Australian Gourmet Traveller - (01)January 2020 (1)

I

t’sdifficulttoimaginea beachfront

settingbetterthanthespotenjoyed

byboutiqueByronBayhotel,Raes

onWategos.Thewhitestuccovilla

sitshighona knoll,overlookinglawns

andanarcofsand,withrollingsurfviews

framedbyspikypandanusandcasuarinas.

“It’snota terriblelocation,”laughs

JasonSaxby.HejoinedasRaes’ headchef

lastMarch,departingSydney’sbeachside

Piluat Freshwater,neatlyswappingone

coastalidyllforanother.

Saxbyhadn’tvisitedByronuntilthe

previousSeptember,whenheandwife

Tammytooktheirthree-year-oldsonOli

onholidaytonearbyKingscliff.They fell

sohardforthehinterlandtheybought

a blockat Chillingham,quietlyhatching

a two-yearescapeplansoOlicould

experiencea countrychildhood.

TheRaesvacancyrequireda

radicaladjustmentoftheirtimeline.

Sofar,therearezeroregrets.Saxby’s

flavoursome,cleverlylayered,Italian-leaning

dishesat RaesDiningRoomaregarnering

plaudits,as is hissmarttakeoncoastal

snacksat Raes’laid-backCellarBar.Both

menusareshapedbythesubtropicalclimate

andlocalabundance,and, likethepoolside

menuhe’screatedhere,gohardonflavour.

Dealingwithsmallproducersand

cookingina tinykitchenmeanlogisticsare

challenging.Butit’sa winfordiners.“It’s

allridiculouslyfresh,”saysSaxby.“Being

abletousePalisaAnderson’s(BoonLuck

Farm,Tyagarah)produceanhourafterit’s

picked– tomatoesstillwarmfromthesun

• it’sa differentexperiencefromthecity.”
  Healsorelishes experimentingwith
  nativeingredients.AttheDiningRoom,
  nativelimemightboostbrinytropical
  lobsteralongsideanXObisque,while
  lemonmyrtleaddscitrusnotestotuna
  crudo,andDavidson’s plumstarsin
  dessertswithnativepepper.“To showcase
  thisregion,youhavetousethese
  ingredients,”hesays.“Davidson’s plum,
  macadamias,bunyanutsandfingerlimes
  growhere.Weusethemrespectfully.
  “I don’twanttochallengecustomers.I
  wantthemtobeintheircomfortzone, and
  forthefoodtobereflectiveofthetimeand
  place, sotheycanjustrelaxandenjoyit.”
  RaesonWategos,6/8MarinePde,
  ByronBay,NSW, (02) 6685 5366,
  raes.com.au➤

Menu

Snacks

Calamariskewers

with’ndujavinaigrette

Kingprawnsangas

Davidson’sPlumSour

Shareplates

Burratawithpeach,

fennel,macadamia,mint

andlemonmyrtleoil

Cobiafilletwithputtanescasalsa

Grilledcornwithparmesan,brown

butter,lemonandbottarga

Stone& WoodPacificAle

2018 LaViolettaPatio Nat

Dessert

Mango-macadamiapopsicles

withPiñaColadapineapple

Raes’ Piña Colada

CalamariPlatefromNikau.
Allotherpropsstylist’sown.
PREVIOUSPAGESPoppy& Co
ComohatfromHope& May.
SliceofHeavensunglasses
fromLucyFolk.Allotherprops
stylist’s own. Stockists p152.