Australian Gourmet Traveller - (12)December 2019 (1)

Thedelightis inthedetaillikeneverbeforeat ourtop-flight

restaurants.Chefsarenotonlybusilyhand-makingone-off

ceramicsandevenpiecesoffurniture,butsome(DanHunter

at Brae)arealsogrowingandmillingtheirowngrain.Brae’s

ceramics,meanwhile,aremadefromdamclayandashgathered

fromitsfarm.AtAttica,theentirekitchenteamdroppedtoolsin

Marchtofashionlittleceramicdishesfromclay,Instagramming

theresults.Earlierthisyear,whileBenDevlinwastiling,

plasteringandmakingtablesforhisnewrestaurantPipit,he

foundtimetomilltunaspinestocreateashfora glazefor

therestaurant’sbowls.Nowthat’scommitmenttothecause.

COLLAGEN FIX

Wouldyoulikeashotofcollagenwithyournextlatte?Oraspoonfulsprinkled

overyourbreakfast?Perhapsyou’dprefertoingesttheprotein–whichoccurs

naturallyinthebodyandstopsourskinsaggingovertime–pre-mixedaspartof

ahazelnut-browniesnackbarfromSydney-basedcompanyChief(pictured).Yes,

theingredientfamousforcausingtroutpoutsisturningupinunexpectedplaces.

AtNoosa’sJungle&Co,agut-healthbaronQueensland’sSunshineCoast,youcan

orderacollagen-boostedhotchocolateorco†ee.AndatBrisbane’sWildeKitchen,

aNewsteadpaleogroceryandcafé,youcansiponabanana-crunchcollagen

smoothieordipyourspoonintoacollagencoconutandlemonpannacotta.

GOODBYE TO BOTTLES

With “sustainable” becoming as important a credential to

restaurants as “seasonal”, it’s no surprise we’ve seen imported

bottled mineral water get the fl ick, and fi ltration and carbonation

systems get the tick. Refi llable still and sparkling bottles are being

poured by waiters and it’s a win-win situation: less packaging and

a smaller carbon footprint means a healthier planet, and reduced

storage or refrigeration equals savings for restaurants. But water

is not the only beverage being o† ered sans bottle – we’ve started

seeing wine and kombucha poured straight out of the tap, too.

Boundaries were further

pushed in 2019, with everything

from fats gleaned from fi sh

and lamb, to funky ferments

and upcycled waste products

deployed in desserts. The carrot

fl atbread ice-cream at Gerard’s

Bistro, Arc’s pig’s-blood laced

Oreos, and the shiitake soft-

serve à la Amaru (pictured) are

just a few brave examples.

SAVOURY

SWEETS

EXTREME

RESTAURANTING

PLAYING IT SAFE

Perhaps it’s a sign of the economic times – tightened

purse strings, higher ingredient prices, ever

slimmer profi t margins – but restaurant openings,

particularly in the cutthroat markets of Sydney and

Melbourne, have leaned towards safe options this

past year. Mid-priced Italian and French bistros have

been popping up all over (Frederic, Bar Margaux,

Agostino, Lagotto, Peppe’s, Alberto’s Lounge,

Leonardo’s Pizza Palace, Capitano, Ciccia Bella)

with more on the way, including Chris Lucas’s

new Melbourne CBD French joint, Batard.

Making ceramics at Brae

from dam clay. Right: Pipit’s

handmade ceramics.

WORDS FIONA DONNELLY & MICHAEL HARDEN. PHOTOGRAPHY JASON BABET ”CHIEF BARS•, JASON LOUCAS ”CICCIA BELLA•, JOHN O’ROURKE ”AMARU & ARC DINING•, RUSSELL SHAKESPEARE ”PIPIT• & NIKKI TO ”JOSH NILAND•.