The Bridge Room - 12 May 2015

You might have noticed that I have been extremely quiet on the food blogging front these days. Please excuse my lack of updates as my wife and I are counting down the days til our lives will be changed forever with the arrival of life's most precious gift. Since June will be a month of confinement for the both of us, my wife decided to book a very early birthday celebration for me at The Bridge Room. If we're not going to be able to have a nice, quiet meal out for ages, we may as well do it in style, right?

The Bridge Room is the 2-hatted establishment of Ross Lusted (ex-Rockpool, Harbour Kitchen & Bar and Aman Resorts in Singapore). Bridge Room offers a modern Australian menu with Asian influences (there is no tasting menu, a rarity for restaurants above the one-hat category). It's been more than a couple of years since my last visit to The Bridge Room, so a revisit to one of my favourite CBD restaurants was well overdue.

To toast the evening, I had a berries & yuzushu cocktail (because... yuzu) and my wife had a cucumber & coriander mocktail (because... non-alcoholic).  

Sourdough bread and butter

For bread, there was a sourdough and a rye bread on offer, sourced from Iggy's Bread. Iggy's is one of the most reliable in Sydney when it comes to artisan breads. The thick crust is a trademark of Iggy's breads and was no exception with my slice of sourdough. Asking for seconds of this bread was a given.

Rock oysters, south coast NSW w/ shallot, red wine vinegar and white miso dressing, chives ($4.50 each)

I decided to start off with a couple of freshly shucked-to-order rock oysters from Merimbula in the south coast of NSW. These oysters went down a treat and came with plenty of salty brine. The oysters came with a white miso dressing and a shallot, red vinegar dressing. I preferred the more conventional, zingy shallot and red wine vinegar dressing. The white miso with accents of ginger and sesame, whilst nice, I wasn't sure how well these flavours paired with natural oysters.

Steamed scallop mousse, grey ghost mushrooms, torn scallop, chives, cured pork cheek ($34)

For entree, I had this pretty assortment of steamed scallop mousse with grey ghost mushrooms, a pan seared torn scallop and guanciale. The steamed scallop mousse was a textural highlight: so soft, smooth and silky. The torn scallop was perfectly cooked with sweet, translucent flesh and beautiful caramelisation of top. Mushrooms (pine and grey ghosts) featured all over the menu on this evening, which pleased me to no end given I love mushrooms. The grey ghosts were slippery and earthy. The guanciale added buttery richness to this impressive entree.

Robata grilled cos lettuce, grilled and smoked enoki mushrooms, creamed parsnip, pickled parsley leaves ($25)

My wife opted for this simple yet delicious entree. Cooking with the robata grill is a signature of The Bridge Room kitchen, adding smokiness and depth of flavour to anything that touches it. The grill intensified the sweetness and the umami in the cos lettuce and enoki mushrooms. A quenelle of creamed parsnip provided additional sweetness, earthiness and creaminess to the dish.

Rangers valley 7+ wagyu sirloin, grilled banana shallots, smoked milk, spinach, crisp potato ($52)

I had no idea what to order for main so I asked my waiter for advice. Being my indecisive self, I asked him about every main on the menu, so I was no closer to deciding on my main! The waiter ended up convincing me that the wagyu (rather amusingly, this was the dish that I thought I had ruled out before the waiter arrived). This dish turned out to be a fantastic choice! 

The Rangers Valley MBS 7+wagyu sirloin was cooked sous-vide and then finished on the robata grill, which added that trademark smokiness and caramelisation to the beef. The sirloin was cooked medium-rare and retained a nice, slightly resistant texture. Grilled banana shallots and smoked milk naturally complimented the sirloin. The thin, glass-like potato crisp was interesting and added another texture to the dish.  

Silken tofu, cucumber, daikon, shiitake mushrooms cooked in broth, Randall family organic brown rice, greens, cloud ear fungus ($30)

My wife's main was a clean, light and enjoyable dish of silken tofu, cucumber, daikon, shiitake mushrooms and cloud ear fungus. The only minor criticism was that the silken tofu could have been silkier (I think my wife was hoping for the texture to be more like my scallop mousse). There was also a paper thin sheet of rice chip. 

