Beetroot + goat’s cheese + walnuts is such an epic combination of flavours and textures, I don’t know how I allow myself to forget it.

Pencil and I went to Denmark House in Melbourne’s CBD for our D country cuisine adventure. There was exactly one vegetarian starter and one vegetarian main so I certainly wasn’t spoilt for choice, but Pencil had some excellent options and he went all in. My goodness the place was lovely. The ambience was quiet, cosy, comfort vibes, all the seating was super spaced apart (my favourite), the wait staff were very friendly and equally not in our faces, the lighting was bright yet soft and warm, and the courses spaced out so time slowed down and I felt able to take everything in and enjoy it a lot as an overall experience.

I loved my salad starter (pictured above) and my lychee and elderflower mocktail. I wanted to enjoy the mains a lot more than I did, but my palate just isn’t accustomed to the texture of pearl barley. The unfamiliarity of that one ingredient really got in the way of me wholly savouring the rest of the preparation. I did enjoy the mushroom flavours and textures but ended up ordering a side of fries and remoulade (10/10) to feel full.

I remember when other flavours and textures (that I love now) were unfamiliar to me and I couldn’t enjoy them until I acquired the taste. Egg was a major one, since I grew up not eating any eggs at all, and when I was first offered some at my ex mother in law’s house that were freshly laid by her very happy and loved chooks, I wanted to enjoy them, but for the longest time I just couldn’t. Gnocchi is another one that stands out in my memory, my first experience of eating what was objectively a very classy and fancy gnocchi was only a little short of traumatic, lol. Now (after many years of slow but steady exposure) I love both gnocchi and eggs. I can actually imagine myself enjoying pearl barley down the track too. I knew it intellectually as I ate my meal at Denmark House, “this is a very good and probably healthy and well prepared meal and with some practice, I think I would have the capacity to enjoy it the way it deserves.”

Is this going to be my very own “My Fair Lady” journey, getting cultured around food? Haha. Who knows. I’m open!