9

REGIONAL

RESTAURANT

OF THE YEAR

LAURA, MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VIC

Laura is so at home in its gorgeous, view-

enriched setting that it’s hard to believe it’s

less than a year old. The breadth of talent

in the front of house team certainly helps, as

does a wine list that confidently matches Pt

Leo Estate’s own output against a collection

of some of the best and most interesting

small producers from across the globe.

But it’s chef Phil Wood’s food that really

brings the sense of belonging home. Local

seafood, vegetables, cheese and meat

are presented in deft, beautifully realised

combinations as big on old-fashioned

flavour as they are on clever technique.

All this and an attention-grabbing collection

of sculpture – it’s an impressive début.

In short:Strong and assured straight out

of the box.

BRAE, BIRREGURRA, VIC

Dan Hunter has never been one to rest on his laurels, even those he

grew himself. In fact, if the ongoing project of becoming increasingly

self-suicient is anything to go by – he’s growing his own wheat now

and milling grains daily for the bread – he’s doubling down on

the mission to paint a portrait of the surrounding countryside with

flavour and artful plating. The dining room (designed by Six Degrees,

as is the superb accommodation that should be on every food

traveller’s bucket list) gets better with age, while the front of house

team is a blueprint for how to get it right.

In short:A superb regional portrait.●

IGNI, GEELONG, VIC

From the thread of wood smoke in the air to the warm personable

service and beautifully constructed wine list, there’s delight,

elegance and sincerity to this restaurant in the backblocks of

Geelong that makes it one of the country’s best dining experiences.

Aaron Turner’s multi-course menus start with an impressive shower

of palate-priming snacks that are followed by dishes that make

the most of the region’s produce, embellished and enhanced but

grounded in simplicity. One of Turner’s great talents is to feed you

well over many courses, leaving you satisfied and uplifted but never

stufed. It’s the kind of complete experience that has you vowing

to return before you’ve left.

In short: A masterclass in balance.

Clockwise from

top left: Laura,

Mornington

Peninsula; Dutch

cream potato,

whey and

smoked fish roe

at Igni; Brae,

Birregurra.

2019

AUSTRALIAN

RESTAURANT

GUIDE

PHOTOGRAPHY JULIAN KINGMA (IGNI, LAURA) & COLIN PAGE (BRAE)

44 GOURMET TRAVELLER