Busselton - Corn Poppers

 Sandy and I had these tasty little suckers a couple of nights ago and they were something that I have never 

had the pleasure to eat in the past!

They are not going to win any beauty competitions for 

“looking stunningly good on a plate” 

but what they lost in that category, they certainly 

make up for in the 

“You have flavour category”.

Now for the food autopsy to see why they tasted 

Sooooooo Daaaaaaam Goooooood

Spongey, cake-e textured little golf ball sized delights with roasted corn cornels, a very firm fried crust that needed a knife to cut them open sitting in a spicy, tart yet sweet sticky sauce dusted with popcorn crumbs and deep fryer curry leaves.

The description on the menu was loose, real loose and just described as 

“Corn Poppers (GF/V/Vegan) chipotle, popcorn”

They must have had a little bit of a bi card soda as they had a little bit of a spongy cake-e vibe going on.

So we are thinking they must have made a dryish batter with a super fine polenta added some corn cornels that were slightly charred as there was a subtle roast-e flavour. 

Rolled into little balls with a generous amount of corse polenta crumbs and fried to get that

 wonderful thick crust.

The sauce was a pomegranate malaise hence the tart hit! Loosed with water, maybe sweet chilly sauce and maybe a rice wine vinegar for acidity and heated to make a runny sauce.

Upon googling, I found out that “Chipotle” is a ripe jalapeño chilli pepper, dried and smoked which would also explain the smokey flavour that I was also tasting.

So that needs to be in the ingredients mix too.

They we so good that we went back last night with 

Rob & Roseanne.

 

To go with the Corn Poppers we had a cheeky little drop of an Italian grape variety called Barbera. 

It was from Donnybrook WA just a 45min drive north east inland from Busselton and the flavour took Sandy and I straight back to Italy.

Busselton - to Bridgetown

 We made our way back up to stay at cold and stormy Busselton after some great time spent sight seeing and 

wine-ing 🍷 🍷 and dining

 in the Margaret River. 

Etching ever closer to Perth and our flight this Sunday back to the east coast of Australia.

The Busselton Jetty is still on the list to walk on as soon as we are allowed too! without fear of been blown off into the 

icy indian Ocean.

So till then we have decide to take a day trip and drive inland east thought Nannup to Bridgetown.

We drove through some pretty amazing farmlands and several natural state forests.

It is so wet after all the rain but helps make for some beautiful photos.

The tall stands of gums as we weave our way on smaller well sealed roads is certainly a delight to drive through.

The scenery is stunning just so WA

And so so beautiful.

Margaret River - El Toro

 Our last night in Margaret River and we found a funky 

South American / Mexican / Spanish themed restaurant just one street up the hill from the main street called El Toro.

Where celebrating the day of the dead was 

plastered literally everywhere!

The place was heaving at 6pm so we couldn't get a table till 8pm, which I have to say is late for winter in and around these parts as last orders in most other places up till now 

has been 7.30. 

So it was great that we could eat out at a restaurant at 

non nursing-home times 😂 

Pineapple Margarita … Sandy's new best friend.

3 Cheese, jalapeños and corn croquettes with a spicy aioli.

South American toasted red bread with meat balls on a cold night really hit the spot.

 So to keep in the spirit … pun intended of the restaurant we opted for a balanced diet of taco also and they were super delicious.

Morries at Margaret River - Pumpkin three ways

 Morries … A fun, dark and moody little eatery on the main street in the small town of Margret River was a little great spot for Sandy and I to chill out after our days out and about driving around the vineyards and admiring WA’s rugged coastline and oceans.

It is also where Happy Hour is “a” happy hour!

It was from 5 till 6 on the dot! So timing of last drinks was defiantly an art and fun to watch.

I always thought that Margaret River was only a wine region but it is also a little town with a population of about 20k and dates back to the 1830’s.

Lusciously smooth pate with a tangy pear-mustard, finely sliced pickled daikon and buttered sourdough toasted on a griddle to give a great char, all teamed well together to make our little taste buds very happy.

It was very satisfying dish while sitting inside with the warmth of restaurant away from the rain and winds coming in off the storms over the Indian Ocean.

 As you would expect they had a great selection of Margaret River wines, normally I’m not a rose sort of a person but the Vasse Felix 2024 rose hit the spot.

Special mention for what turned out as the dish of the night was the  Pumpkin three ways.

Japanese pumpkin, horseradish cream, pickled butternut pumpkin and toasted seeds.

Yummo dish …

The Jap pumpkin was roasted just enough to get the most toasty and sweet flavours out of the Jap pumpkin. The restrained subtle balance of the rice wine vinegar pickle to the finely sliced and blanched butternut pumpkin added the needed acidity and the crunch of the toasted seeds took the dish to the next level.

The Wild Seas of WA

Spent some wonderful time over the past few days driving along the wild seas of WA and a few rugged beaches between Margret River and as far south as the cute little town of Augusta. 

This picture is taken from the Water Wheel car park on a wild weather day at Cape Leeuwin where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean and what a truly unbelievable sight it was to see.

The waves crashing parallel to the shore line as they always do but out in the ocean, huge waves are created when the two oceans meet a 90 degrees to the shore line was

mesmerising to watch.

Colour Patch restaurant being our last chance to eat before we head to the Antarctic! sounds like the place to be on a very wet Sunday for lunch. 

So with spicy asian prawn toast on the menu 

And Vitello Tonnato … felt like we were in northern Italy again 😂 

To finish the carrot cake transported us back to Australian, got to love multicultural Australian

More wave watching at Redgate beach

Stunning architectural buildings in the carpark to house the essential little rooms.

Yallingup - Caves Hotel Good bye

 So it is time to leave all the fun and glamour of the 1930’s! 

Plus the comforts of Caves Hotel and venture 40km further south to the Margret River for 3 nights.

Yullingup - Caves House Hotel

 So with happy tummies and a lighter wallet we now need a place to rest our bones for a couple of nights so the 1930’s Caves House Hotel is where we will be.

It is like stepping back in time with all the glamour of a bygone era, from the colour to the art deco interiors to the parlour palms. 

The picture wall on the way to our room of honeymooner's dating back to the 1930’s.

If Caves House was good enough for good old 

Bob and Hazel way back in 1956 

it is good enough for all Aussies.

Even has a 1930’s girly wall!

🫣 🫢

With beautiful Edwardian gardens to wander when the rain subsides that still to this day take the lucky guest right down to the Yallingup beach.