Home//Gourmet Traveller/April 2023/In This Issue
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Editor’s letterI love bright lights and big cities; the constant thrum of people living their lives, busy with places to go and people to see. Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo – give me their big city energy any day. And yet, looking back, many of my most memorable – dare I say transformative – travel experiences have taken place away from that energy. Sleeping under the stars next to Uluru would be one of them; marvelling at the millennia of stories that have unfolded under their gaze. Planting native trees at Wolgan Valley, under the steely eyed supervision of a nearby mob of roos, is another. And, of course, anytime I go home to Aotearoa New Zealand, and find myself ambling along an abandoned, windswept beach or rambling up a…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023RESTAURANT NEWSSYDNEY The team behind Hinchcliff House is dishing up Australia’s newest beachside restaurant, opening the impressive Promenade Bondi Beach. Taking up shop in the historic Bondi Pavilion, you’ll find a formal dining room joined by a large alfresco dining area with prime views of one of the world’s most iconic beaches. House Made Hospitality culinary director Stephen Seckold is joined by executive chef Chris Benedet (ex-Monopole and Rockpool) as they serve a bright and breezy coastal menu; think crumbed trevalla with sauce gribiche and jazzed up kipfler potato scallops; mud crab comes cooled and picked, served on a perilla leaf; while king prawns are doused in a bright and aromatic curry leaf butter. There will also be pasta and a rotation of vegetable-focused dishes. While the venue is divided into…5 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023CAKE QUEENOrnately decorated retro cakes were a breakout star last year, and now there’s a new wave of frosted fun coming through. Locally, Vege Mamma is leading the charge, a baker-turned-private cake creator, who is whipping up a whimsical wave of cakes that would look equally at home in the pages of a Doctor Seuss book, or on a wedding table. “It comes from my personality – I like the unevenness and craziness. It’s me in a cake – a bit quirky and weird.” Her hobby turned into a business when she started fielding requests from everyone from beauty companies to model Georgia Fowler, whose wedding cake she made. instagram.com/vegemammma…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023ON THE PASSHow would you describe your concept for Karkalla? Karkalla is a welcoming space; a tiny little 30 seater that’s very humble in its fit-out and aesthetic but with a real “heart on its sleeve” feel. We celebrate locally sourced, seasonal and native produce to provide a true immersive cultural experience, connecting people with First Nations culture. We’re all about wanting to connect Indigenous and non-Indigenous people through food. Karkalla’s menu puts the spotlight on Indigenous ingredients. How does that work? It’s funny because it’s a really crazy thing to try to break down Indigenous ingredients because people seem to have these really odd stereotypes about FIrst Nations food. We get a lot of comments from guests like, “I thought this was an Indigenous restaurant – where are the witchetty grubs?”.…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023WalnutsThe first time I tasted fresh walnuts, it was a revelation. Only by eating them freshly shelled, straight from the tree, can we fully appreciate how uniquely delicious these nuts are. Walnuts are high in fats which become rancid very quickly upon exposure to oxygen and moisture. This means that most of the pre-shelled walnuts we buy are, unfortunately, already rancid. Anglo cultures chauvinistically call this tree the “English walnut”, but their very name gives lie to this fiction. “Wal” derives from the Old English word “wealh”, meaning “foreign”. Like so many deciduous tree crops, walnuts originated in Central Asia, perhaps extending as far west as Southern Europe, and as far east as Western China. Walnuts were disseminated first by the Persians, and later along the Silk Road route. Walnut…3 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023OSTERIA IL COCCIATHE DESTINATION Ettalong Beach, NSW There’s a telling quote in Farm to Flame, the 2018 cookbook by Osteria Il Coccia’s chef and co-owner, Nicola Coccia. “When you cook, you should always be thinking of someone,” it says, “otherwise you’re just preparing a meal.” Il Coccia is far more than a humble osteria interested in just preparing meals. It is a 50-seat dégustation restaurant that’s also home to one of the few kitchens in the country fuelled exclusively by wood fire. The sort of spot you might find in the inner Sydney backstreets rather than the ground floor of an incongruously modern apartment complex on Ettalong Beach. If you’re lucky enough to