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We have long enjoyed Simon Stewart’s superb cooking since his time at Bespoke in Forrest. So it was with anticipation when we checked out Yield in his new restaurant in Birregurra, just an hour from Sea Zen at Wye River.
Yield Birregurra
The entrance looks deceptively small and old fashioned, a taste of Birregurra from 100 years ago. Like Dr Who’s Tardis, the inside opens up to a generous interior space. It has welcoming Mint green walls and generous rustic tables. Each table is subtly different and some with a bench seat on one side are softened with a fluffy sheepskin rug.
The menu is fixed, and of local seasonal produce. There are seven courses, previewed with Spelt sour bread baked a few hours before and accompanied with local Olive oil for dipping.
Entrees
The entrée courses are a series of Tapas style adventures.
Spelt, haloumi, croquets, rillettes
The Kale and goat’s cheese croquettes are small packages of delight, briefly deep fried and garnished with fine cheese, exploding into complex flavours of cheese and vegetables as you bite into them.
The local Haloumi is beautifully cooked and adorned with little piles of walnut and cheese that balance the firm texture of the cheese.
The pork rillettes is a base of shredded slow cooked pork, with a richness that is offset by the colourful Daikon topping and like all of the dishes, individual pieces of art.
The quantities were just right, small tastes that kept us waiting with anticipation for the main courses.
The mains
Local carrots from Simon’s garden were the waitress’s favourite. I thought, how can simple carrots be her favourite? Then I tasted them. Yes carrots, but more, with subtle flavours mixed with buttered popped local sorghum. Simple, but exquisite.
The main dish, the lamb shoulder had been slow cooked till tender, served with red lentils and cabbage, worth the wait.
Even the roasted potatoes were a discovery. The rich creamy flavour of the Dutch cream potatoes was offset by the subtly different purple variety.
A feature of the experience is the explanation of each ingredient of each course by Simon’s wife Kara. Some ingredients are from the herb garden out the back, some from Simon’s larger home garden at nearby Colac, the rest from many farms and producers in the area.
Of course everything is seasonal and at its peak which is why the menu changes with the seasons. So French, so Japanese!
To finish we had the rhubarb paste on a bed of whipped yoghurt, topped with Meringue and pepitas. Like all the dishes, it was balanced for the palate and a pleasure for the eye.
Prices
The set menu was $75 per head for lunch, a little more for dinner. Matched wines are an extra $40.
The wine list had good variety from local and further afar. Several of us chose the excellent local Geelong Sarge Shiraz. I was the driver and had a fruit soda made on the premises, tasty and refreshing.
Menu
Location
Yield Birregurra is an hour’s picturesque drive from Sea Zen in Wye River, 20 minutes from Colac and 40 minutes from Lorne.
Attached to the restaurant is the Provedore shop with a wide selection of local produce for purchase, perfect for xmas hampers. We bought more than we expected.
Like those precious meals at Bespoke, we will be back to Yield many times.
Contact and Bookings
43 Main St Birregurra
www.yieldbirregurra.com.au 5236 2611.
Fixed menu, $75 per head lunch. Bookings essential
Review – Rex Brown, Sea Zen
My friend Mike Brady of Cazaly fame clapped his hands in Sea Zen as he listened intently. “As I thought, no reverberation, the angled walls soften the sound, very Zen.” Mike had come to check out our Sea Zen accommodation. He knew about us, but although a neighbour, had never been inside.
As well as a composer and singer, he has learned a lot over the years how sounds behave in small spaces like recording studios. “Parallel walls give a horrible reverberation, I hate it” he said.
I never realised that the angled walls had a softening impact, but he is right and helps explain why Sea Zen has that calming effect. As an owner it’s nice to find so many of our guests enjoy the tranquillity of their break away from the hurly burly of the city. The soft Zen experience is all part of that.
Check out the walls
You can see the 3D plan here, and Mike is right, lots of angles, and even the ceiling and floors are stepped.
