Gordon's Grill @ Goodwood Park Hotel

One common love that binds people together, apart from humanitarian reasons, food has to be it. Another to add to the memory bank this year, lovely company and the place I have been hemming and hawing over.



The long and short of it.



The thoughtful towel.



The rest of the cosy restaurant. If only they had powder pink or blue walls to match this dreamy lunch!



Bread Basket (Onion Loaf, Olive Foccacia, Sour Dough bread)

Go for the olive foccacia then onion loaf, the sour dough is passable. Foccacia so soft, the olives are well embedded but not overpowering. Onion loaf reigns! Warm, toasty and fragrant. I wish I had better words to describe but the mouth would not stop chewing.



Seconds!



Cold Japanese Pasta, Seaweed, Salmon Confit, Caviar and White Truffle Oil

Morsels is what I describe the portions as and I was expecting the rest of the meal to be bite-sized as well given the heads-up of the appetizer. The fragrance was overwhelming but like a drug, it excites the senses. We could not help sniffing the dish.

Oodles of smooth pasta that tasted really like mee sua somehow with the sour tones, salmon confit had a charming crimson hue soft to taste and caviar (the first attempt!) too salty.



Hokkaido Scallops, Apple Puree, Pork Belly and Black Truffle Vinaigrette

Another ambrosial one. Truffle oil is what vanilla beans used to be, all the hype and it becomes a gauge of the quality of ingredients used. Scallops seared to the right doneness, a fine line between raw and overcooked. I loved the juicy scallops and pork belly best. The pork belly sliced so fine, was an entirely 'melt in your mouth' moment as I relished it.



Roasted Turkey Supreme with Chestnut Ballotine, Winter Vegetables and Giblet Sauce

Something just says this is taken from the festive buffet or kitchen menu. Not at all outstanding with turkey meat that was tender like chicken, chestnut ballotine that was just a blend of squishysquashy meat (if it were even meat!) That's one of the reasons why I'm not a fan of turkey stuffing, largely because the taste is not distinct and you do not quite know what goes in.

Bland. Boring. Boo.



Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Braised Cheek in Bordeleise sauce with Seasonal Mushrooms

Beef was what I came for. I had to have it and got it.

The chunk served was adequate to tease and please and gets you lemming for more. Medium Grilled Beef Tenderloin, in full tender meaty glory and flavour wins my vote.



The braised cheek was ultimately a winner. I'm not a fan of braised because the meat ends up too loose and bland but Gordon's balanced the doneness so well, the meat albeit braised retained most of its firmness and flavour.

I figure I could go on and on and on about how divine it is. For a carnivore, I think I've found heaven.




Chestnut Creme Brulee with Whisky Ice-cream

Chestnuts always work wonders for me, paired with a well torched creme brulee the outcome was complementary. Whisky icecream with chopped strawberries was...celestial. I always thought liquer icecreams had to be potent like U.d.d.e.r.s, not quite with the delicate balance achieved by Gordon's. Yum, yummy, yummilicious?



Rhubarb Trifle, Vanilla Sugar Donut and Strawberry Granite

Pink. Martini Glass. Vanilla bean specked mini donut.

That should please any lady. Pretty much a layered dessert with surprises along the way. The strawberry granite was easy to like with texture better than shaved ice, the shards of flavoured ice was thirst quenching. Rhubarb trifle tasted much like yoghurt with strawberries. The surprise came in the form of strawberry jelly right at the bottom.



The vanilla donut was slightly dry.



The sugar lollipop that always amuses me.

My senses were fully teased during the meal, it's one of those meals that satisfies body and soul, quite literally. After a satisfying meal, I have to concur that your footsteps are lighter and bouncier almost walking on clouds. Gordon's achieved that.

BUT, be mindful of the selections made. :)

Service was thoughtful (think miniature chairs for the arm candies!) but the experience was slightly marred by a noisy kid whose parents indulged in his playful ways. Imagine polyphonic game tones that went on for quite a while.

Lawry's, Morton's and Gordon's Grill were once the only steak places I knew. With the exception of Morton's, I've had the chance to try their famed at the other two. Gordon's topples nearly every other yardstick I had for steak, claiming throne above all. The experience though not entirely flawless was truly memorable. In 2008, I stood in awe of La Strada. Come 2009, the name of the game is Gordon's. If there's one chef's name I'd remember, it's Executive Chef Gan Swee Lai. With a set lunch so outstanding, the ala carte beckons...

$68++ for two

Special thanks to the honourable foodies, without them the meal would not have been so complete.

Harris @ The Simplest Aphrodisiac
Elaine @ Divine Joy Bites

Gordon's Grill
Goodwood Park