One Day in Swan Valley

my friend came to perth for a visit so I took her for a half day road trip to swan valley

First stop : Margaret River Chocolate Factory

neatly arranged truffles calling out my name...

big pots of 3 types of choc, white milk and dark for visitors to taste for free!

have to order their hot chocolate, or for coffee addicts like us, order the mocha as their own margaret river choc chip is added to the mocha, we get to choose either milk, white or dark chocolate

Then we head to my favourite German restaurant in perth

Second Stop : Elmar's in the Valley

had the gigantic pork knuckles with super crispy skin! The sauerkraut is the best in this restaurant, not overly sour and doesnt give your tongue the fuzzy feeling. love it

we ordered the brautwurst platter with 3 different types of sausages, the portion was huge! they sell the best sausage, and i bought some of their sausages for bbq

Third Stop : Maggies Place / Edgecomb Bros Winery

nothing much happened here, we were distracted and made a stop because of the beautiful grapes. Bought a big bag of fruits and veggies from Maggies Place, because it was so cheap and they are very very fresh. I think Maggie grew it? Shes such a friendly lovely lady, do give that place a visit! 

nice juicy grapes, perfect photo spot

Fourth Stop : Alpaca Stud

Who won't want to have a look at alpacas? They are so cute! The border collie in the stud is cuter and was showing us around. Owners were friendly too and they have an alpaca garment store which was exotic but a bit on the pricey end... i mean alpaca coat is not easy to get... lol

Fifth Stop : Cape Lavender

By the fifth stop, we were so tired and hot from the weather and decided to stop at the cosy cape lavender cafe for some icecream, scones and drink.

Well someone was so hot he/she does not want to share his/her icecream so he/she ordered one for himself/herself. (shall not be named)

Turns out.... the icecream was the strangest icecream i've tried in my entire life.

for people who love essential oil/soap this might be the ice cream for u. The essential oil smell was so overwhelming i felt like i was eating soap. 

BUT their scones were always perfect, love their moist and tasty scones! a bit disappointed about the icecream though, and the person who doesnt want to share was utterly disappointed 

the cafe is still wonderful, with great service and a friendly dog to watch the shop!

Beside Cape Lavender there is place called MAGO Coffee which sells cheap freshly ground coffee 

there are so many variety as well

Sixth Stop : Sandalford Winery

This is our last stop of the day

I love Sandalford's wines so went to their beautiful winery to have a taste of what they have to offer. I really liked the Dessert Wine ($25), so sweet and perfect for a drink by the pool

Their Late Harvest (approx $14) is also sweet and is also under the dessert wine category

Other than sweet dessert wine, i really dunno much about wine...... 

What a funfilled trip! I love swan valley because it is so near the city (approx 20 min away) and has so much to offer!

Most posts on swan valley here

Swan Valley - House of Honey

This is a continuation of my swan valley weekend trip. Went to House of Honey there which was on the Food and Wine trail guide. We bought this AMAZING honey sparkling drink and it was so good we went back to buy a dozen, good drink to share among your friends during dinner parties! (bringing 2 bottles to my friend's house for hotpot tomorrow)

my friends tried this and all wanted to buy a few bottles off me. it was seriously good. Sparkling drink with real honey in it. Only $8.95 a bottle, refreshing and yummy drink!

House of Honey is a beautifully decorated shop with a cafe, and sells WA honey.

All the honey i saw were sourced from WA. Bought blackbutt, jarrah (apparently one of the best honey with medicinal properties) and karri honey. There is free honey tasting available so you can taste them before you buy. The honey is cheap as well compared to the supermarkets. If you buy your honey here, you can rest assured that it is full of natural goodness! 

When i notice some crystallisation on top of the honey, the shop assistant patiently explained to me that that only occurs when the honey is natural and not chemically processed. Lots of honey in the supermarket are processed so they dont crystallise. So if your honey crystallises, it means it is natural and of good quality, you just have to heat it up slightly.

Purchase of the day. bought some natural honeycomb too. I love the cute and tiny honey pot i bought as well.

A small bottle of honey 250ml is about $3-5 which I find more than reasonable.

This is a good place for honey lovers. They serve honey tea and scones too in their cafe (The Sticky Spoon Cafe). They also have free sampling of their honey candy which was absolutely fantastic!!

Website: http://www.thehouseofhoney.com.au/index.html

Location: 867 Great Northern Highway, Herne Hill

Opening Hours - 10am to 5pm Tues - Sun

Swan Valley - Elmars in the Valley

Best weekends are always spent having a picnic with my dogs (yes im lame), breakfast with friends at some nice cafe full of funky people or a mini roadtrip to look for some good food!

