Australian Gourmet Traveller – September 2019

Sudachiandzibibbo.Sucklingpigandshishito.Sashimiandgnocchi.

“Youareconfinedonlybythewallsyoucreate”readsthetextprinted

ontheglasswallshemminginLuMi.It’salittlehammy,sure,butthe

moodisrighton:inbringingaJapanesemoodtobearonItaliancuisine,

FedericoZanellatotreadsterritoryfewchefsdareto.Buthisscopeis

farwider:asinglescallop,slicedandputbacktogetherwithinterleaved

sliversofrhubarbandjalapeño,forexample,islistedonthemenuas

ceviche,butplayslikesashimi,andspinsinanew-wavecrudodirection

withabaseofbu†alocurdandrhubarbvinegar.Apumpkinandgoat’s

curdtartletcappedwithcrunchypepitas,orasingleraviolofilledwith

liquefiedpecorinoandceleriacandcoatedinduckjus?That’sjustgood

eating.LuMiisapackagedeal,thetechniquenearfaultless,theroom

warm,theservicerelaxed,thepacingspoton,allcomplementedby

adrinkslistthatdoesclassicandinterestinginbothwineandsake

territory.Fordessert,asimplebu†alomilkice-creamwithpopcorn

andco†eecaramelkeepscreativityclose,butdeliciousnesscloser.

Ifthesearethewalls,LuMi’sboundsareendless.

56 PirramaRd,

Pyrmont,NSW

(02) 95711999

lumidining.com

+ LunchFri-Sunnoon-2pm;

dinnerWed,Thu&Sun

6.30pm-8.30pm,Fri-Sat

6pm-8.30pm

+Bookingsessential

+Licensed

+Dégustations$125-$185

+CardsAEDCMCVEFT

+Wheelchairfriendly

+ChefFedericoZanellato

29 LuMi V ITALIAN

Thepioneering,creativebehemoththatisDaylesford’sLakeHouse

has added another string to its restaurant-hotel-spa-cooking school

bow – a 38-acre farm, orchard and olive grove. It’s a definitive “put

your money where your mouth is” move from a destination restaurant

that’s been championing the regional and seasonal for more than three

decades. The menu seems energised with the opportunity, bristling with

ingredients picked mere hours and kilometres away, perhaps a cocotte

of farm vegetables and an exquisite pithivier finished with a Pyengana

cheese sauce, or Jerusalem artichokes filled with fresh curd, accompanied

by a puddle of artichoke velouté and topped with tiny flowers and leaves.

Elsewhere there might be dumplings stu†ed with Lakes Entrance bugs

and shark-fin melon served in a broth of pork and lion’s mane mushroom,

petite ice-cream cones filled with fig leaf ice-cream, or chestnut gnocchi

sharing a bowl with foraged mushrooms. It’s food perfectly in sync with

the serene light-filled dining room, beautifully measured service and

weighty wine list o†ering artisan locals alongside French masters.

PutitalltogetherandyougetoneofAustralia’strueculinarytreasures.

4 King St, Daylesford, Vic

(03) 5348 3329

lakehouse.com.au

+ Lunch Mon-Wed

& Fri-Sun noon-2.30pm;

dinner daily 6pm-9pm

+Bookings essential

+Licensed, bar

+ 2 courses $105

(lunch only),

3-4 courses $130-$155;

dégustation $165

+Cards AE DC MC V EFT

+Outdoor dining

+Private room

+ ChefsAllaWolf-Tasker

&BrendanWalsh

30 Lake House V AUSTRALIAN

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Wine country eats
New South Wales
Muse
Cnr. Hermitage & Deasys Roads, Pokolbin,
(02) 4998 7899
Set in Hungerford Hill Winery, Muse shows
o† seasonal Hunter Valley ingredients. Chefs
Troy Rhoades-Brown and Mitchell Beswick
make magic with produce-led dishes.
Margan
1238 Milbrodale Rd, Broke, (02) 6579 1372
Set in 100 hectares of vineyards, Margan,
focuses on nose-to-tail food and home-grown
wines, with chef Thomas Boyd crafting
menus around the garden and orchard.
South Australia
Lot 100
68 Chambers Rd, Hay Valley,
(08) 7077 2888.
The sprawling farm-based home of The
Hills Cider Company, Adelaide Hills Distillery
and Mismatch Brewing also has a large
dining pavilion overlooking paddocks and
orchards. The kitchen piques Italian-inspired
dishes with subtle use of native ingredients.
The Salopian Inn
Cnr Main and McMurtrie rds, McLaren Vale,
(08) 83238769
Karena Armstrong’s homely country
restaurant has cemented its identity with
confidence and flair, built around plates that
mix Asian inspiration with local produce.
Fino Seppeltsfield
730 Seppeltsfield Rd, Seppeltsfield,
(08) 8562 8528
Within Seppeltsfield’s winery, Sam Smith is
finding his voice as a chef while remaining
true to the Fino menu’s regional integrity
established by his boss David Swain.
Slate Restaurant
233 Polish Hill Rd, Sevenhill,
(08) 8843 4044
A grand new dining space at Pikes Wines
provides a new regional produce showcase.
Chef Max Stephenson impresses with seared
kangaroo and buttermilk-marinated lamb.
Victoria
Paringa Estate
44 Paringa Rd, Red Hill South, (03) 5989 2669
This Mornington Peninsula winery restaurant
is a consistently interesting regional
contender. New chef Simon Tarlington
(Prahran’s Highline) continues the tradition.
Petit Tracteur
1208 Mornington Flinders Rd, Mainridge,
(03) 5989 2510
French and regionally-inspired menus in a
vineyard setting with chef Adam Sanderson
keeping the quality real during sibling Ten
Minutes By Tractor’s fire-induced hiatus.
Tansy’s
91 Piper St, Kyneton, (03) 5422 1392
Chef Tansy Good is doing what she does
brilliantly – perfectly rendered French
country classics – in a cute cottage.
Tomahawks
15 Camp St, Bright, (03) 5750 1113
Some of the best food in the High Country,
including a burger to rival anything in the city.
Terrace Restaurant
315 All Saints Rd, Wahgunyah, (02) 6035 2228
The menu at All Saints Estate restaurant is
a masterclass in refreshing, interesting food,
including estate-grown pork.
Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel
98 Parker St, Dunkeld, (03) 5577 2241
Chef Robin Wickens makes great use of
vegetable gardens and locally-raised meat
at his signature Dunkeld restaurant.
Western Australia
Vasse Felix
Caves Rd & Tom Collity Dr, Margaret River,
(08) 9756 5050
Past meets present at Margaret River’s first
commercial vineyard where contemporary
cooking is as big a draw as the estate’s wine.
Miki’s Open Kitchen
2/131 Bussell Hwy, Margaret River,
(08) 9758 7673
Unexpected and singular, this tempura
counter restaurant in Margaret River
brilliantly unifies east and (south) west.
90 GOURMET TRAVELLER