DolceBunnie

CHECKING IN: Azjure Studio Retreat | Ballandean, AUSTRALIA

We were supposed to be in Bali for the June school holidays, then Rona showed up and COVID-19 became a familiar term. The country went into lockdown and all of our flights were cancelled, so we decided to take the car for a drive in our “backyard”, around the Granite Belt & Scenic Rim. After all, Queensland is a bloody beautiful state. Much to my surprise, all of our usual accommodation options were already booked out. I started searching around and that’s when I stumbled upon Azjure Studio Retreat’s website. I dialed the telephone number on the website and a softly spoken lady answered. Cheryl was her name and within minutes, our accommodation was booked and confirmed.

The drive to Azjure Studio Retreat took around three hours with a stopover in Stanthorpe for lunch. Located in the quaint town of Ballandean in the Granite Belt Region of the Southern Downs, the turn off to the estate lead through a stretch of gravel road lined with meter high grass in the shade of Hawthorne yellow as if the colour had faded after years of weathering in the Queensland sun. Our spa studio, being one of three, was the first one on the left as we turned off the gravel road. The key to our studio was stored in a safety box located next to the front door. The security code was messaged to me by Cheryl a few days before our arrival, along with step by step instructions. As we opened the door, we were welcomed with aromatherapy burning oil and soft lounge music. I was relieved that the studio, clean and private, looked the same as it was presented in the photos on the website. The self-contained studio had a sizeable kitchen fully equipped with all the utensils including a proper coffee machine. One of the highlights of the studio was without a doubt the extravagantly spacious jet bathtub that offered a sweeping view of the country fields. On the dining table, we found a personalised note from the owners next to a bag of chocolate hearts. The living room opened onto a patio and then onto a vast stretch of land. The other travel bunnie and I sat down and watched as Minibun George ran around chasing birds and occasionally announcing that he had discovered yet another cool insect.

The temperature dropped quickly as darkness blanketed the sky. I made everyone a cup of hot chocolate (with plenty of marshmallows floating on top) and we cuddled up on the couch watching logs of wood burning away. It was so simple, yet so perfect. The next morning when I got up to make breakfast, I saw loads of kangaroos directly in front of our studio. I grabbed my camera and quickly ran outside. Those cute, furry creatures lifted up their heads, ears pricked up, studying me. They soon realised that I wasn't nearly as interesting as what they were doing before and kept their heads down to enjoy their breakfast. Speaking of breakfast, sitting in the fridge was a breakfast hamper prepared by Jamworks Gourmet Foods (a popular spot to visit in the area) that I had pre-ordered from Cheryl. At $60 each, the hamper included everything that I needed to make a hot, hearty big breakfast for the three of us. We sat outside on the patio to enjoy the breakfast, taking in the scenery before packing up to make a move for our next destination. The check-out process was perhaps one of the easiest we’ve ever had. We simply locked the door behind us and placed the key back into the safety box, and off we went. Later that day, I received a message from Cheryl thanking us for our stay. I felt her warm hospitality through those simple words and that personalised touch will linger in our memory for a long time.

Bunnies’ Travel Notes:

Room Number: 1

Room Category: Spa Studio

Bath Products: Kudos Spa

Tea Brand: Twining

Check In / Check Out: 2pm / 11am

Time of Stay: June 2020

Walter's Steakhouse | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA

It was noon and I was en route to a date set at Walter’s Steakhouse, my favourite steak restaurant in Brisbane. Situated in the Old Mineral House on the corner of Edward and Alice Streets, Walter’s overlooks the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens and the moment you walk in, it’s as if you have been transported to New York.

My date was right on time and dressed sharp in a jet black suit. I caught a whiff of him as I leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. Aqua di Parma Colonia, nice choice I thought. I showed the maître d’ the booking conﬁrmation from the OpenTable app on my phone, she smiled and led us to our table, which coincidentally or not, was the same table that we had the last few times we dined at this gem. I booked the date within seconds on the OpenTable app which is seriously so convenient as the app provides restaurant recommendations tailored to you based on your past bookings, favourite restaurants and dining preferences. Once settled, our waiter quickly came over to introduce himself to us and without wasting any time, we ordered what we would always get at Walter’s; their house special - prime Australian grain-fed beef, dry-aged and cut in house ($59 pp), with a side of Walter’s chopped salad ($16) and potatoes Romanoff ($12).

Before the food arrived, we were given some freshly baked bread with cultured butter and Walter’s Steak Sauce. Yep, steak sauce to dip your bread in. Extremely decadent, I know. A short while later, we were presented with a plate of juicy looking meat that was perfectly charred and seductively placed in a puddle of bubbling golden liquid that consisted of fat, butter and steak juices. Our waiter picked up a piece of meat that was still pink in the middle, gently rubbed the fat on the plate before placing it in front of me. The meat sizzled against the hot plate, releasing a thin swirl of smoke. I started salivating and made my move on the meal as soon as the waiter left the table. It was perfection. I highly recommend the chopped salad - lettuce and radicchio topped with macadamia nuts, salami, provolone, pepperoncini, onion, tomato, ﬁnished with an oregano dressing, as it was a great way to balance the richness of the steak.

