Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of being invited to an exclusive dinner at Black Bird Bar and Grill. The theme of the dinner was The Farmer, The Chef and The Winemaker and it was an unbelievably opulent night of gastronomical indulgence.
Being seated in the private function room, our eyes were first to feast on the breathtaking views of the Brisbane River and Storey Bridge. As a long table event, I was really pleased to have great company of a few good friends that night.
Kicking off with a welcome champagne, we had some duck and oyster appetizers. They were amazing. Although the oysters were small, they packed a punch of fresh flavours which were highlighted by the chives. In contrast the duck was definitely stronger in flavour, seasoned with herbs and spices served atop toasted biscotti pieces.
The menu was definitely exciting and we loved how well the wines were matched with each course. This was made all the more better by the expert commentary after each dish.
Before beginning, we each had a fresh bread roll which was deliciously warm and dense, but the highlight was the butter which was infused with vegemite (but not too much) and porcini mushrooms. It was unusual and a great conversation starter for us all to guess what it was made of.
Our expert commentators for the evening included Winemaker Gustavo Ursomarso and Dennis of JBS Meats. Normally I love to read the additional information on menus for additional context surrounding my food and drink, this definitely took it up a level.
I'll summarize the wines we had that evening to begin with. We sampled the Terrazas Reserva Chardonnay 2017, Terrazas Single Parcel Los Castanos 2013, Terrazas Single Vineyard Malbec 2015, and the Terrazas Reserva Malbec 2017. Produced by high altitude grapes from vineyards in the province of Mendoza, Argentina, they provided an in depth introduction for me to Argentinian Wines. Throughout the dinner we had a crash course on Argentinian geography, specifically surrounding how the high altitudes of Mendoza coupled with the low rainfall and rocky soil results in intense flavours with a reduced acidity. My favourite of the night was the chardonnay, I particularly enjoyed the fresh notes of stonefruit and citrus with its smooth crisp taste but low acidity.
Onto the food, our first course was the Ricotta Gnocchi with Slippery Jack Mushrooms and WA Black Truffle. The general consensus was that this was the crowd favourite. The gnocchi was pan fried with a delightfully crisp top and bottom. Texture was lightly chewy and it absorbed the melty ricotta sauce well. As a light creamy dish, the truffle added so much fragrance to it and we really enjoyed it.
Second course was the AMH Pasture Fed Braised Oxtail, Potato and Leek Tart with Crispy Snails and Salsa Verde. The oxtail was braised to be extremely soft and tender with a texture akin to beef cheek. The potato and leak complemented the meat juices well but I found the tart a little on the firm side. Crispy snails were an interesting addition with its crunchy but meaty texture.
Next up was the Tender Valley 200 day Grain Fed Rump Cap (Mb 3+) Wood Grilled with Bordelaise sauce and Pommes Anna. Cut horizontally, we were assured that each steak was grilled to a perfect medium rare. The fat content was lower than other steaks that we've had recently, but this was replaced by a deeply rich meaty flavour. We really appreciated the rich sauce with its red wine and fat reduction adding to a very decadent dish. As most people know, nothing goes better with a steak than a traditional potato, and the pommes anna were thinly sliced and well layered before roasting.
Finishing off, we had the Tete de moine, local figs and pickled walnuts. For those wanting context, Tete de moine is a semi hard Swiss cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk that is shaved before eating to allow for oxygen to develop the odour and flavours. I liked the sharp tangy taste which was accentuated by the sweet fruity figs and the walnuts added a lot of extra crunch to the dish. It rounded off a wonderful night for us.
Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Blackbird Bar and Grill, as always our opinions are solely our own.
Taste: 8.5/10
Value: N/A
Service: 9/10
Environment: 9/10
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