To whet your appetite...Kudos Villas

Hey, guys, now it's my turn to share with you the mouth watering delights that the area around Hepburn Springs has to offer.


Of course, at Kudos Villas you never actually have to leave your room.


Kudos offers the ultimate in indulgence and pampering.  


Makayla gave you and example of the amazing menu that your private chef can cook up for you in your own villa.  They can also co-ordinate the perfect romantic proposal for you (complete with red carpets and rose petals).


Kudos also has a delish selection of ready to eat meals that can be delivered to your villa as well as organising a gourmet picnic hamper for you to take away while you explore the area.


But I'm here to tell you about the amazing food and wine in the area.


Hungry?


I am!


Here's a selection of some of the great eateries in the area.


On the corner of Raglan and Wombat Street in lies Mercato Restaurant.  It's a popular country restaurant in Daylesford, set in a restored 1864 timber building.  Mercato is Italian for "market" and the inspiration for the restaurant is that in European history, the town market place was the heart and soul of the town.

Richard Mee is the head chef and owner.

Degustation Menu

Seared fillet of Tuki trout with avocado, nectarine, white asparagus, salmon roe and baby herbs

Carpaccio of Romsey Emu with Holy Goat fromage frais. Kyneton extra virgin olive oil & thyme

Roasted Wycheproof quail wrapped in "Istra' prosciutto with a salad of grapes, roasted capsicum, hazelnuts & olives

Breast of duck on roast sweet potato puree with an orange, spiced cherry & watercress salad and a shirz jus

Chocolate and raisin torte, cardamom icecream, red currants

Food only $95

Matched with wines $135

Or, if you're like me and love to experience vineyards and all they have to offer, why not visit Ellender Estate?

"One not only drinks wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and one talks about it"  King Edward VII 

Ellender Estates is a boutique winery located just a short drive from Daylesford.  Here you'll have an opportunity to meet and chat with owners Jenny and Graham Ellender.

The story of how they came to running a vineyard and winery is fascinating.

Bes ure to taste their exquisite 2006 Pinot Noir, whose finish is soft and full of elegant tannins.

For something simple and traditional, why not try The Cosy Corner?

On Tenth Street in Hepburn Springs, Shane Trask & Jennifer Colley have turned Cosy Corner around froma cafe to a a much sought after eating house.  Your Food Guide.com recommended that youput these guys ahead of your more pompous restaurants when dining out around Daylesford and Hepburn.

There's a great selection to choose from.  If you need some more information, just let us know.

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Stories from the Suitcase...Sharnanigans

We're introducing a new idea for Fridays here at Girl With A Suitcase.  Most people have great travel stories that they'd like to share.  We want to know the good, the bad and the ugly!  Inspire other people to see different parts of the world or share what's special in your neck of the woods.

This week we've got Sharni from Chronicles of Sharnia sharing her stories from the suitcase.

1. Destination?

Sapa, North Vietnam

2. What time of year did you travel?

We were there April / May - it was quite cold there which was refreshing after the overbearing humidity of Hanoi. The only downfall of being in beautiful Sapa in these months was that the mountains that surrounded the town were not visible a lot of the time and covered in thick mystical fog, which, in itself was a pretty magnificent sight.

3.  Who did you travel with?

My partner and (as I soon found out in Sapa) the beginnings of my son Monte (we found out we were pregnant whilst in Sapa).

4.  How did you get around?

We got to Sapa via overnight train from Hanoi - which was an experience! While there we walked - heaps of trekking, travelled by motorbike, scary bus trips around windy mountains and jeeps. Lots of up-mountain walking - great for fitness.

5.  Food?

Sapa is very touristy - we had some tasty Vietnamese cuisine but also had great pizza!

Dave had the pleasure of going on a trek with some locals, they took him to a village where he ate congealed ducks blood (masquerading as jelly) when he found out what he was eating, he was too polite to stop. I am glad I was feeling poorly that day and did not attend!

6.  Trip Highlights?

While we didn't climb Mount Fansipan - we did do a mini trek and it felt like we were on top of the world looking down on creation. Karaoke with the locals, walking around Cat Cat Village, the scenery was incredible.

7.  Trip low point?

Both Dave and I were hospitalised. Dave with food poisoning - me from pregnancy and possibly food poisoning. The hospital beds did not even have sheets. We were very vulnerable and the language barrier made this very challenging.

8.  What would you like others to know about your destination?

Sapa is a pretty town North of Vietnam about 30kms from the Chinese border. It is  worth a visit.

I was turned off by the fact that the Hill Tribes that live there are the drawcard to the town - and supposedly these guys that live in traditional ways in the mountains of Sapa are used as a selling point.

Very touristy. Beautiful scenery, a little bit magical.

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