1918 Bistro and Grill, Tanunda


After an adventurous Day 1 on the vineyards of the challenging terrain and cool vineyards of the beautiful Steingarten to the phenomenal tastings and luncheon of the St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz to the visits of their neighbouring vineyards like Bungalow Lane Cabernet Sauvignon and finally witnessing historical sites of the Gramp family home and the visitor centre.. 
We did managed to pop back to their magnificent Jacob's Creek cottage which is located along the creek that was named after by the Gramp family and itwas also located in between the Jacob's Creek Visitor Centre and the St Hugo Vineyards and tasting room..  The cottage was a lovely little place with their own garden and that gorgeous view! 
(Source: Google)
For dinner, we went on an adventure to the streets of Tanunda which is their main town for the Barossa region which is the most happening town in the Barossa region.. This is a quaint little town that really are proud of their South Australian especially the Barossa region local produce from the line of shops that specializes in their local game and poultry meats, their locally made cheeses and also their strong german heritage which is quite evident from the German bakery and also beer bars.. 

A region that is famous for producing excellent wines and has an endless streams of vines surrounding it, it's not a surprise to see this little town to have several excellent restaurants ranging from modern australian to asian and local italian food that are there to champion the local ingredients and not to forget their local wines! In Tanunda, we were whisked away to this famous restaurant which is popular amongst the locals that is 1918 bistro & grill.. 
They champion on the Barossan local & seasonal ingredients and also they have great ala carte menus for lunch and dinner which changes quite regularly and they also offer set menus with wine pairing as well! 


The appetizer that we shared is the Hiromasa Kingfish crudo which is prepared with the local nuts and finely julien granny smith apples that brought out the acidity that pairs the lightly smoked kingfish very well like a second skin and a dash of olive oil and appropriate seasoning that made this delightfully simple starter, a starter to remember that also goes beautifully with the buttery and creamy chardonnay!

Hiromasa Kingfish Crudo 
The kingfish slices is really sweet, delicious and also fresh as well.. The fish is well seasoned and in terms of flavour; it was paired beautifully with the crunchy texture alongside the acidity from the juliened granny smith that provide more bite and texture to the kingfish! The olive oil also provide another flavour dimension with a very depth of character rather than making it too oily! 
BBQ Kangaroo Fillet 
The main course that I have ordered is their BBQ Kangaroo Fillet.. 
This is actually a protein that I very look forward in having a taste and to experience it as it was quite synonymus with the Aussies! As the kangaroo meat is quite a controversy in the whole world as it has a gamey and meaty texture and it is also a very lean meat so it is quite a healthy protein to try out!
This is one of the popular export of the aussie.. So when I spotted it in their menu, I jumped into the chance of trying it out! Thankfully I made the excellent choice of ordering it!

This kangaroo fillet is presented beautifully and with great care and color coordination in terms of plating from their chef and the wait is totally worth it! I have ordered it to be cooked as medium rare to preserve the meat texture as it was a lean meat with no fat content at all.. It was the ideal cooking degree for the meat as it was not bloody on the plate and the meat is still tender and juicy! The sauce was on the sweet note and it also complimented well with the berries essence form the sauce and the creaminess of the sweet pumpkin puree!
The kangaroo meat for me is not overpowering or too gamey and it was really tender and juicy that goes well with the Lyndale Chardonnay which is a pleasant surprise and magnificent pairing!
Lime Creme Brulee
The last but not least is the dessert course! And my oh my does their menu sings amazing melodies of sweet creations that would make any dessert love swoon to try it all! They have an array of options to choose from such as fruit based desserts, chocolates, cheese and also tasting platter for 2 person! (Make sure bring extra tummies to try them all)..

A beautiful end to our lovely dinner is the Lime Creme Brulee which is something unique for us to find it in a restaurant like this! This is one the most attractive and interesting combination desserts that they have! We just can't wait to try it out as the milk here in Barossa is creamy and delicious! Well you should get down to their farms and visit those lovely cows that is living the Aussie life!

This Lime creme bruee is served quite simple yet beautiful that was served in a wide ramekin and the bruleed sugar was thin and amazingly caramelized and it was served alongside a generous portion of the raspberry sorbet with biscuit crumbs!
In terms of taste, the creme brulee is really creamy and refreshing with a dominant yet elegant hit of the lime in terms of zest and the juice that was a pure delight after a heavy main and the creme brulee was set beautifully and it was light as feather to enjoy with the caramelized sugar top that was a perfect balance of sweet and zesty.. Not to forget that the lime creme brulee pairing was done beautifully with that sourish and luscious raspberry sorbet which is also act like a palate cleanser!
No wonder they love their milk so much! It is really that amazingly good!

Lyndale Chardonnay
The wonderful dinner was paired with the Lyndale Chardonnay which is from the Jacob's Creek portfolio of wines and it's a hidden jewels only available in the Barossa Visitor Centre..
This is one of the white wines from the Jacob's Creek winery profile! This bottle is a rare find for me as it wasn't available back home and according to the people of the Jacob's Creek winery is that most of the wines I had is only available in the Barossa Visitor Centre!

Let's talk about more on this wine!
This wine is made 100% of Chardonnay grape being harvested primarily in the region of Eden Valley which is on the cooler and steep hill slopes that is a perfect place to grow the Chardonnay grape with the ideal amount of sun during the day and the cool wind during the night.. This helps with the growing and slow ripening stages for the grapes to slowly develop it's character and retain it's luscious acidity!
In terms of taste, this wine is really complex with an attractive aroma of lemon curd, candied lemon and also the flinty notes from the terroir it was grown on and it has a floral notes like honey suckle flowers that brought out the honey notes. On the palate, it is really creamy and quite biscuity which comes from the fermentation with the yeast that brought out the yeasty and bakery goods notes on the wine.. It goes amazingly with the seafood like Kingfish and also with this Kangaroo meat as it is a medium bodied wine with a meatiness and complex aroma and taste that doesn't over power the kangaroo!
Tawny
Verdict: 

A homey and simple menu with seasonal produced and great wines! 
Very relax restaurant for a family meal with great Aussie produce especially the region of SA!

Ambience: 4/5
Food:4/5
Price:3/5
Service:4/5

Must Try:
BBQ Kangaroo Fillet 
Lime Creme Brulee 

1918 Bistro and Grill 
94, Murray Street 
Tanunda 
South Australia 

Opening Hours: 
Daily 

Lunch 
12-2:30pm

Dinner 
6-9pm


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