Private Dinners at Pirianda Gardens – Hacketts Road Olinda
http://www.creamatsassafras.com.au/Pirianda.html

Phone Number: 9755 2338

Pirianda is like nothing else I’ve ever reviewed before. It’s not a restaurant, and the kitchen isn’t staffed by professional chefs. It’s not open every week, and you can’t order off a menu. It’s described in its own publicity literature as an experience, and I think that’s really the only way you can describe it.

So, in a nutshell, Mark and Leenah who run the private dinners at Pirianda own a food shop in nearby Sassafras, and were asked to cater an event a while back at the old Ansell family property in Olinda. They fell in love with Pirianda and approached Parks Victoria with the aim of utilising the venue on a more regular basis; and so they now offer catering for weddings, conferences, and events. But, they’ve also started something a little more interesting, in the form of monthly “dinner parties”.

It’s a bit of a novel concept, and quite probably not one that will appeal to all. Degustation style evenings, they encompass seven courses with wines and beers, with a maximum 26 guests and very much held in a communal dinner party environment. Those wanting a quiet, intimate, romantic evening need not apply – the aim here is to bring together a disparate group of people to eat, drink and enjoy each other’s company.

The setting is stunning, a stone house set among 28 acres of glorious gardens, the dining room itself features an open fire, and two simply adorned group tables. The feel is certainly more homely than stylish or cutting edge.
The disclaimer at the start of the evening is clear. This is not a restaurant, these are not professional chefs. Passionate about food and cooking, most of the produce is local or at least comes from suppliers that Mark and Leenah have met with personally, and a number of inclusions are sourced from the surrounding forest, their own gardens or even be nicked from right under the neighbour’s nose – we were the recipients of figs from mum’s tree in East Doncaster, and wild field mushrooms foraged from the Dandenongs.

First highlight of the night was the first real dish post-canapés, the Cream of Wild Mushroom soup with Coriander Pesto. I’m not one to order soup generally, so I would have missed this were I relying on an a’la carte menu, but luckily had this one thrust upon me. Fantastic rich flavours of wild mushroom, offset by the fresh, zingy coriander.

A simple dish of baked salmon with a tamarind crust was wonderfully sweet and sour at the same time. Later, the spatchcock was baked perfectly with a great, sticky, orange balsamic glaze, but it’s not often the side salad competes with the main – and on this occasion, it did. Boasting those homegrown figs, tossed with rocket, cardamom marinated goats cheese and pomegranate dressing - it was seriously good.

The food part of the evening finished on a high with a tartlet of pears baked in red wine & saffron syrup on Frangelico vanilla custard with figlettes – distinctly lacking any sickly sweetness, and enveloped in perfect, buttery shortcrust pastry.

There are no sommeliers here, and there’s no distinct wine matching as such. Mark is so excited about the blends and vintages he’s collated, that it all seems to come in order of preference/excitement value rather than specific qualities suitable to the dishes on offer – maybe not quite what I was expecting, but the enthusiasm is infectious. That didn’t stop me reveling in the 1998 Pol Roger Champagne or the abundance of Mornington Peninsula Pinot and 98 Vintage Heathcote Shiraz. Impressively, special care is taken to ensure that those driving get a great selection of smaller alcoholic taste AND a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, from Rochester Ginger with soda, to Beechworth Honey Sparkling or fresh pressed juices.

It really up to diners to decide if they get their money’s worth at $175 for seven courses with matching wines, it certainly may not be at the same standard as some city or well known regional restaurants who offer similar dinners at similar prices (Loam of Drysdale being one example); but I guess it can also be said that the experience itself is one that probably can’t be matched anywhere else. For passion and pure willingness to please, the team behind Pirianda can’t be faulted – it’s a uniquely personal experience, and one that I for one enjoyed immensely.

*Note – Cream at Sassafras (the people behind Dinners at Pirianda) are advertisers on 3AW.

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