sit up at the kitchen counter to witness him in action, Coccia will make it clear just how much…3 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023DRINKS NEWSSMALL BAR, HIGH HOPES A heritage-listed 1816 building and former water police station is home to micro-bar Daintree Sydney, which has partnered with HalfCut, an environmental movement engaging people to raise funds to protect rainforests and wildlife. Daintree Sydney donates half of all its profits to HalfCut in a bid to help preserve Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest. co*cktails are a nod to nature, too. This means your Gumnut Negroni and Quandong Daiquiri are served with all the warm fuzzies. Find it at Cadmans Cottage Reserve, The Rocks, Sydney. daintreesydney.com.au IGNITE THE SENSES Holm Oak winemaker Bec Duffy has combined a love of gardening and wine to create a Sensory Garden in her Tamar Valley vineyard. Visitors benefit from the green thumb move, which took seven years to create, as the cellar…3 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Keep it realNed Goodwin is a former sommelier, wine communicator and Master of Wine at Langton’s. @nedgoodwinmw Australia’s vinous panorama has undergone a stunning shift from a dynamic most concerned with securing an abundance of fruit, to one increasingly focused on the wilderness and its welfare, a concern that we all share. This includes vineyard land and its surrounds. The increase in bona-fide sustainable and organically certified vineyards in Australia, many fully fledged biodynamic, responds to concerns about the environment and more healthful, sustainable consumption of products derived from it. These include wine. Positively, fresher wines marked by provenance have become, if not commonplace, more pervasive as better wineries strive to reconcile holistic philosophies in the vineyard with a gentler hand in the winery. More wineries are eschewing chemicals and impactful machinery,…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023WALLFLOWERSloes – the small, astringent drupes used by the British to flavour gin for centuries – aren’t found in very many places. Curiously, Tasmania just so happens to be one of them. Native to Europe, as well as pockets of western Asia and northwest Africa, the plummy fruits were first planted on the Apple Isle more than 150 years ago. Today, they grow wild in hedgerows across the state’s north and have given rise to a handful of internationally awarded local sloe gins. “Sloe gin is booming in Tasmania at the moment,” says Nathan Silk, bar manager at The Story Bar, the handsomely appointed co*cktail lounge inside the schmick Macq01 Hotel on Hobart’s waterfront. “It’s a go-to for us behind the bar due to its versatility. Whether in a cool…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Mix up a new traditionPrecision baking starts here From delicate cakes to feather-light mousse and meringues, the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL Benchtop Mixer makes delicious desserts easily. The digitally controlled powerful motor makes light work of heavy doughs and dense cake mixes with its planetary mixing action. It offers 13 variable speeds, including the new Pulse and Fold functions, plus three stir interval speeds. There are four tools – whisk, dough tool, K beater and creaming beater – for evenly mixing soft ingredients. The LightLift head makes it simple to add ingredients to your mix as you go: just press the head release button and pop them in. Built-in scales save time and mess How handy to be able to weigh ingredients directly into the bowl, either incrementally or individually. Thanks to the…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Pork sausagesWith a concept originating in antiquity to preserve minor parts of the animal, the humble snag is heroed in Australian cuisine from the casual barbecue to fine dining interpretations. Sausages from your local supermarket may contain all sorts of odds and ends, and by making your own you can ensure only the best quality meat goes into what you’re eating. When buying meat, choose fattier pieces of pork shoulder and belly for juicier sausages, and leave all the fat on ahead of mincing. Try to tightly fill sausage casings, as some fat and moisture escapes during cooking. 