It's me, Eloise.

Blooming

Shak Attack
Dress: Shakuhachi
Shoes: Shakuhachi
Watch: Swatch Watch
Bag: Zara
Necklace: Sass and Bide

I stepped out of the house on Saturday night in an entire Shakuhachi outfit, not totally on purpose but my new dress just worked so well with my old shoes! 

I am absolutely in love with the 'Acid Bloom' story Shakuhachi has just brought out. The floral pattern on the silk fabric with the great touch of citrus is just perfect! As I was walking down the street I got several stares as the print instantly grabs your eye. Throughout the night I also received several comments on how striking I looked. The next day I was in David Jones and a girl ran all the way from the other side of the store to pick up the dress! She said it instantly caught her eye. I told her that I have it and love it. I think she was sold! 

This dress is particularly beautiful. The shape of the dress sits  well and the pattern really striking. Paired with my last season's shoes it is a match made in heaven! 

Last Saturday night JA and I dined at acclaimed chef, Hamish Ingham and his wife, Rebecca Lines'(both of Bar H) new restaurant "The Woods". "The Woods" is located in the lobby of "The Four Seasons Hotel" on George Street. It is a brave step for Ingham and Lines as they attempt to bring back the concept of fine dining in a hotel. 

When we dined there it had opened its doors a mere five days prior. "The Woods" is located in the downstairs lobby of the hotel. It is sectioned off by large wooden fixtures and ornate light bulb installations. The dining room is very large featuring a huge mezzanine level lined with tables and plush couches for intimate dining. Bigger communal tables fill the middle of the room. There is a bar located at the far left hand side of the room. Up half a dozen steps are several open kitchens. On the left side chefs were busy preparing the entrees and desserts. Next to this was a large round counter with fresh artisan bread and other antipasto delicacies ready to be prepared before your eyes. The main attraction however, is the kitchen where Hamish was busy slaving away roasting meats on the wood fired oven. The upstairs area also features smaller tables around the kitchens. Off to the right there is another separate dining area. It had the ambience of a light, vibrant wine cellar! Last week this area was empty but I expect it is early days yet! 

The menu could be described as Modern Australian as they attempt to showcase the fresh produce of our homeland. Ingham and Lines take you on a journey from the city back to the woods where food is simple and uncomplicated. 

JA stuck with tap water for the night but I sipped on a glass of "Lowburn Pinot Noir", which was their house Pinot Noir. I have to say it was the most expensive glass of wine I think I have ever had at $18 a glass! 

Lowburn Pinot Noir $18 per glass

We started with one "live scallop, summer purslane and citrus" each (as they were $7.5 a pop). I always love to see scallops presented in their shells, it makes them all the more tasty! The giant scallops were seasoned well with herbs and citrus and were extremely refreshing. We also shared "Richard's wood roasted peppers". The serving was quite generous as we both received almost ten peppers each. They were a mixture of green and yellow, some of which were hotter than others. They were roasted well so that they were soft but not mushy. Although it was a simple dish, it was very tasty. On a side note, it doesn't matter how hard you try to recreate these dishes at home they are never quite the same! 

Live Scallops $7.5 each

Whole Wood Roasted Crab $65 for two

You don't often see whole crab on a menu so naturally we were drawn to it. I must admit the beef that was coming out around us looked mouth waveringly good though! The "whole wood roasted crab with local garlic and pepper berry" is a dish designed for two. A whole crab always looks so impressive when it is served! With our meal we were given water for washing our hands but no utensils for scrapping out the crab meat. We thought this was a bit odd, they were halfway there but didn't quite make it! As soon as we asked, an apologetic waiter quickly delivered these essential utensils to our table. It was actually quite hilarious eating this dish as it is quite hands on and messy. We felt a bit out of place in such a fine dining restaurant to be eating with our hands. Oh well, it was fun! The crab meat was extremely succulent and creamy. To accompany our main we shared the "raw zucchini salad" and "green beans over embers" - hold the almonds. The salad was lovely and light. The zucchini was finely sliced into thin ribbons with a generous amount of peccorino cheese sprinkled over the top. The green beans were well, green beans! 

Top Left: Whole Wood Roasted Crab $65 for two
Top Right: Green Beans: $9
Bottom Left: Zucchini Salad $12
Bottom Right: Roasted peppers $14

We opted against desserts as none really tickled our fancy! 

Overall, it was a very enchanting experience and one we thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't mind that it is located in a hotel lobby as once inside the lobby seems invisible. Although our waiters were very nice, they were a tad forgetful and slow with taking orders. Our dishes were all delicious - pity about dessert, it really is my favourite! 

P.S Note to self, for future reference never, ever order crab on a date ... way too messy! 

Overall: 7.5/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Food: 7.5/10
Drink: 6/10