Franklin Manor, Strahan, Tasmania

Franklin Manor, Strahan, Tasmania
Sunday 14 March, 2004

Franklin Manor is a boutique guest house and restaurant. The restaurant is a series of small rooms and feels intimate. The wine cellar is worth a visit, so make sure you take the stairs down to the wine cellar before you select your wine.

The restaurant has received rave reviews largely due to the '2 Michelin star' chef Meyjitte Boughenout. My friend and I were very excited to eat here and after reviewing the intriguing menu were delighted to learn that a bottle of wine had appeared courtesy of my traveling companion's brother - how wonderful! The menu has to be tasted to be believed:

- Golden egg, beetroot lollipop, red capsicum & mango
- King crab salad, dates & citrus
- Sugar cured trout with eggplant ice cream
- Baked blue eye cod with apple ravioli
- Veal tenderloin with miniature vegetables
- Lychee & verbana sorbet & Cascade Pale Ale sorbet

The menu can be summed up by an exasperated 'What the?@!'. It is all over the place, way too creative and for most of the dishes we actually wondered if anyone in the kitchen had actually tasted them before sending them out to un-suspecting guests.

This was a disappointment.