With all fine dining restaurants the presentation is the main key and it makes you want to eat the food straight away. Being a two hat restaurant i had some expectations.
We ordered a bottle of wine of
2001 Jean Raphet et Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux
St. Jacques which was the best wine i have ever had, no tannin and was so smooth.
I am not sure what the first taster was i was so focused taking pictures.
For starters we had Somers Soft Goat Cheese with slow roasted grapes, fennel and celery relish with a walnut crunch.
I don't really like goats cheese but the flavours worked well together with the roasted grapes. It was sweet, creamy and salty all at the same time.
Second course.
We had Grilled Yellowfin Tuna with marinated eggplant, compressed cucumber, tomato salad and black olive crunch.
The tuna melted in your mouth and worked really well with the eggplant and salad.The eggplant was not over cooked and not undercooked. The vegetables are grown on the property so it is all so fresh.
The serves were big but that did not stop me eating the bread. The bread had a warm homemade garlic butter that was addictive and amazing.
Third course.
The third course had Seared Scallops with roasted pumpkins, chickpeas, green beans and artichoke chips
I really don't like artichokes normally but like any male you fry something and make them crispy, you change the flavour to an amazing chip and it goes down well. The Scallop were quiet big and the pumpkin was soft and juicy.
Forth Course.
We got some more seafood, pan seared local Mussels with zucchini and pomme puree (apple).
The thing i love about Degustations is they make food that i don't like taste soo amazing. i did not realise i ate mussels until just a moment ago. The mussel was not tough like a lot of places do it and thats probably why i did not realise what it was.
Fifth course.
My favourite course Roasted quail with pearl barley fig puree and a beetroot vinaigrette and a brioche bun.
The quail was sweet from the puree and beetroot and fell apart as you ate it also the drumsticks are so cute. We had all eaten our buns before i realised i did not have a photo. We were starting to struggle now as we had eaten a lot of food and still had three courses.
Sixth Course.
We got Roasted Duck Breast with golden raisins, pumpkin and chestnuts.
It was a big piece of breast but like with all the other meats was cooked so well....perfection. The pumpkin and gravy just added some more flavours. i was in heaven almost as i had Quail and Duck cooked just right.
Seven course.
The last of the dishes was Grass Fed Cape Grimm Sirloin Steak with open ravioli beef cheek, sauteed mushrooms and sauce.
I really struggled to finish my meal but i managed too finish it. The cheek and steak had no fat as it was top quality meat. The steak was rare on the inside but a bit crispy on the outside. It was the perfect meal to finish of the dishes.
We got a sorbet grapefruit palate cleanser.
It was a bit sour in order for you to taste and appreciate the desert that much better.
Thank goodness it was a light thing to eat and then we got dessert
For Dessert we got a Chocolate Ganache with plum orange and pistachio chocolates.
The ganache was the best thing i have eaten in a while. So smooth and creamy and sweet.
We then got chocolates but i felt so sick from eating i could not take the pictures.
The staff were so friendly and accomodating. the food was just amazing and went beyond my expectations and i will be back as soon as i can. Thank you so much for an amazing night.
Thank you Kathy and Sam for a fantastic night and it was an amazing birthday gift. I felt so special to be treated to such a spectacular dinner.
Have you been here?
Leave a comment.
Kind E-gards
Dale Stewart