Randall family organic brown rice

The silken tofu also came with a bowl of organic brown rice. The rice had an amazing, nutty flavour. My wife said that she would be happy to down bowls of this rice.   

Black Russian tomatoes, sesame dressing, sprouts, chia seeds ($11)

I needed some vegetables so I ordered this delicious side of black Russian tomatoes with sesame dressing, sprouts and chia seeds.

Whipped 15 month old Parmigiano Reggiano, burnt apple, spiced bread ($18)

My wife and I decided to share the composed cheese course. I loved the simplicity of this course, with not too many things on the plate. 15 month old Parmigiano Reggiano was whipped and had a very smooth and creamy texture. The burnt apple puree, discs of fresh aple and thin spiced bread were a great match to the sharpness of the whipped Parmesan.    

Aerated passionfruit, roasted nougatine, passionfruit ice cream, passionfruit seed powder, glass biscuit ($18)

This dessert was intense in passionfruit flavour with aerated passionfruit, passionfruit ice cream and passionfruit seed powder. This dish fits perfectly on menu as a refreshing end to a meal at The Bridge Room. Roasted nougatine, meringue and glass biscuit add a variety of textures to this excellent, well-rounded dessert. 

Whipped black sesame, toasted sesame powder, melon, puffed black rice, coconut sugar ($18)

One of the dishes that I was keen to try at The Bridge Room was the black sesame dessert, which was featured in the Good Food Guide's top desserts of last year. So much has been said about this dessert that I was happy to discover that it is every bit as good as it is hyped up to be. As a huge fan of black sesame, I was absolutely blown away by this dessert! The whipped black sesame and toasted sesame was intense with black sesame flavour. The black sesame with puffed black rice was an amazing combination in terms of flavour and texture. Melon and coconut sugar rounded out this divine, Asian-inspired dessert.

As I left the restaurant, I didn't just farewell the waitstaff, I farewelled my days of fine dining for a life of sleepless nights and changing nappies! Although fine dining is one of my favourite things in life, I look forward to this new, exciting chapter in my life!

Verdict
Highlight: The black sesame and passionfruit desserts are worth the price of admission alone. 
Lowlight: I'm going to miss nights out like this with my wife.
Overall: Bridge Room is always a dependable choice for a top-notch fine dining meal without committing hours sitting through a tasting menu. The robata grill is the star here! 8/10 (Excellent)

The Bridge Room

Address: 44 Bridge St, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact no: 02 9247 7000
Website: www.thebridgeroom.com.au/

LuMi Bar & Dining, Pyrmont - 20 March 2015

LuMi Bar & Dining has been on my radar well before its opening in September last year. I don't keep my love for Ormeggio at the Spit a secret, where LuMi owner and executive chef, Federico Zanellato, was head chef for 4 years before leaving to open his own venture with restauranteur, Bill Drakopoulos. After several booking changes due to circumstances beyond my control, I finally made it to LuMi on Friday night with my wife.

LuMi is located in Pyrmont in a space that resembles a glass box.  Lumi is Italian for small lights, reflecting the multitude of pendent lights hanging from the ceiling. LuMi is also the combined name of Federico Zanellato's twin daughters, Luna and Mia.  

Federico Zanellato in the open kitchen

Federico is a chef that has a CV that will make most chefs jealous. He's done stints at 3-Michelin star restaurants (La Pergola in Rome and Ryugin in Tokyo), Noma, Attica on top of his head chef gig at Ormeggio. So it's no surprise that LuMi has been a very popular restaurant since its opening and has received widespread praise from food critics and bloggers alike.

LuMi is pitched as a casual fine dining restaurant and offers an 8 course degustation-only menu for dinner. At $95, LuMi represents unrivalled value  in a city where $100+ tasting menus are the norm. The food is modern Italian with Japanese influences. As always, my wife had the vegetarian menu.

