Australian Gourmet Traveller - (06)June 2019 (1)

VEGANDREAM

ThePaperbarkteamhasbroughtchef

JoelBennettsonboardatPeppe’s, a

pastaandgnocchibaronBondiRoad.And

if theydidn’ttellyouit wasvegan(which

theydon’t,really),youcouldn’treallytell.

Nutritionalyeastaddsoomphtoarancini,

whiletiramisù,madewithcoconutand

cashewcream,is suitablylush.Gnocchi

saucedwithpomodoro(above)orbright

greenpestois wellmatchedwitha glass

ofItalianandItalian-stylewinesfrom

thechalkboard.261 Bondi Rd, Bondi.

NEWSQUEEZE

A close-knitteam.A marblebar.Dark

brownsandmoodygreens.A Croque

Monsieuratbreakfastthatnodstosister

venueClementine’scafé.Dapperwine

guyEnriqueMendozapouringPheasant’s

TearstavkveriroséfromGeorgiaalongside

localnaturalsandpetitchablis.Throw

ina $45menufeaturingJerusalem

artichokeswithpickledonion,rumpcap

andmushroomswithsauceRobertand

killersnacksandBarClementineis what

a localwinebarshouldbe.LuckyPyrmont.

52 HarrisSt,Pyrmont,(02) 8591 3660.

TUCKSHOPLINE

MikeMcEnearneyhasflippedNo1 Bent

Streetintoa flagshipKitchenbyMike,

whichhasn’thadanoutpostoutsidethe

airportsincetheRoseberyoriginalclosed.

Lunchseescanteen-stylesalads– crisp

Brusselssproutswithbuttermilk,say

• witha protein,includingroastchicken,
  orporkbellywithpiccalilli,butit’sanall-
  daygig,withcrumpetsandhoneycombat
  breakfast,coffee-rubbedbeefintercostal
  atdinner,anda strongall-Australianlistof
  wines. 1-7 Bent St, Sydney, (02) 9252 5550.

roasted-buckwheatnoodles

• replacingspaghetti– tossed
  ina sauceofsweet,buttery
  caramelisedcabbagethick
  withparmesan.Plentyof
  blackpepperaddstheright
  levelofwarmthandbite.
  Potatosalad,meanwhile,
  eatslesslikeSunday
  barbecuestodgeandmore
  likea refinedWaldorf,
  turningthedishintoa
  jumbleofradish,celery,
  anda translucentcoilof
  greenappledressedwitha
  potatocreamandchives.Crunchy,fresh,
  anda wholelotofclever.Orderit.
  It worksthattheownersarepresent
  onthefloor,too,leadinga styleofservice
  that’sassuredandrelaxed,butnotso
  relaxedthatthey’regoingtosliponto
  theseatbesideyoutotakeyourorder.
  Rumblehasalsotakenoverdrinksduties
  aftertheirsommelier,CaitlinBaker,
  decampedtoScotland,butthepitchis
  the same: fresh, light and leaning white,

witha handfulofheavierreds

forthoseorderingthehanger

steak.Inthemain,though,

it’strend-awareandproudly

Australian.Thinkbiodynamic

Ngeringachardonnay,bottles

fromHarkhamWinesin

theHunter,orcloudyorange

TangerineDreamfromorganic

makerSmallfry.A couple

ofsakes,andlocalbeersand

spiritsroundit out.Some

mightcallit toonatural,butI

reckontheycallit aboutright.

Dessertsaresound,even

if a brown-buttermoussewith

potatoice-creamandpowdered

mushroomis tryinga bittoo

hard.A ricepuddingcrossed

withthePersianrosewatermilk

pudding,muhalbiyah,hitstherightnotes,

butendsupa littlesoupy.They’ddowell

tobreakfromthesorbet-with-crunchy-

thingsmodel,butsowoulda lotofplaces.

InPilot,theACThasa restaurant

that’srightonthepulse,onethatraises

theexpectationsofwhatCanberradining

canbe,withoutoverreachingortaking

itselftooseriously.That’snosmalltrick,

evenif it stillfeelssmalltowninthebestof

ways. And hey, what about that chicken.●

Clockwisefromleft:pistachio

and rice cream; cabbage e pepe.

Details

Pilot

Shop5/6Wakefield

Gardens,Ainslie,ACT,

(02) 62574334

Licensed

CardsAEMCV EFT

OpenWed-Sat

6pm-10.30pm,

Sunnoon-3.30pm

PricesEntrées$14-$26,

maincourses$36-$46,

desserts$15;prixfixe$90

VegetarianFourentrées

NoiseSubdued

WheelchairaccessNo

MinusBravingthecold

togettothetoilets

PlusCanberrahas

a new local hero

AND ALSO, IN SYDNEY...

PHOTOGRAPHY JOEL BENNETS (PEPPE’S) & LEAN TIMMS (PILOT).

GOURMET TRAVELLER 41

Canberra review