3 metres thick natural sausage casings1 kg boneless, skinless pork shoulder, chopped, chilled1 kg skinless and boneless pork belly, chopped, chilled2 tsp freshly ground black peppercorns1 tbsp rice flour½ cup (loosely packed) fresh…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Where to try itAustralia is blessed with a number of ancient Gondwana forests, from the Daintree in Far North Queensland and the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania to the Mountain Ash forests of Victoria’s Central Highlands. In New Zealand, the native forests of the North Island and the fjords and rainforests of the South Island are ideal forest bathing locations. Whirinaki Forest Footsteps is a guided Ma¯ori cultural and wellness experience located in one of the world’s last prehistoric rainforests, Whirinaki, on the northern tip of New Zealand. Terra and Tide runs guided forest therapy walks on Waiheke Island near Auckland. And WaiOra Wellbeing conducts walks on Aotea Great Barrier Island. Elsewhere, popular forest bathing spots include the boreal forests of Ontario and Québec, the Atlantic coastal forests of Nova…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023NET GAINSSEAWEED BOOZE There’s a growing ocean of seaweed-infused booze to choose from. Sydney distiller Manly Spirits Co. offers an Australian Dry Gin featuring sea lettuce, while its popular Marine Botanical Vodka has sea parsley and kelp as botanicals. Tasmania’s Dasher + Fisher’s Ocean Gin uses wakame, an invasive seaweed species, to add a light saline note. McLaren Vale’s Never Never Distilling Co made its Oyster Shell Gin as a collab with Melbourne’s Society Restaurant. It features wakame as well as waxflower, saltbush and oyster shell. Prefer to skip alcohol altogether? Try Non 2, a caramelised pear and kombu/kelp-infused zero-booze wine. SEAWEED CONDIMENTS Based on the New South Wales central coast, the Seaweedery is on a mission to rehabilitate underused resources by turning ocean waste into tasty condiments. They sell a…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Into the WILDBlood lime and chilli mud crab SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 30 MINS This vibrant remake of the classic Singapore chilli mud crab calls on Australian blood lime for the sweet and sour hit. It’s best eaten outside, with sleeves rolled up, in a drippy, finger-licking mess. Serve with damper to soak up the excess sauce. 1 tbsp cornflour80 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil2 live mud crabs (1kg each), killed humanely, cleaned, quartered, shells cracked (see note)35 gm ginger, finely chopped3 garlic cloves, finely chopped200 gm diced tomatoes1 tbsp caster sugar Mixed sea succulents and damper (see recipe, right), to serve BLOOD LIME AND CHILLI PASTE 100 gm each Massaman and chilli paste with soybean oil (see note)5 long red chillies, finely chopped2 frozen blood limes,…9 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023The art of … going wildAnna is a travel and lifestyle journalist, and author of the travel memoir Departures. @annadothart I can’t remember precisely when I began using the word “feral” as a compliment. I suspect it all started when I was in my late 20s, when I spent six months living in a campervan in New Zealand. I worked on vineyards in the morning, and wrote articles for international magazines like Glamour and Vogue in the afternoon. I’d type on my MacBook Air with muddy fingernails, Skyping fashion designers and actors while sitting on a bale of hay. “Thank goodness Vivienne Westwood can’t see how feral I look right now,” I said to my boyfriend… and I think I recall being proud of my muddy self, rather than revolted. In fact, being a morning…4 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023QUESTRO FORGLORYIs it rude to stare at a beautiful river? Asking for a friend. Meanwhile, I’ll just be here, staring rudely at the beautiful Chamberlain Gorge before me and the guests at El Questro. The sky’s graduated bands of mauve and pink are mirrored in the water’s glassy surface while the ridgeline silhouette glows in the fading light. The views in the Kimberley hit different and I still can’t believe I’m here, admiring the sunset. Not just because, six hours earlier I was rugged up against the August cold in Perth but because the 2022 season of El Questro almost didn’t happen. Less than two months away from El Questro’s April opening, thanks to a closed Western Australian border and staff shortages, the entire 2022 season was still in doubt. Thankfully,…5 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023ALPINE GOLDA colony of fur seals scarpers out of the shallows and on to nearby rocks as our boat rounds Luncheon Cove in Tamatea Dusky Sound, in New Zealand’s remote Fiordland National Park. Just as Captain James Cook did back in 1773, we think Luncheon Cove in the extreme southwest of the South Island is a good spot to lunch – so we moor and drop fishing lines over the side. Fish nibble as we catch a couple of desirable blue cod, a very fine tarakihi, more blue cod, and then – a sevengill shark as big as a grown woman. Long before the HMS Resolution arrived in Whetū, which Cook named Pickersgill Harbour, the area’s rich abundance of kaimoana [seafood] and seabirds, made it a hunting ground for ancient Māori,…5 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023WHAT GT LOVES THIS MONTHMercedes GLS Take off-road adventuring to the next level in Mercedes’ most luxurious SUV. With seven seats, there’s plenty