U
ntilrecenttimes
Coogeehaslay
dormant;sandwiched
betweenBondi’sbuzz
andgrungyMaroubra,unableto
createanidentityofitsown.All
buta coupleoffetidhostelsand
handfulofdodgytakeawayshops
existedinthebeachsidesuburb.
That’suntilMerivalekingpin
JustinHemmessnappedupthe
iconicCoogeePavilionin2014.
A casualeaterywentinonthe
groundfloor,followedbya rooftop
bar, and glimmers of life were seenClockwise
fromabove:
pipis,pancetta
brothandpici;
salt-baked
mudcrabwith
saltedbrioche;
executivechef
Jordan Toft.CoogeePavilion’smuch-anticipated
Mimi’supstheante– andtheprices,
writesKARLIE VERKERK.
Great
expectations
intheareaforthefirsttimein,
well,ever.Butthemiddlelevel
remaineduntouchedforsixyears.
Aftermeticulousplanning
anda completeredesign,it’s
nowhometoMimi’s:Hemmes’s
mostambitiousandperhapsmost
anticipatedprojectyet.I guessit’s
onlynaturaltoexpectgreatthings
froma restaurantthattooksix
longyearstocometofruition.
Noexpensehasbeensparedon
thefit-out,whichis asaesthetically
pleasingastheEasternSuburbs
flock that fills it. Think FrenchfarmhousemeetsMediterranean
retreat,completewithartdeco
detailsand 50 shadesoflinen.It’s
all’grammable;eventhebathroom.
Theopenkitchen,ledby
executivechefJordanToft,hums
alongefficiently.Fourlongmarble
benchesareflankedbycustom
Jospergrillsandovensat one
end,witha servicecounterat
theother.Seasonalproducesits
ondisplay,ChezPanisse-style.
Ona niceday,thewindowsall
archedandgloriouscanbeopened
toallowtheoceanairtoflood
in.Theroomis calm(anddidI
mention’grammable?).Inanoasis
as peacefulas this,withunflappable
servicetomatch,lunchcaneasily
progressintoafternoonsnacks
anda fewvintagecocktails,until
you’rerenderedblissfullyunaware.
Unaware,thatis,oftheimpending
bill about to hit the table.➤GOURMET TRAVELLER 43PHOTOGRAPHY KRISTINA SOLJO (FOOD) & STEVEN WOODBURN (PORTRAIT).
Sydney review