The other travel Bunnie asked if I wanted dessert, but I simply couldn’t eat anymore after a satisfying feed. Oh wait, didn’t I mention that my date was my hubby? I did mention that dates are hard to come by these days, didn’t I? After all, taking care of a pre-schooler takes a lot of time and effort, and with hubby often busy with work, we hardly ever get some time to ourselves. So sometime last week after I put Minibun George to bed, I grabbed my phone and booked a date on OpenTable within seconds.

You see, way before we started dating, the other travel Bunnie and I bonded over food. Let me tell you just how grateful I am to have found a man who loves food as much as I do. A partner who appreciates ﬁne dining but would also happily roll up his sleeves to devour a plate of fried chicken and wafﬂes dripping with sticky maple glaze, or stand by the side of a busy street somewhere in Asia eating skewers of BBQ meat.

So often I hear friends telling me that they get caught up by the nitty-gritty of daily life that they feel like there’s no more spark in their relationship, that life has become so mundane and routine. This is exactly why I think it’s so important to always stay connected with your significant other. It doesn’t take much, because like a third (32%) of Aussies, we agree that regular date nights are one of the most important things to do together in order to maintain a strong relationship. Unsurprisingly, Australian couples believe date nights are beneficial in bringing their relationships happiness and relaxation and helping more than half of us feel closer and more ‘in love’ with their partner (51%).

Searching for your next dining venue can be easily done via the OpenTable app which offers a personalised experience and provides users with a platform to discover new restaurants. Yes, the hard work is done for you as the app provides restaurant recommendations tailored to you based on your past bookings, favourite restaurants and dining preferences. In Australia alone, there are more than 1700 restaurants that use the OpenTable technology so the choices are aplenty, and since it launched in Australia in 2015, OpenTable has seated over 16.5 million diners.

As we don’t have date nights as often as we used to, it’s incredibly handy that the app provides reviews and ratings of the restaurants by diners so that we can avoid potential disappointment and have a great meal out together. As always, we found old fashioned service and impeccable food at Walter’s Steakhouse, and I already have our next date booked. To book your next date night, be sure to visit www.opentable.com.au.

Disclaimer: this post is sponsored by OpenTable, please note that the views and opinions expressed in this post are as always, my own.

Les Jardins de L'Espadon at The Ritz Paris | Paris, FRANCE

If you asked me to name three things that immediately come to mind when Paris is mentioned, my answer would be “the Eiffel Tower, Chanel and the Ritz”. I mean, clearly there’s a lot more to Paris than those three things, but a visit to the Rietz, in my opinion, is the quintessential très chic Parisian experience. Located at the iconic Place Vendôme, it has witnessed so much history and welcomed so many famous guests. People like Coco Chanel, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald considered the Ritz a second home. When theRitz reopened to the public in 2016 after an extensive makeover that kept its doors closed for nearly four years, I drooled over the press photos for days. So it was inevitable that we visited the Ritz during our recent trip to Europe.

“Under the atrium and in the garden, the seasons blossom” is the hotel’s description for this one Michelin starred restaurant, indeed, light and airy, Les Jardins de L’Espadon seemed the perfect spot for lunch, especially during the heat of summer in Paris. Under the leadership of Chef Nicolas Sale, the menu was a much more casual than the three-starred L’Espadon, yet it did not lack sophistication. I had booked the table months in advance and it certainly paid off as we were lead to the centre table inside. The setting was utterly beautiful but in the most subtle way. A small bunch of fresh flowers adorned each table, which was dressed with crisp white linen table-cloths.

As soon as I sat down, a stool was placed next to me. Took me a second to realise that it was for my handbag. Now that’s service, I thought to myself. Before we placed an order, the headwaiter came over and offered us lunch options for Minibun George, who was ecstatic when he heard that they had spaghetti bolognese on offer. George made light work of that entire plate of pasta, so my guess would be that the bolognese was thoroughly enjoyed. The dishes from the seasonal menu were delicious as they were beautiful. Each plate was like a piece of art created by a master painter. The steamed salmon, lettuce coulis and chanterelle mushrooms that I had was the perfect summer dish, light and wholesome. The other travel bunnie had the rack of milk-fed pork, garden peas, which was the heavier option. A golden crispy skin blanketed the meat which was tender and juicy, while the vibrant green of the peas added a pop to the palette. My favourite dish was the wild strawberries and sorbet, fennel mousse. I was initially hesitant about the fennel mousse, but the combination worked perfectly. If summer was a dish, that would be it.

The service that we received absolutely exceeded my expectations, it was impeccable and personal. At €95 for two courses, it’s definitely not the cheapest when it comes to lunch options, but nothing makes the case for old-world allure quite like the Ritz Paris and nothing says a quintessential summer’s day like a magnificent lunch at Les Jardins de L’Espadon.

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