If you're not arriving to Chowder Bay by water taxi or with someone who's been to Ripples before, you might not know that you need to walk to the edge of the platform, down a set of large steep stairs before arriving to the beautifully lit restaurant.
Well I certainly didn't. I was a little distracted by the two butterflies fluttering on the grass before I found myself walking in the direction of the water and locating this sign, a very necessary pointer for someone who has little to no direction-sense.
This was the perfect setting to spend an evening with Mum celebrating her birthday after a long, stressful day at work. I was immediately relaxed and the view allowed me to forget everything that happened during the day.
Mum heard good things about this place, good food, great view and an extra bonus, it was a Dimmi compatible restaurant where she could redeem the easily sought out $50 voucher that I've
previously mentioned.
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| Cured Ocean Trout with Avocado mousse, fried shallots, black sesame,
lemon, chilli & parsley dressing, $20.00 |
To our surprise the entree comes out very quickly. The
ocean trout is cured with lemon and is sprinkled with
fried shallots,
black sesame,
lemon,
chilli and
parsley. The chilli doesn't have much of a kick as the seeds have been removed, so it's all more for texture and colour than actual extra seasoning. The
fish is light and fresh but I would have preferred if there were a few more pieces. The
avocado mousse also has a lot of lemon juice, which may have been a better contrast if they had a lighter hand since everything else also had lemon.
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| Whole baby snapper with white wine, chilli, garlic, parsley, $34.00 |
I had been craving for steamed whole fish for the last few of months, so I was very excited when I saw this on the menu, I knew I had to get it. The
baby snapper is the perfect size and is prepared and served very simply but is very tasty. Covering the fish are diced
chilli,
garlic and
parsley, and it reminds me of the previous course I had just ate. Beneath the snapper is a very buttery
white wine sauce. The amount of butter in the sauce is definitely a bit indulgent but it goes so well with the perfectly cooked white fish that I think of it as a mid-week treat.
When I finish one side of the snapper, the waitress kindly offers to debone it, making it much easier to finish having to dig through the itty bitty bones.
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| Ocean trout with spinach and ricotta gnocchi, crème fraiche, salmon
roe, snow pea shoots, $32.00 |
The
ocean trout is cooked beautifully and eaten with the
crème fraiche makes a perfect combination. It might've been a little more creative if they added something else to the crème fraiche, maybe some chives just to lighten it all and throw in some extra flavour. The decorative features of
salmon roe and
snow pea shoots do add a little something, but some more substantial greens may have done the job to complete this dish.
Mum wasn't a fan of the
spinach and ricotta gnocchi so she gave me one of the two and unfortunately I wasn't crazy about it either. It's very odd as it tastes of mashed potato but is slightly stodgy from the flour and there is no spinach flavour. They're also very large and there was no way I could've eaten in it mouthful. The green colouring from the spinach is stunning but it was under-seasoned and not at all fluffy which is usually expected from gnocchi.
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| Steamed green beans with chilli, lemon oil, $9.00 |
Since there were minimal vegetables that came with the mains, we decide to order a side of
steamed green beans. The waitress assures us "it'll take 45 seconds" so we'll be able to get have it with our meal. It comes out a few minutes later and they're crunchy, seasoned with mild
chilli and
lemon oil.
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| Soft chocolate mousse, salted caramel sauce,
white chocolate milk crumbs, banana gelato,
peanut brittle, $15.00 |
By the time the dessert came, Mum and I were definitely in a 'eyes bigger than stomach' situation. Even though we preceded to yelp 'I'm so full' after every mouthful we both managed to polish both desserts off, but dearly regretting it during the drive home.
The
soft chocolate mousse is smooth and very rich yet the dark chocolate made it bearable as it isn't overly sweet. I really enjoy the
salted caramel sauce as it's exactly that and tastes great with the
banana gelato. The banana flavour isn't very strong, slightly watery in taste and resembles essence rather than the actual fruit. The
white chocolate milk crumbs doesn't really taste much of white chocolate, but just of a buttery shortbread biscuit. The sprinkles of
peanut brittle give texture and makes the whole dessert even richer. This was definitely a dessert for someone with a sweet-tooth as I definitely struggled to finish it all.
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| Yoghurt panna cotta, dried figs, orange, almond
biscuit, fig vinocotto, $15.00 |
Since this was the dessert Mum chose, I left it all for her to consume. I also wasn't that curious about it but I did manage to get a small spoonful in just to see how it all paired. The
yoghurt panna cotta is slightly tangy and the consistency is smooth. The
orange jelly contrasts slightly against the panna cotta, but it's the
dried figs and
fig vinocotto that draws it all together. The
almond biscuit is a nice crumbly feature against the other components. It's a pleasant dessert but the flavours aren't my favourite so I'm not the best judge for it, Mum did enjoy it though.
The view is definitely something you don't get tired of looking at. Even though it was cloudy, I actually found it much more mesmerising. This is a beautiful spot to spend an evening, whether it's a romantic one with a loved one, an indulgent treat for friends and family or a pleasant gathering for a special occasion. The food is simply prepared, allowing the key ingredients to speak for itself. I like that it's peaceful as it ensures a comfortable and relaxed dining experience.
that ocean trout looks amazing!
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