Course one    

Porcini brisee, mascarpone, walnut; Rice chips salt and vinegar

The meal kicks off with a series of snacks delivered to us in rapid sucession. There was a crumbly porcini brisee with mascarpone and shaved walnut and salt and vinegar rice chips. Salt and vinegar chips seem to be a mainstay at fine diners these days, but these ones were a standout: light, paper thin and very well seasoned.

Sourdough, butter

LuMi's sourdough has a robust flavour, a lovely thick crust and is served with a house churned butter.

Mussels, coconut, seaweed

Mussels, coconut and seaweed was like a Thai-style mussel dish cooked in coconut milk, which were served as purees in a mussel shell. Coconut was the dominant flavour in this snack, with the sweet, mineral flavour of mussel being quite subtle. The vegetarian version was the same as mine minus the mussel puree.

Chawanmushi

Since its opening, LuMi has been offering an Italian interpretation of a traditional Japanese dish, chawanmushi. Instead of dashi, LuMi's chawanmushi was cooked using Parmesan consomme and topped with tomato water and strands of basil.The chawanmushi was silky smooth, and wobbly, which are traits of every good chawanmushi. The dish tasted unmistakably Italian, but executed with the precision and balance found in Japanese cuisine. Just heavenly!

Potato & rosemary focaccia

The potato and rosemary focaccia is not like any normal focaccia. I often find focaccia quite heavy but this was light and fluffy. Amazing!

Course two

Calamari & scampi, cucumber, yogurt, fennel

Chopped raw calamari and scampi sat in a cooling cucumber broth and was topped with yogurt, fennel fronds and sesame seeds. The calamari and the scampi were sweet and there was a nice contrast in texture between the firmness of the calamari and the softness of the scampi. I enjoyed this clean and refreshing dish.

White cucumber, apple, sour cream

My wife's first full course consisted of discs of white cucumber from the Blue Mountains, fermented Granny Smith apple water, sour cream, fennel fronds and radish flowers. My wife loved this fresh, cooling dish!

Course three

Veal tartare, tarragon emulsion, roasted capsicum, buckwheat

Finely diced veal tartare was mixed with roasted capsicum on a pool of tarragon emulsion and topped with puffed buckwheat. The softness of the veal with the crunch of puffed buckwheat was a textural delight. The tarragon emulsion, which was sweet and had a slight aniseed taste, added another dimension to the dish. A dusting of togarashi added some nice kick to the dish. This veal tartare is up there amongst my favourite tartare dishes in Sydney and was one of the highlights of this meal.    

Roasted capsicum, tarragon emulsion, buckwheat

The vegetarian version of this dish leaves out the veal and increases the portion of roasted capsicum. This dish was also one of my wife's favourites. The togarashi did make her lose her marbles for a bit and she has been kicking herself since for not developing an appreciation for togarashi earlier.

Course four

Spelt ravioli, burnt butter, pumpkin, avruga, chives

Four discs of spelt ravioli were filled with burnt butter and pumpkin puree. We were instructed not to cut these on the plate, instead we should eat them whole. The pasta is delicately thin and the raviloi bursts almost immediately in the mouth, releasing the most incredible flavour! For me, brown butter is a total game changer: nutty, "caramelly" and was so good with the sweet, creamy pumpkin.  This creation is surely an ode to the famous fagotelli carbanora, a dish that Federico would have cooked countless times during his time at La Pergola. The ravioli was topped with pumpkin seeds, avruga caviar (omitted in the vegetarian version) and chives.

Course five

Tonnarelli, bottle squid, orange, purplette onion

You know the pasta course is going to be awesome given the chef used to ply his trade at Ormeggio (where you will find the best pasta in Sydney)!  Al dente strands of tonnarelli were glistening with squid ink sauce. The sauce tasted of the sea and was damn delicious, but there is no mistaking that it's salty and intense. The bottle squid was tender but retained a nice bitey texture. Candied orange peel and purplette onions help cut through the richness of the dish.