New 360 degree view
You can also check out the walls using our new 360 degree view from inside Sea Zen. It’s almost like being there. Just click here to get the 360 degree experience, especially handy for our past Treetops guests to get a feel for Sea Zen.
I enjoyed watching Mike sing “Up there Cazaly” at the Grand Final on TV. It has become an anthem of joy for the occasion. Mike is also a continuous innovator and 2 weeks ago released a new reflective song on Youtube here.
New cleaning and booking company
We farewelled our past cleaner Lesley, who is off on a caravan tour of Australia after years of excellent service. Our new partner is Holiday GOR who have taken over the cleaning and are taking many of our bookings, from October 2019. They are professional managers who have been servicing the area brilliantly for over 20 years. They are doing a great job for us.
Finally, we have an amazing massage therapist in Wye, who comes to you in Sea Zen
Helen
Helen Buchanan, who lives in Wye has 25 years of experience in advanced remedial and relaxation massage. She specialises in hot stones and relaxation massage.
Sibylle had a massage in Sea Zen yesterday and came away almost floating! One of the best massages of her life, she said.
hot stones
A massage with Helen is the perfect addition for that special escape at Sea Zen where you can indulge all the senses.
Treatments with Helen are eligible for private health rebate. You call her to arrange a time that suits both of you while you are staying, subject to Helen’s availability of course. Tel 0433 131 147.
More information about Helen
There was great anticipation when we heard that a new MoVida restaurant was opening in Lorne. The two in Melbourne are well regarded for high end Spanish food and the Lorne experience lives up to expectations.
The new restaurant is at ground level under the Lorne Hotel, just 20 mins from our Sea Zen accommodation at Wye River. It has a brilliant outlook through the gums to surfers in the bay, and the setting inside is relaxed.
MoVida is refreshing Spanish dining with tempting Tapas, larger meals and a wide range of Spanish wines and sherries.
Our server Jamie helped us navigate the choice of pre meal sherries, from the light and dry to the more deeply nuanced offerings. He gave us a sample of several, making the choice easy.
There is a set meal with wines for around $60, but we opted for our own selection of Tapas and shared mains. We started with the Concha Tapas, delicate pastry shells around an explosion of subtle tuna flavours. We followed with Prawns wrapped in a tasty crust and then barbequed Octopus on skewers. The sherry was an excellent counterpoint.
Tapas Movida
For shared mains we had the slow cooked beef cheek with cauliflower puree, a delight of deep complex flavours, followed by the roast capon, another captivating contrast. A delightful meal in delightful surroundings.
Do we recommend Movida? Definitely, 5/5. Around $60 per person.
See the Menu below, for the day we dined in May 2019.
MoVida Lorne menu
Apart from the view, one of the things Sea Zen visitors remark on the most is the birdlife. While the king parrots are favourites, an endless source of fascination is the Superb Fairy Wren.
Fairy Wren
Male Superb Fairy Wren
The male’s brilliant blue plumage make it stand out when it ventures out from protective scrub. It is always on the move, usually with a drab brown female not far away. The call is a high pitched trit trit. You can often see it in the garden next to the Sea Zen side balcony.
I find it pesky, because the male often visits our house at the back of Sea Zen, and has an ongoing fight with – itself! It spends hours jumping at its reflection in the back window, and also at its reflection in our car side mirrors. Within a day, there are white droppings all over the car door. But it is all worth it to see these loveable little birds parading close.
Some facts: they mainly eat insects. They have a tiny ball nest in bushes with a side entrance. The male and female raise a family together, but are both promiscuous, and unpaired males who have mated with the female will help raise the young.
Balmy Autumn
We have enjoyed balmy days with smooth seas, and cooling nights. A time to light the wood fire inside, as the fire agencies burn off in the forests to prepare for next season.
The coming months are a time to enjoy a crackling wood fire inside, and to see if there are any truffle hunts planned at the nearby Wongarra Farm.