The Gala Restaurant

Dined at Gala for our 3rd anniversary dinner after plucking the name from Rob Broadfield’s Good Food book. Rated at a high 16.5 out of 20, I had cautiously high expectations of this restaurant. For entrée I devoured a Thai-style crayfish thermidor which was sensationally done. Well seasoned coconut sauce warmed gently with chilli and coriander, absolutely fantastic and gone in a flash. My partner feasted on the pan-fried scallops with potato gnocchi; what a stunning combination and perfectly executed. Soft, sweet scallops perched on top of thick rounds of gnocchi – I was apprehensive when I saw the size of the potato bites and expected to be chewing on Tip Top raw dough, but was delighted as they melted into nothingness in my mouth. For mains I was served with the sweet duet of veal and lamb - both meats were cooked to perfection; soft, pink and very tasty. Not keen on the goats cheese and white asparagus but I put this down to personal taste; the snow pea cream however was blissful. My partner had the prime beef fillet, cooked at a perfect medium. Our mains were accompanied by seasonal steamed veg and braised red cabbage with glazed apples and prunes. The pruney sweetness of the cabbage disappointed a little and we didn’t each much of this side. Dessert saw us through with a trifle-quark soufflé served with freeze-dried raspberries, macaroons and the tartest, sharpest, almost-painful-to-eat passionfruit jelly. Delicious, but in very small doses. My partner was pleased to receive a very rich, very strong coffee which he commented on several times during the evening and the following day! All in all, a wonderful dining experience. At our request, Hans Lang chose the wine for our meals and it was delightful to have the owner so closely involved in our dining experience. I would heartily recommend this restaurant to friends and family. 23/12/2010