This year, I have discovered amateur photography....and it's all thanks to the Dis.
We bought a dSLR camera in March this year and I found out that the DisBoard photography subforum was running a photography scavenger hunt over summer. So, I figured it would be a bit of harmless fun for me, I would learn to use the camera and it would also push me out of the house during the southern hemisphere winter months. Needless to say, I don't go anywhere now without carrying my camera.
My new found calling in life?
I am convinced that I would make the perfect food photographer....not because I take good shots; but because I would be happy to eat good food (and take some shots beforehand).
Since picking up the camera, the majority of my shots are pictures of food and drink. And last night's dinner excursion ending up being no different!
I had the opportunity to go the one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants for dinner last night. Maze opened in Melbourne in March this year and I'd been meaning to go visit since then. It seems appropriate to post this here as there is a sister Maze in Los Angeles.
This is the signage for the restaurant.
(Yup…that’s me)
We waited in the lounge for the rest of our dining party to arrive.
DH and I had agreed that I was going to be the Designated Driver for the night; so I had a lime and soda. DH chose the Apple Isle. I wished I had paid more attention to what it was made of, but I didn’t.
It was delicious (I only had a sip).
Our dining party had booked the private dining room at Maze for the night. I didn’t realize until now that most of my shots inside the room consisted of people in them, so I won’t be posting any of those. But here are a couple that were just of the surrounds.
The light fitting…
The centerpiece…
The sideboard in our room….
Looking out of the dining room….
Our waiter placed warm bread on the table with seaweed butter and sea salt.
The seaweed butter was salty enough and no extra sea salt was required! It added that ‘sandy’ flavour to the butter and was really mor’ish.
Our menu – 6 courses, although our waiter told us 7.
The first course was artichoke and it was fantastic. The leek and truffle mayonnaise really worked well together and the artichoke was beautifully cooked.
And because my dining companions were who they are, some of them didn’t eat artichoke, so they got a cold seared tuna instead.
And because my dining companions were who they are, one of them didn’t eat artichoke and is an anti-pescatarian; so he got a green pea soup, garnished with smoked eel, instead.
I did mention this particular diner is anti-pescatarian? Well, he didn’t like the smoked eel either…so it was farmed out to the rest of us. The smoked eel was wonderful.
The marinated beetroot with goat cheese was another highlight of the meal. For my taste, the goat cheese was too mild and mellow; and it needed just a little bit more bite to elevate this dish. And surprisingly, the Cab Sav vinaigrette was sweet. But it was another great dish.
For my money, the pan-seared scallops were THE highlight of the meal. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the kelp and champagne foam were perfect against the softness of the scallops.
I chose the duck for my next course. A wonderful, unctuous duck – pink on the inside and crispy skin. The sweet corn and cracked wheat accompaniment was lovely; and the cherries provided the extra sweetness required.
Others in the party chose the lamb. It was nice; but the duck was unanimously voted the better of the two picks.
My DH is vegetarian; so he ended up with a snapper. It was well cooked; but not a patch on the duck.
Did I mention the particular diner that is anti-pescatarian? Well, he doesn’t eat lamb nor duck either. So, he got a beef dish. I managed this snap of the dish but never found out if it was good or not.
The unpronounceable French cheese and quince toast was lovely. The cheese was particularly bitey and wonderful. The quince paired really well with the cheese and elevated it beyond the humble offering it appeared to be.
Another highlight for the meal was dessert. I didn’t care much for the bayleaf sorbet. It sadly lacked any flavour and for my taste, the dish would have been better balanced if the sorbet had been of a soft citrus flavour. Otherwise, the orange jaffa was brilliant! And the black rice? Just like having rice bubbles in the dish....Superb...and crunchy.
Sadly, it really was only 6 courses – turns out the waiter couldn’t count – but we sat there until the very end, slightly disappointed that there wasn’t a complimentary amuse bouche or additional palate cleansers.
We had 3 french wines to complement the meal (I only had a tiny sip of each) and I wish I had paid more notice to the labels….but I was at the other end of the table, too busy enjoying the meal instead.
I take after my Mum, what can I say? I think you and I would get on well IRL, Princess!
I am sure that it will be an experience of a life time and something that not many Disney fans get to experience. 
I have great memories of it. 
. Pick up from LAX, drop off in Silicon Valley (close to where we are staying) and easy transfer across to the work car hire booking. 
I think I remember seeing icicles at the Aquarium...penguin display.
