Page 14 - foodservice magazine September 2019

14
DINING
A. Left to right:
Caitlyn Rees, Kenny Graham, Jake Smyth, Charles Leong
B. Grand seafood platter
C. Bombe Alaska, with burnished meringue and a core of chocolate and mandarin
D. Lobster Australienne with kurjera butter and duck-fat chips
A.
It seems entirely old-fashioned, but because of how it’s sold to each table, how it’s written on the menu, and how it tastes, it’s exciting. “We wanted it to be celebration food. This is a bit of a lame thing to say these days and I’m going to sound like Marie Kondo, but I want it to spark joy. I want people to fucking smile when it gets put in front of them. I want it to be luxurious and indulgent.”
That’s exactly how it feels. It’s the cuisine of champagne ads – the kind of food that you want to eat on your 21st, your 60th, or your wedding.
But not everyone can place a $125 whole duck or a $34 vegetable pie on a menu and make it sexy. The team here can sell it too.
The staff treat you like you’ve been there every week, like a friend who knows when to chat and when to chill. They talk about the food with wonder and a rare honestly. “One of the things we told the staff, yeah it’s a fancy restaurant and the service is great, but if you’re getting on well with a table and they say ‘sit down and enjoy
a wine with us when you finish,’ you can do that. It’s all part of the experience,” says Graham.
Graham and Smyth say they’re lucky to work with the team they have – Caitlyn Rees (group drinks boss), Charles Leong (sommelier) and Adam George (restaurant manager) – but it’s not luck. When