The View
I head out to lunch and today its one with a lovely view. Catalina in Rose Bay is an amazing venue. The venue is perched next to Rose Bay wharf with breathtaking views across the harbour.
I opt for a seat outside and it is a lovely view.
Wine
I choose a wine to start and keep it as my pairing for the rest of the afternoon.
Juniper Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon (2011), Margaret River, Australia
On the nose a deep flow of blackcurrant and plum and light cherry aromas invade the nasal senses with hints of herbs, liquorice and chocolate notes which linger behind. On the palate the wine is velvety with deep fruit flavours which have been eroded with some lovely earthy notes which have crept in. The wine has the perfect finish; fine tannins, syrupy black fruit and liquorice notes linger with some good acidity into the finish.
Entrée
Pan Roasted Quail, Celeriac Purée, Toasted Grains, Dried Apricot and Pedro Ximénez Ju
The richness of quail’s distinctive flavours ooze from the skin. The meat is tender and succulent and one couldn’t fault the culinary execution. The textures of the grains make for a sensation on the taste buds while the apricot and Pedro Ximénez Ju adds a lovely sweetness which is able to stand-up to the strength of the quail’s natural flavours. The celeriac puree adds a fluffy softness and calms the strong flavours in the dish.
Main Course
Grass-Fed Beef Tenderloin, Baby Vegetables, King Brown Mushroom, Anchovy Butter And Red Wine Jus
The beef is well prepared and has a lovely flavour. The baby vegetables and the mushrooms add a beautiful soft earthy flavour to the dish. The red wine jus was the perfect accompaniment to the dish, however I thought the anchovy butter was probably not required. Grass-fed beef is defined by its rich natural flavours rather than the buttery flavours of grain fed beef. The butter (which I removed from the surface) did intermingle briefly with the top of the tenderloin and distracted from some of its natural flavour.
The wine was the right fit for this dish.
Dessert
Caramel centred Varlhona Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Feuilletine, Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
This dessert is a dream. The rich, thick, cocoa flavour hit of the chocolate is mingled with the gooey sweet smoky caramel laced through the middle of the mousse. A truly sensuous and tingling experience. The crumbly crunch and intermingling of rich chocolate from the Chocolate Feuilletine was lovely and the chilled dark rich creamy ice cream rounded out the excessive sugar hit very well.
So ends an amazing lunch at Catalina – nothing beats a day on the harbour with fine food and lovely wine.