Risotto, tomato, balsamic, fennel, chives

The vegetarian course was risotto cooked with tomato water. The risotto was on point, with its perfectly al dente grains of rice and creamy texture. The tomato flavour worked extremely well in this risotto and was well balanced with the balsamic reduction, fennel and chives. This risotto is up there with some of the better risotto dishes we've tried in Sydney.         

Course six

Beef cheek, cauliflower, parsley

My final savoury course was beef cheeks, which were covered with a blanket of paper-thin cauliflower and dusted with smoked kale powder. I always get excited when I see beef cheeks for its rich, deep flavour and its melt in your mouth softness. The braised Angus beef cheeks were, to no one's surprise, tender and had a nice, slightly crisp exterior. The pairing with parsley emulsion and the subtle kick of horseradish was a winner.

Turnip, gruyere, porcini powder

My wife's final course was salt baked baby turnip with Gruyere fondue and porcini powder, another of my wife's favourite dishes for the night. The Gruyere fondue was pretty freaking incredible and shows up most cheese fondues out there. The turnips were juicy thanks to the salt baking process.   

Course seven

Evergreen

The first dessert, Evergreen, is one of LuMi's signature dishes and has been on the menu since day one. Evergreen is part palate cleanser, part dessert and part genius - a really clever transition from savoury to sweet. Basically it consisted of five herbs presented in five different ways. There's sorrel sorbet, lemon basil granita, mint meringue, shiso jelly and parsley salt. Put all these together and you get a dessert that is ridiculously refreshing with well rounded flavours and a variety of temperatures and textures. In short, this was an awesome dessert! I suspect that Evergreen will be talked about for a while yet and Federico will have a hard time taking this off the menu (at least I hope he doesn't!).

Course eight

Ginger ice cream, white chocolate, passion fruit, yogurt crumble

The finale to what has been an incredible meal was another stunner in young ginger ice cream with white chocolate foam, passion fruit powder, lime zest, yogurt crumble and meringue. The young ginger ice cream was very pleasant and not at all overpowering. The passion fruit and lime zest added a sour tang, which was nicely balanced by the sweet, milky white chocolate foam. The yogurt crumble and meringue provided texture.       

Verdict
Highlight: Evergreen is one of my favourite desserts in Sydney at the moment.
Lowlight: I am not the biggest fan of the glass box design of the restaurant.   
Overall: At $95, LuMi Bar & Dining represents some of the best value on the Sydney fine dining scene, especially given the talents of the head chef, Federico Zanellato. The food here is some of the most innovative, thoughtful and clever you will find. A shoe-in for hats from the next edition of the Good Food Guide. 8.5/10 (Excellent) 

LuMi Bar & Dining

Address: 56 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009
Contact no: (02) 9571 1999
Website: http://www.lumidining.com/ 

Brae., Birregurra, Victoria - 23 February 2015

"Have you ever taken a holiday somewhere because you wanted to dine at a restaurant?"

This was exactly why my wife and I decided to visit the Great Ocean Road and The Otways of Victoria during February. This might sound a bit extreme but I can assure you that the effort we made to dine at this restaurant was completely worth it and we were rewarded with one of the most memorable dining experiences in Australia. So strap yourself in, because you’re in for one heck of a meal in this post!

The restaurant I am talking about is the three-toqued Brae. We are dining at Brae during the Monday lunchtime service, which I have booked in typical style, many months in advance.  Like Royal Mail Hotel before at Dunkeld, Dan Hunter has put another country Victoria town on the map! Hunter’s found the perfect spot for his first restaurant venture in Birregurra, a tiny town in the Otways that’s about an hour-and-a-half hour’s drive from Melbourne. Dan Hunter (ex-head chef at world renowned restaurant, Mugaritz in the Basque Country of Spain) is one of the best chefs in Australia if not the world (recently in Le Chef’s list of 100 best chefs in the world as voted by over 500 two and three Michelin star chefs), so it is easy to see why foodies everywhere have taken notice and make the pilgrimage to Birregurra to dine at Brae.

