Tastevin @ Darlinghurst

Continuing on with the Valentine's celebrations.. The musical Love Never Dies was breathtaking. The sequel is never as good as the original so I was worried that it might ruin the entire image. I won't reveal anything but let me just say that I would go and watch it again, even tonight.

After the musical, we quickly caught a cab and went to Darlinghurst. I had no idea where we were going so I was just admiring the large Coca Cola sign when the Man led me to Victoria St where Hinky Dink and Wow Cow was.

From the outside, the graffiti and the colourful font of the sign made me think that we were going to a Mexican/Spanish restaurant. In fact, Tastevin is a French/Modern Australian restaurant, offering all the sophistication as expected.

The interior is beautiful and elegant. It was a 10 PM booking so we were the last customers to leave.

Valentine's tasting menu.

Herb roll. It was very dense and herby. It would have been better if it had been warmed.

Amuse bouche. Little pastry tarts filled with snailed cooked in wine reduction. I've never tried snails before and it seemed too slimy and squishy for my taste but the amuse bouche was delicate and delicious. It was small, leaving you longing for more.

Warm goats cheese with caramelised apple & rosemary salad. A pretty presentation of simple items.

I'm not a big fan of goats cheese so I didn't have much of it but the croquette was well battered, crunchy and golden. I ate it more for the golden batter than for the goats cheese. The croquette is balanced against a piece of walnut.

The caramelised apple was a perfect compliment to balance out the pungent cheese. The rosemary salad on the side was too bitter for my taste but the fragrance of the rosemary was quite aromatic.

House smoked salmon with beetroot, mache & lemon dressing. I loved this dish. It reminds me of a spring garden. Not only was the garnish colourful and artistic, the flavours were simple yet rich. The smoked salmon was fresh and plump with a bit of pepper on the top. The diced beetroot was sweet and although the ingredients were simple, the flavours they created together was simply lovely.

Beautiful curves on the knife.

Roast duck breast "aux cerises" with gratin dauphinoise & grilled asparagus. Slices of medium rare duck breasts and duck sausages are the main ingredients in this dish. The duck breasts are succulent, juices squeezing out of the meat with each bite. You don't even need the wine reduction for extra flavouring because the duck itself has plenty. The sausages are also juicy and saltier than the breasts but it's another way to enjoy the distinct taste of duck.

The gratin is layers of potato, not mash-soft but soft enough to melt in your mouth. It's very buttery so take baby bites to fully savour the flavour.

Desserts de l'amour - dark chocolate mousse, lavender creme brulee & raspberry sorbet. The desserts were so-so. The brulee and the mousse were both very runny but I did enjoy the mousse very much.

Waiting for our tea. It has been such a magical night.

I had peppermint tea and the Man had lemongrass & ginger tea. The cup and saucer were pretty but not very practical and I almost spilled my drink several times. The saucer comes up too much on the sides for me to safely put down the cup and because the handle is shaped so that you have to make a fist around the handle, there were a few clumsy moments.

The overall atmosphere of Tastevin was romantic with friendly service and delicious dishes. The staff's thick French accents transported us straight to the heart of Paris and the wine set us in an extra good mood. My stomach was happy, I was happy, and this Valentine's was the best Valentine's ever <3