Comments on melbourne gastronome: Degustation at the Royal Mail Hotel: my favourite ...

Looks unreally Claire-bear... top effort at CB aga...

2011-06-29T13:11:10.965+10:00

Looks unreally Claire-bear... top effort at CB again the other night! I also just noticed you'd never yet reviewed Cicciolina (which is one of my favourite places). We'll have to head there sometime... I am happy to accompany!

hey claire, haven't had much twitter time rece...

2009-12-02T12:06:33.670+11:00

hey claire,
haven't had much twitter time recently, so I hope I haven't missed the invite for the bloggy xmas drinks?

Hey Adski - will keep you in the loop via Twitter ...

2009-11-28T08:49:52.177+11:00

Hey Adski - will keep you in the loop via Twitter if the Dunkeld Bloggers Banquet looks like it's eventuating. In the interim, it's high time you met the rest of us in Melbourne sometime! A group of us were going to organise some foodie Christmas drinkies: will send you an invite :)

Sounds good, Neil! Haven't watched that Bourdain episode, will have to track it down.

Frances, cherie! Thank you for your kind words, and in my opinion you can definitely claim a (not insignificant) percentage of the credit - if we hadn't been en route to your beautiful wedding, we would not have been in Dunkeld in the first place! xx

Claire, what a wonderful review! I have only just ...

2009-11-27T17:31:49.355+11:00

Claire, what a wonderful review! I have only just got around to reading it (having had the benefit of the effusive praise in the immediate aftermath of the visit).

I am trying to bring myself to claim half of one percent of the credit for your amazing meal with the divine Misses B and T, but I can't! Those dishes are extraordinary, and your photos are just exquisite - I love the way they pick up the sheen on the more 'gooey' - as you say - dishes.

I just watched Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations d...

2009-11-26T22:19:04.881+11:00

I just watched Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations do a piece on the RMH and thought that would be a great idea for next year. Now your post - if the planets don't align, I'll kick them into bloody place, got that Jupiter. Definitely going.

Did you see that episode? Reckon Bourdain fell head-over-heels in love with Melbourne this time around.

wow! amazing looking food, great photos too, clair...

2009-11-26T13:01:57.029+11:00

wow! amazing looking food, great photos too, claire! I'm looking forward to getting down that way one day next year. Let me know if there happens to be any interest for the bloggers trip, somehow after 4 years of blogging I still haven't met any of you crazy kids!

Claire - we thought about it recently, but couldn&...

2009-11-21T16:22:01.538+11:00

Claire - we thought about it recently, but couldn't get organised to book 6 weeks in advance or whatever it took to get a weekend table. Have to start plotting for next year.

S-J: do! As you see, I cannot recommend it highly ...

2009-11-21T14:12:57.176+11:00

S-J: do! As you see, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Esz: haha, no, I'm not going to discriminate between bloggers! If it looks like eventuating I'll let you know :)

Hi p, thanks for your thoughful comments. I don't blame you for not guessing it was watermelon, it didn't taste very watermelony at all. And I remember thinking at the time it was unusual that the pigeon was the reddest the meat got (there was beef tendon with the eel, but no big slab of beef or lamb, which I was grateful for - would never have been able to fit it in!)...

Aw, thanks Cindy! Maybe you and Michael should head down to Dunkeld for one of your birthday degustations :)

You had me at 'watermelon sashimi'! A sig...

2009-11-21T08:24:45.259+11:00

You had me at 'watermelon sashimi'! A sign that the vego menu could be equally spectacular.

The photos look brilliant, Claire!

I'm guessing I was there at around the same ti...

2009-11-19T18:26:13.134+11:00

I'm guessing I was there at around the same time and I'd rate it the best I've eaten this year too.
The first two dishes were different and a coule of the others were slightly varied. The peas and "sashimi" was one of the highlights for me along with the eel dish. I had no idea that it was watermelon.
I found it interesting that the pigeon was the reddest the meat got. loved the Pinot Meunier with the pigeon too.
There are so many other places to try, but I'd love to go back. Will have to manufacture some flimsy excuse to get over there again!

Oh my god I have to go! How amazing. Everything lo...