Brae is housed in an old farmhouse and what makes Brae’s location special is that it is situated on 30 acres of land with four bursting dams and a kitchen garden complete with established vegetable patches, orchards of stone fruits, pistachios and olive trees. We arrived at the restaurant slightly early so we took the chance to stroll through these lovely gardens. You might even spot a chef wandering in the gardens, plucking some last minute things to be used for the upcoming service. I have heard that Hunter has even bigger plans, including raising livestock for the restaurant’s use in the future.

The space of the refitted farmhouse exudes elegance, luxury and comfort. Natural light floods in and reflects off the soft white walls to brighten up the entire room. White linen cover the round, generously sized tables, which are well-spaced apart from each other, allowing us to truly relax and dine in comfort. The restaurant’s open kitchen and the diners are separated by sound proofed glass, so as to not spoil the relaxed ambience of the dining room with the clatter of pans.

One of the many highlights of the experience is the service led by restaurant manager, Simon Freeman. The service is friendly, attentive and free of pretension. Staff are also highly knowledgeable and are there to answer any questions about the menu, including deconstructing each dish to its components. You get a sense of being very well looked after, some of the best service in the country.

The main attraction is of course the food. The menu at Brae is highly seasonal and changes depending on the availability of ingredients. Brae’s garden based cuisine requires a commitment to eat a wide range of plant and animal life, most of which are sourced in the region or from the restaurant’s own gardens. The food is quite technical and in some cases pushes boundaries and tests some diners’ fortitude (think prawn heads, pig’s blood). As such the food has divided some diners, but I think everything is brilliantly done.

Brae’s tasting menu consists of snacks, five savoury courses, two desserts and petit fours ($180 for the regular menu and $160 for my wife’s vegetarian menu). 

Matching wines are $120 but you’ll need a designated driver if you want to indulge in wine given Brae’s location. This is a problem that will be alleviated when Brae finishes building their on-site accommodation, which will include 6 self-contained rooms.

I am not much of a wine drinker myself so I opted for the matching non-alcoholic drinks ($60). This pairing includes a mix of pressed fruit and vegetable juices and teas. I cannot speak highly enough of this pairing. Never have I seen non-alcoholic drinks matched so expertly with food at any restaurant. It all makes so much sense and all the drinks are rather tasty even on their own!

Snacks

Burnt pretzel, treacle, pork; Salt and vinegar potato; Burnt pretzel, treacle, sea lettuce (veg. menu)

The meal kicks off with plates of snacks, all to be enjoyed cutlery-free. There were thin, purple salt and vinegar potato crisps that were so addictive that I wished there were more than two chips each. I would happily munch on a bag of these tangy crisps.

Then there was a long, black, twig-like “burnt pretzel” that was smoky, sweet (from treacle) and savoury (from powdered pork crackling). The vegetarian burnt pretzel was dusted with sea lettuce, kind of like a refined Pocky stick flecked with seaweed.

Hapuka and crisp skin; Otway shiitake, eggplant, white miso; Leek and black cabbage (veg. menu); Otway shiitake and fermented lentil (veg. menu)

The next round of snacks contained flakes of soft hapuka served on a puffed crisp skin. 

My wife had a leek, with its root system in-tact and fried up to a crisp, with a black cabbage dipping sauce. The black cabbage tasted somewhat like matcha and both my wife and I agreed that it was incredibly tasty. So much so that we were both running our finger through it!

One of our favourite snacks were the Otway shiitake mushrooms, which were grown using traditional methods, i.e. on logs. The flavour of the shiitakes were distinctly earthy and as good as the best shiitake mushrooms we have tasted in Japan. My mushroom was filled with soft, creamy eggplant and white miso. The white miso, perhaps surprisingly was not overpowering and well-balanced with the floral notes in this bite. My wife’s shiitake was filled with fermented lentil.

