On Friday a few of us in a smallish plane wobbled down to the Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld, on the edge of the Grampians, to check out the menu from chef Dan Hunter. The idea is to create a regional food destination of the calibre of Mugaritz or even The French laundry in California.
Hunter recently returned to Australia from a stint as head chef Mugaritz in Spain, voted the seventh best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine.
The cooking is new generation. I hesitate to say molecular cuisine. All those precise techniques are used but the execution of the food is understated even with the use of “sand” and I understand without even the occasional puff of foam. One of the reasons Hunter moved to Dunked is because of the vegetable and herb gardens and flowers and leaves are a significant feature in his dishes – as at Mugaritz.
The menu shies away from purple prose simply stating the ingredients, that are often presented in unexpected combinations or with new twists – dehydrated, for instance.
Finally the restaurant, which I reviewed for a certain food guide, has a menu to match its 9,000 bottle cellar of wine.
The degustation costs $125 a head.
King brown mushroom, egg yolk, toasted garlic
NV Veuve Cliquot
Pork Broth, yabbie, artichoke rocket. Note the rocket flower.
The pork broth tasted very much of sherry the match of Sanchez romate Olorosso was a no brainer.
Scallop. fennel, aloe vera, poppy seed
The aloe vera was a nice surprise, something I’ve only really had in desserts before. The scallops were Australian rather than those giant frozen Canadian imports that many top restaurants prefer (and are noting more than small platforms for whatever flavoured sauce they are pushing). Not again, the small leaves.
Bass grouper, bruseel sprout, parsnip, truffle sand.
2005 Crawford River Riseling, Henty, Vic
Here the first evidence of so-called molecular cusine with the white truffle sand, made with a high quality truffle oil from Simon Johnson rather than a low quality chemically synthesized one.) The brussels sprouts are not messed about, the ingredient itself shining. The sand is made from lactose and flour, roasted. It is used as a textural accent and a mechanism to deliver flavour. Later I rub my finger of the plate to collect the remains of the sand which i rub into my gum.
Dehydrated vegetables, purple radish, beetroot, bone marrow
Profound.
Lamb rump, hazlenut, sheep’s milk, rosemary
1999 Laurent Vosne-Romanee
When I arrived Hunter was picking the flowers off the rosemary with tweezers. The carrots were picked on the property early that morning.
Witlof, nashi, coffee, cocoa
An unexpected but amazing combination – the caramelized witlof, the clean fresh nashi, the bitternes of the coffee soften by chocolate…
Burnt Orange Cream, cumquat, macademia
Thompson family reserve 40 year old brandy, Great Western, Vic
Just a bit of Australiana for the tourists.
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9000 Bottles of wine? Wow, I know where I would like to get lost!
Lovely photos. How does the restaurant rate in relation to its high-profile city counterparts?
It’s right up there but I was a guest so it is artificial for me to judge. The food is less macho aqnd much simpler. But the combinations are innovative and work. Some are very subtle others less so. I’m interested also to see what people who don’t want a degustation are served.
Wow – when food becomes art! Molecular cuisine is certainly gaining more notoriety and I’ve read quite a few articles on it lately. It’s interesting that they chose Dunkeld. I’ve never been to the Grampians but I didn’t think it was a destination renowned for it’s restaurants and wineries unlike NE Victoria. Do you think it will survive? Hopefully for them it will become a very strong destination restaurant.
Sounds like they’ve given us all a good reason to have a weekend in the Grampians – God knows, Daylesford is saturated, so why not head toward the Wimmera? I doubt though, that the cockies I’m related to in the region will give up the Royal Mail’s $10 parmie for the ‘citified posh food’.
I wonder, does Melbourne have enough wealthy, open minded food lovers to sustain yet another venue verging on the molecular? And if Thomas Keller comes to Crown, will the marketing machine that rolls into town steal the thunder – in the eyes of the Foodanistas – from our home grown restaurants like Fenix, in the way that Rockpool Grill has for The Point?
If Thomas Keller opens here – his people say no plans and despite being near Australia recently no sightings. If that a link back to you I detect?
Having done a fair amount of marketing and advertising for Crown, I would suspect that if James Packer is in pursuit of Thomas Keller it may well be for his Macau casino, not Melbourne. After all The Lisboa – my childhood favourite Casino – has sexed up considerably since bring Joel Robuchon on board, so why not Keller for Crown Macau?
Link back? Yes Ed, I bit the bullet. Being a woman of my word and with much encouragement from the people I respect online, I have started my own small comestible rant – Deep Dish Dreams – a humble affair of voluble mumbling.
Stickyfingers, finally…
Ed
I was very interested to see your images of Dans early dishes in Dunkeld, in comparison to my experiences at Mugaritz. I have just got up my post up from when I dined there about 2 months ago and can definately see some similarities. If Dan can get The Royal Mails food to even half the dizzying heights of Mugaritz, I can’t wait to check it out.
Jack
I have heard Dan Hunter’s food described as profound – certainly that is not a word that I would use. But without doubt, I have been lucky enough to dine on Dan’s Dunkeld Degustation menu and I certainly do rate it up there with the best of he best in Australia. It challenges the palette and the expectation of a degustation menu. Of particular interest to me was the no use of Frenchy reducation techinqies, as Dan’s flavours are intensived, slowly, gently and precisely. The orchastration of flavours and ingredients I found particulary pleasing as well. This is certainly a pilgramage for the devout foodie and those who simply enjoy excellence of expression on a plate.