2009-11-19T13:13:32.378+11:00

Oh my god I have to go! How amazing. Everything looks so perfect. :-D

Blogger meet up eh - do you have to be a FOOD blogger? ;-)

Wow - it looks amazing. I need to save and plan a ...

2009-11-18T20:08:08.664+11:00

Wow - it looks amazing. I need to save and plan a trip to Dunkeld.

Hi Barbarella! You should totally go - if you like...

2009-11-18T14:18:13.557+11:00

Hi Barbarella!
You should totally go - if you like smart, interesting food it's a must-visit. I don't think the pea goo was agar or gelatin... I asked Clinton about it at the end of the night and he said something like "zuzu" (???), but I've been unable to track down what it was.
Yep, this is still my little baby pocket camera, the Panasonic DMC-FX38 (not an Ixus). Am chuffed that several people today hve complimented me on the photos :)

hi Claire, great write up, a joy to read over lunc...

2009-11-18T14:07:48.840+11:00

hi Claire,
great write up, a joy to read over lunch! - I haven't been but now really, really want to go. Even just for those almonds! Could that pea substance could be agar..or gelatine?
The style of the food is similar to the Merrijig Inn..I went there recently, it was amazing - however we didnt do degustation and I think this would be the only way to do Royal Mail.
Great pictures too, is this still the Ixus?

Johanna: there's a separate menu vegetarian fo...

2009-11-18T13:56:35.575+11:00

Johanna: there's a separate menu vegetarian for $110 (see their website). I just love that in the description of the sugar snap pea dish on that menu, they put the word sashimi in italics (to reassure the vegetarians).

Stunning isn't it, Mellie and Kate? I see from your posts that you loved it just as much as I did.
Maybe late January we could try to organise a night away with a group of bloggers at Dunkeld???

KarenmareeG: thanks! I know it's ambitious to say it's my favourite meal of the year when there's still 6 weeks of 2009 left... :)

imasugarjunkie: glad to have helped persuage you!

Hey Bambini: thanks, glad you liked the photos!

All l can say is Yum! We drive past all the time w...

2009-11-18T13:42:44.364+11:00

All l can say is Yum! We drive past all the time when we visit rello's and now we really must drop in for lunch/dinner - you've just sealed the deal! Great photos.

Wow... how good does all that look. I've heard...

2009-11-18T12:17:51.360+11:00

Wow... how good does all that look. I've heard that Royal Mail was great, but now I am sure I must go for a visit!!

Beautiful pictures, absolutely gorgeous. I went a ...

2009-11-18T12:11:47.709+11:00

Beautiful pictures, absolutely gorgeous. I went a year ago and was the highlight of my eating year, think another trip is in order.

Nice photos Claire! I went in the middle of winter...

2009-11-18T11:31:42.314+11:00

Nice photos Claire! I went in the middle of winter so it was dark for the whole meal = crappy photos. Dang.

Count me in for Bloggers Banquet.

Oooh..the memories. What a fabulous post. Dan an...

2009-11-18T10:30:12.492+11:00

Oooh..the memories. What a fabulous post.

Dan and I are in for a trip to Dunkeld for sure!

looks like vegetarians would be catered for - wond...

2009-11-18T09:58:00.825+11:00

looks like vegetarians would be catered for - wonderful photos and if I was in dunkeld I would be swayed by your high praise to drop in

Thanks Christy! I had a bit of writers block with ...

2009-11-18T09:43:52.075+11:00

Thanks Christy! I had a bit of writers block with this one... I didn't feel my words could do it justice :)

Essjay: well it was a little thick to be carpaccio, but I get your gist. Thanks, I did indeed use my usual little pocket camera. I think the skylight really helped with the quality of the earlier photos.
Oh, and I would be IN LIKE FLYNN if there was a Bloggers Banquet at RMH! Next time I visit I'm dying to see the kitchen gardens.

Watermelon Carpaccio hey.. wait till you see my Mu...

2009-11-18T09:19:16.720+11:00

Watermelon Carpaccio hey.. wait till you see my Mugaritz write up. Did you use your usual camera? the photos are very speccy. Bloggers Banquet at RMH?

Excellent review, glad to see you enjoyed it as mu...

2009-11-18T08:32:50.098+11:00

Excellent review, glad to see you enjoyed it as much as we did! Now I just want to go back again ... And again...