Iced oyster; Beef tendon and mountain pepper; Lemon cucumber and lemon myrtle (veg. menu); Rice paper and mountain pepper (veg. menu)

A sheet of puffed beef tendon is airy, crunchy and sticky, a truly delightful snack, one that is like a fancy prawn cracker. The beef tendon is dusted with mountain pepper to give it touch of heat. The vegetarian cracker, which is made from rice paper, is just as crunchy but does not have the sticky texture of the tendon. 

There is a wedge of lemon cucumber, dusted with lemon myrtle for the vegetarian.

Iced oyster

The iced oyster is the first bite that may challenge some diners but I think it’s a stroke of genius. There’s an oyster ice cream that’s made from the oyster’s brine and cultured cream, filled into an oyster shell. The ice cream is dusted with freeze dried oysters and sea lettuce. The sweet, briney flavours of the sea fills each creamy mouthful of this amazing creation. The iced oyster is one of the best things that I have ever had the pleasure of eating!

Radish and Jersey cream

The next snack, a single radish served with fermented Jersey cream, is in contrast to the highly technical snacks earlier.  The radish was obviously fresh, having been plucked from the earth in the morning. Simple but absolutely delicious!

Summer squash and sheep's curd grilled over juniper (veg. menu)

Continuing on with the theme of clean simplicity is the summer squash filled with sheep’s curd that’s been grilled over juniper in the vegetarian menu.

Prawn, nasturtium, finger lime; Turnip and brook trout

Braised turnips were hollowed out and filled with brook trout roe, creating an excellent combination that’s fresh and bursting with flavour, literally!

The next potential challenge for diners (but not me!) was a grilled prawn head, which was to be eaten whole in one bite. These prawn heads were crunchy and very juicy, so they exploded with flavour with each bite. I admire Brae’s chutzpah for serving prawn heads at a fine dining restaurant. 

Wrapped inside a nasturtium leaf was a little parcel of chopped, sweet prawn tail meat and finger lime, yet another clean, light and fresh snack. The vegetarian version was filled with corn, tamarind and finger lime, which my wife thoroughly enjoyed.

Jasmine, tonic, pink grapefruit; Garden mocktail ($11)

Jasmine, tonic syrup, pink grapefruit and finger lime, was the matching drink to the snacks. This was so refreshing, with the flavours all being well balanced (neither too sweet not too acidic). This was an obvious match to the nasturtium, prawn and finger lime, so we made sure that I still had some left by the time we were served the final snack.

My wife ordered the garden mocktail (rhubarb, apple, lemon juice and mint). This is one of the best mocktails we’ve ever tried! The ingredients may make the mocktail sound sour, but this was really well-balanced and so pleasant to drink. A perfect summer drink!

Whole wheat sourdough bread and house churned butter

Bread and butter arrived after the snacks. Brae’s whole wheat sourdough is so good that it is almost worth the price of admission alone! The bread is baked in a special outdoor brick oven that was made by the late and world-renowned oven maker, Alan Scott. Quite simply, this is some of the best bread you will find anywhere in Australia! The dark, thick crust takes on the smoky flavour of the wood fire and the bread itself is quite light and fluffy for a sourdough. The butter, which looks more like whipped cream, is tangy and lightly churned from Jersey milk from Warrnambool. Just incredible stuff really!

Course one

Crayfish and burnt potatoes, flathead roe, milk and mustard

Revealing what's hiding underneath the milk skin

The first of the main savoury courses contained morsels of crayfish and burnt potatoes hidden underneath a silky blanket of milk skin. The crayfish was gently cooked and were still quite tender and translucent. The sweetness of the crayfish was enhanced by gentle heat of mustard seeds and saltiness of flathead roe. Various herbs and flowers from Brae’s gardens added freshness and an extra flavour dimension to the dish. This dish tasted clean, light and fresh, which made for an amazing first course!

Lapsang Souchog, burdock root and echinacea, fennel and orange

I am not a fan of lapsang souchong at the best of times due to its intense smokiness but this tea, which also contained earthy, floral, aniseed and tangy notes from burdock root, Echinacea, fennel and orange, was well balanced and went well with the flavours of the crayfish course.