So this time we had a mini roadtrip in search of good food.

Having been to duckstein a couple of times, we've decided to give Elmar's in the valley a try in swan valley.

I've heard this cosy restaurant serves the best German Food in Perth.

Made a reservation the day before and the waiter promptly showed us to our table.

The interior is like a warm cosy house with a slight 'canteen style'. People here are just sitting around having a casual drink and they all appeared so relaxed, just like myself.

So relaxed i've decided to get some kickback beer to suit the occasion.

Kick Back Weizen 4.8% alc

A traditional Bavarian Wheat Bier made using 50% wheat malt with a thirst quenching burst of banana. With hints of vanilla and a subtle finish of aromatic hops coming through on the finish -$5.00 for small

I could taste a bit of banana in this it was cold and refreshing!
  

Pork Sausage (Grilled Bratwurst) with German Sauerkraut and Potato Mash - $17.50

The sausage was PERRRRFECT with fluffy light mash. I even liked the Sauerkraut which was not too sour, and tasted really pleasant. I never liked Sauerkraut but this one was different. The sourness was more subtle than 'full on'.

Pork Shank (Schweinehaxe) -Elmar's Specialty

Pickled and Roasted Pork Shank with German Sauerkraut and Fried Potatoes -$39.90

My partner ordered this, fairly large portion so light eaters should share this. Everything was nice about this dish, the potatoes, Sauerkraut and the tender juicy pork shank with mustard. Yummyyy

Bread and Butter Pudding (Kabinett Pudding)

Homemade Brioche, Layered with Sultanas and Vanilla Pod Custard, Served with Connoisseur Vanilla Icecream - $12.50

 We were so satisfied with our meal here, we decided to just have coffee and dessert here as well. Our original plan was to go to another cafe in swan valley for dessert. The Bread and Butter pudding was light and not too overwhelming. The taste was just right, very delicious!

The Bratwurst was so delicious I had to buy some home. Just walked to their 'small goods' section to grab some sausages before we pay the bill. So convenient. These sausages were very affordable and cooking them at home will save us so much money :)

Wieners?

Bought some spicy ones, garlic and just the original bratwurst. I cooked one of them and it was just as yummy!

  

To make a reservation online click here: http://www.elmars.com.au/Valley/bookatable.php

Website: http://www.elmars.com.au/

Opening Hours:

Monday and Tuesday - CLOSED

Wednesday and Thursday - 11am to 5pm (depending on trade)

Friday to Sunday - 11am to 10pm (depending on trade)

Contact : (08) 9296 6354

Address: 8731 West Swan Road

HENLEY BROOK 6055

Perth - Duckstein Restaurant

LewisIf you are thinking quality German Food, with premium beers, think no further! Duckstein Brewery is the place to go. They also provide live music on weekends.

Duckstein is located in Swan Valley and they also have another restaurant in Margaret River.

There is a large alfresco area which can cater large groups. There was live music as well on that day. The place was spacious, crowded, and it was a very friendly/lively environment.

Schweinshaxe, Large Pork Shank served with Pan Fried Potatoes and Sauerkraut - $34.50

The pork shank is one of their most popular dish. It is HUGE, succulent, juicy and delicious. It is every meat-lovers joy to have this dish. haha The potatoes were simple, panfried with salt and a bit of rosemary which was a good combination. Go on an empty stomach if you want to finish this dish - such a good value for money! They also brew their own beers and it will go well with this dish.

Grill Plate: A German Bratwurst Sausage and a smoked Cutlet served with Pan-fried potatoes and Sauerkraut $30.50

The sausage was FAT, tasty and juicy. The cutlet was good as well. i didn't like the sauerkraut though, maybe it is the best sauerkraut out there, but i just dont like the sour taste. personal opinion only, dont take it too seriously ok? if you like really sour mushy marinated cabbage thingie then u will like it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Great environment for a group dinners/ parties etc because they have beers on tap as well from their own brewery.

REGULAR OPENING HOURS 
Mon & Tues- Closed (except Public Holidays)
Wed & Thurs -11am to 9.00pm
Friday- 11am to 10pm
Saturday- 11am to 11pm
Sunday - 11am to  9pm  *New Sundowner Hours, Commencing Easter Sunday
Last meal orders are taken at 8pm

Website: www.duckstein.com.au

Location: Duckstein Brewery - Swan Valley

Phone  (08) 9296 0620

Fax  (08) 9296 0820 

9720 West Swan Rd

Henley Brook

W.A. 6055