Jack, glad to see it up and will hed right over…
Quixoticmnx you are on the verge of astroturfing there but seeing as the food is so great I’ll let you off this time.
Interesting. I’m only an amteur and don’t know the history of this chef but unless I am going crazy many of these dishes are remarkably similar, if not identical to some of the dishes being offered at Fenix in Richmond. The dehydrated vegetables are on the Fenix menu and presented almost exactly the same with bone marrow. The fish and lamb also very similar and the burnt orange cream also on fenix menu. This stuff is exactly the same, the presentation, creativity, saucing, use of sands and textural elements – somebody is directly copying here, and not just a little bit. Have these chefs worked together? – I have heard Mugaritz come up in relation to Fenix – I think the chef was involved in some sort of special dinner event: – it just seems really strange to have 2 restaurants dishing out the same fare. I saw the pictures and just thought, yes, I’ve eaten these dishes at Fenix before – they’re great!! Comments on this appreciated.
Hi Jon, Dan worked at fenix for three months. All those dished you mention are his.
Thanks for that Ed. They are great dishes, and I’m glad I have been able to enjoy them at Fenix.
It’s interesting to read your comments Jon and I imagine you are not the only person confused by the fact that two restaurants are serving similar or as you pointed out identical dishes. While at Fenix I was resposible for the menu design and as Ed correctly stated all the dishes you mentioned are my creations. The reason I still serve these dishes is because at the time of leaving Fenix these dishes were still ideas in their early stages and I believe I have the right to see them through the creative process. All people involved in creative processes will understand that an idea although good in it’s early stages often does not reach it’s full potential until it has been worked on, tried, changed and in food terms served to customers many times.
Your comments Jon make for an interesting discussion, who has the right of ownership to chefs ideas once they’ve left a restaurant??
Great to here from you Dan. Your dishes are amazing and I totally agree with your comments. These are your dishes and of course you have the right to serve them – I imagaine as your creations they will get even better as time goes on. Its interesting to see that Ray is seen as one of the most inventive chefs in Melbourne but makes me wonder how much of this is justified if the creations are not his own. If they are your dishes you own them, but that being said of course Fenix is going to keep serving them whilst they are succesful and keep the diners coming in. The same occurs in most restaurants when chefs change, some dishes are added or removed, but many of the popular choices remain. Makes for an interesting discussion indeed.
Anyhow, love your work and I look forward to dining at your restaurant in the future. After all, the chef who creates the dishes is the one who is going to cook them best. Good luck and congratulations on your excellent and inventive creations.
All good commenst John (as I mentioned on another comment thread) I think this is worth a post soon. Interesting also to see flowers at Attica recently.
just got back from lunch cooked by dan at dunkeld and i am afraid we were very underwhelmed. meals did not match menu description,fish stew was over reduced and did not contain the ingredients promised,a plate of octopuss straight from the fridge was very chewy ,gnochi was served san any sauce,roast pumpkin was actualy a tiny garnish of boiled pumpkin, slow cooked lamb was a shank, tough and a bit stringy maybe dan is a fine cook but every meal should be up to standard not just when being revued
Tony, Sorry to hear that. I’ll be talking to somone from there today and will enquire.
Did you get a response ed? I plan to go there on Friday so need to know it is worth my while!!
Ran, Sorry i haven’t had a chance. I’ know the sommeier/maitre d’ Lok fairly well who is dating a friend. She’s als doen there this W/end as well as a couple of other friends. I think it will be worth your while from the responses i’ve had. let me know and i’ll try and rustle Lok up.
well I went on friday and the food was good but the wait between courses was very very long (an hour each). that doesnt predispose people for happy thoughts. I liked the edible flowers though and really liked the yabbies and artichokes. I think I would have walked away a lot happier if the food had come quicker, people around us didnt really look that happy either, and I think there was a reviewer there, or someone who just likes to take notes a lot! (can you tell i am a snoopy diner?!)
I think next time i am in the area i might go to the cafe bit instead, they looked like they got their food quicker and there was a really nice broadbean dish I snooped on when I went to the ladies…
I can confirm that was Stephen Downes! Shame you had to wait so long. An hour between courses is a long time to wait. I wonder what Stephen’s experience was like? Hope you are going to blog it.
yeh i have a backlog of blogs to get through but will definetly blog it.
I thought that was him, he didnt look that happy, I think most people had to wait a while, I am a particularly bad person when it comes to waiting (which is why I liked Nobu so much I think, no waiting! and yumcha…)
Had a chat with the maitre d’ at Dunkeld yesterday, Lok Thorton. He was saying the problem is that everybody arrives at the same time – around 7.30 – which causes a log jam in a kitchen that, because it is in the country, isn’t as well staffed perhaps as in the city. He says he is also going to become stricter on people who don’t arrive at their allocated times – maybe with a 10 minute limit for lateness. It sounds strict but i believe this is a problem for all restairants especially on friday and Saturday nights.