Heirloom carrot, grilled tofu and white onion (veg. menu)

My wife’s grilled tofu was excellent and its texture was somewhere between a silken tofu and a firm tofu. The tofu harnessed the incredible sweetness of the heirloom carrots, carrot sauce and white onions. This was another dish that showcased the amazingly fresh vegetables that Brae has access to.

Course two

Calamari and fermented celeriac, grilled peas and beef fat

Lightly cooked strands of calamari were tender and slightly bitey at the same time. Strands of fermented celeriac were mixed amongst the calamari to add a different texture and another dimension to the dish. The grilled peas were sweet and exploded with flavour in the mouth. These were probably the tastiest peas that I have ever tasted! Beef fat from the marrow added richness and savouriness to the dish, whilst remaining light and well balanced. Yet another superb course! 

Cucumber, lime, curly mint, sea lettuce

The matching drink to the calamari was my favourite of the meal! This fizzy drink was incredibly refreshing (from cucumber and curly mint), with notes of citrus (from lime) and seaweed (from sea lettuce). This drink went well with the freshness and sweetness of the calamari and grilled peas.

Tomato and zucchini on toast (veg. menu)

Tomato and zucchini on toast revealed!

The second course of the vegetarian menu, Brae’s breakfast sounding "tomato and zucchini on toast", is a stunning creation that would not look out of place on the normal menu! Beneath a a veil of crisp zucchini flowers was a slightly warmed heirloom tomato, freshly plucked from Brae’s garden. The quality of the tomato was apparent from the first bite. It is almost impossible to describe the euphoria that is felt when you taste a tomato which has such a deep, rich flavour. Memories of the tomatoes that we tasted at L’Arpege came flooding back, the last time where we were this excited about tomatoes. The tomato was topped with a variety of different basil leaves and ricotta, flavours which undoubtedly work with tomatoes.  The tomato sat on "toast", which was a mix of crunchy bread crumbs and dried olives. This summery dish was the clear standout of the vegetarian menu.

Course three

Warm ricotta and nettle, roasted chicken and brassicas

The warm ricotta and nettle, roasted chicken and brassicas is a powerful and intense dish. Shards of paper thin brassicas and crispy roasted chicken skin are a joy to munch on with the smooth ricotta. A roasted chicken broth is poured over the dish at the table. The flavours in this dish are grassy, bitter and wonderfully savoury.

Oolong 'Iron Goddess of Mercy', Fujian, China

The matching drink with the ricotta dish was an oolong tea, “Iron Goddess of Mercy”. This mellow and refreshing tea was an obvious match with the “grassiness” of the brassicas.

Warm ricotta and nettle, mushroom and brassicas (veg. menu)

My broth in my wife's dish had a mushroom broth in place of the chicken broth and the chicken skin crisps were replaced with cauliflower crisps.

Course four

Barbecued wallaby not barbecued

My waiter announced the name of the next dish, “barbecued wallaby not barbecued” and left me to work out what the dish was made up of. This was a challenging and perplexing dish as I struggled to work out all the components. Essentially, everything in this dish, except the wallaby was barbecued. Finely chopped raw wallaby meat was filled inside a barbecued radicchio leaf like a spring roll, along with crunchy puffed wild rice and mountain peppers. The dipping sauce was a charred beetroot puree, which was intensely earthy, sweet and smoky. The wallaby was excellent without being at all gamey. All the flavours in this dish worked very well together, except it took me a while to warm to the bitterness of the charred radicchio leaf.

Berries, leek ash, mountain pepper, ginger

The matching drink with the wallaby was a black berry juice with leek ash, mountain pepper and ginger. This was again delicious and its flavours accentuated the earthy, bitter and smoky flavours of the barbecued wallaby not barbecued.

Charred radicchio and beetroot, quandong cooked with rhubarb (veg. menu)

Underneath the radicchio leaf

My wife’s dish had the similar smoky, earthy and bitter flavours from charred beetroots and radicchio as well as additional tartness from quandong and rhubarb, that worked well in this native Australian dish.

Course five

Grass fed Tajima Beef aged 30 days, cauliflower, soured onions

The final savoury course was grilled dry aged Tajima beef (Kobe beef not from Kobe). I don't think I have ever had beef this flavoursome, which is in no douubt due to the dry aging process. The beef was cooked rare with a blushing pink centre and beautifully caramelised crust. The beef was tender while retaining a nice, slightly resistant texture (I want to be able to chew on my meat to release more flavour). The beef was paired with fresh leaves, soured onions cooked in whey and crispy cauliflower chips.

Our genmaicha - Jin Mao Hou, toasted wild rice

The matching drink with the beef was another tea, a genmaicha with Jin Mao Hou (golden monkey) and toasted wild rice. The savouriness and nuttiness of the genmaicha was a great match to the beef.

Eggplant in white miso, dried grains, cured kelp (veg. menu)

My wife’s final savoury course was soft and smoky eggplant with white miso, dried grains and cured kelp. The white miso was not overpowering and really well-balanced with the floral, nutty and umami flavours in this dish. This was another beautiful dish that was amongst my wife’s favourite for the meal.

Course six

Red fruits, lemon and lovage, wild cabbage, and buckwheat

The first dessert course was a wonderful combination of sweet and tart blackberries and blackcurrants, tangy lemon curd, grapefruit and savoury elements that surprisingly work well together (lovage, wild cabbage and buckwheat). Mix it all up and savour the assortment of vibrant summer fruits!

Rhubarb, Australian sencha, lemon myrtle

Australian sencha with rhubarb juice and lemon myrtle might sound odd, but this combination has unexpected synergy. This fragrant, refreshing concoction helps mellow out some of the tartness of the berries.                 

Course seven

Parsnip and apple

The final course of the menu is perhaps Brae’s most famous dish, one that is not likely to be taken off the menu for some time. A crisp fried parsnip skin, looking rather like a brandy snap, is set on top of a creamy apple and parsnip mousse. The apple and parsnip mousse is really moreish, like a velvety custard. Apple can also be found in this dessert as pieces of freeze-dried apples, as grated freeze-dried apples and as a caramel made from apple and chamomile. This was a highly technical dessert in preparation, but it had the heart-warming comfort of an apple pie. A truly incredible dessert that is worthy of being a signature dish! 

Pink lady and chamomile

Parship and apple was matched with a warm chamomile tea with pink lady apple juice to accentuate the flavours of the dessert.

Petit fours

Rhubarb and pistachio, blood and preserved blackberry; Rhubarb and pistachio, preserved blackberry (veg. menu)

For petit fours, the menu reads rhubarb, pistachio, preserved blackberry and pig’s blood, something that is likely to send panic to some. But you needn’t worry because this little bite is absolutely delicious! A soft, chewy pistachio biscuit was bound with pig’s blood and topped with rhubarb and preserved blackberry (the vegetarian biscuit does not have pig's blood of course!). A fitting end to a remarkable meal!

All things must come to an end and after three and a half hours of some of the most exquisite food and attentive service, we left the restaurant with a copy of our menus, signed by Dan Hunter, and memories that will last a life time! We took one last stroll around Brae's gardens to give us a final reminder of the surroundings for which the food conveyed a strong sense of place with.

Verdict
Highlight: This was a meal jam packed with highs from the iced oyster, the bread, the Tajima beef, to the parsnip and apple dessert.
Lowlight: While the trip from Melbourne is 90 minutes, the journey from Sydney is almost 10 hours, making it difficult for repeat visits.  
Overall: The food (innovative with a strong focus on fresh, local ingredients), service (friendly, attentive and unpretentious), ambience (a relaxed, spacious, elegant dining room) and remote location (the best for long, lazy lunches) all contribute to Brae being one of the best restaurant experiences you can find in this country. 9.5/10 (Outstanding)

Brae

Address: 4285 Cape Otway Road, Birregurra VIC 3242
Contact no: (03) 5236 2226
Website: http://braerestaurant.com/