of room for friends, family, pets and even a portable outdoor kitchen. mercedes-benz.com.au Birdsnake Chocolate Feel good about your chocolate intake this Easter with Birdsnake’s new marshmallow eggs. Made in Melbourne from ethically sourced, traceable cacao from Peru. birdsnake.com.au Mould Cheese Festival From textured blues to gloriously gooey raw cheeses, Mould Festival puts all things cultured on show. Catch it in most major Australian cities from May. mouldcheesefestival.com Bannisters Take your best friend to the beach this autumn with a coastal getaway to Bannisters. Both their Port Stephens and Mollymook properties offer pet-friendly suites. bannisters.com.au…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023ALL FIRED UPPip Sumbak has slowly been carving out a name for herself as a talented fire feast chef. Going by the moniker of Pip’s Plate, Sumbak’s love of fire cooking springs from her time travelling, as well as her rural childhood. “I was drawn to markets all over the world, in San Sebastián, France and Vietnam,” says Sumbak. “I also grew up on a sheep farm and we had fires. A lot of cast-iron cooking and barbecued lamb chops.” Following a residency cooking on Flinders Island, this year Sumbak will return to Byron Bay to fire up a series of pop-ups and special events, which she says draw in seasoned food fans and newbies alike. “Fire cooking is very real and it affects people: they are mesmerised by the sight and…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023THREE OF THE BEST HOT CROSS BUNS1Sonoma, NSW These fun buns from Sonoma bear a cheeky riff on the traditional Easter favourites, emblazoned with a piped S in place of a cross. Affectionately called “not cross buns”, these treats are packed with raisins, cranberries, apricots and candied orange, and are finished with a sugar glaze steeped in spices and Sonoma’s house coffee blend. sonomabakery.com 2Black Star Pastry, NSW, VIC The cult bakers have teamed up with chocolatiers Koko Black for this “hot cross-collaboration”. Incorporating Koko Black’s handcrafted 60 per cent dark chocolate these sticky, sweet vegan buns are a one-for-all treat. blackstarpastry.com 3The Hamptons Bakery, Vic Head pastry chef Carina La Delfa spent time in kitchens including Lume Restaurant and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and now she’s putting her own finesse on the Hamptons’ bun recipe.…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Instant coffeeMECCA Developed as a solution to provide the Ace Hotel with great coffee on-demand, Sydney roastery Mecca devised this clever bag. The house blend conjures up scents of honeycomb, while the simple act of tearing open, hanging and pouring over these elegant coffee bags is simply meditative. $25 for 10 bags, mecca.coffee CLANDESTINO Caffeinating the people of the Sunshine Coast, Clandestino’s house blend is transformed into this instant powder. Imparting flavours of dried cherries and macadamia nuts, this brew is ideal served black and long. $30 for 40gm, clandestino.com.au SKITTLE LANE With distinct chocolate notes, this excellent freeze-dried coffee is a serious step up. It dissolves in hot and cold water or milk but our tip is to add a heaped teaspoon to a dash of cold water to brew,…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023NARELDA JACOBSI first connected with Narelda when she dined at Lucky Kwong last year. Immediately struck by her warmth and authenticity, I invited Narelda to say a few words on my Instagram account regarding the upcoming NAIDOC Week. Her messaging was on point, clear and powerful. To say thank you, I invited Narelda to come back for lunch with her friends. Through this, I had the privilege of connecting with five extraordinary First Nations community leaders. To me, this exchange perfectly sums up Narelda; she is never one to miss an opportunity to share her community’s ancient knowledge and wisdom with all for the greater good. When Narelda Jacobs landed the anchor’s chair for national news bulletin 10 News First: Midday, the January appointment was largely seen as proof of progress.…4 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023STAR OF GREECETHE REFRESH Port Willunga, SA You can’t help but feel relaxed when there’s a game of beach cricket in progress just a stone’s throw away from your dining table. As views go, it doesn’t get much better than the azure Fleurieu Peninsula coast visible from clifftop restaurant Star of Greece. And it’s a beautiful backdrop for informal dining. Star of Greece doesn’t do silver service, that was never the aim. The goal here is welcoming, simple and fresh, a goal that has informed chef Michael Collins’ Med-inspired menu. Collins, who completed his apprenticeship at the Victory Hotel, worked his way up from sous chef to joint head chef at Star of Greece, before taking the top job in 2022. After more than 15 years of experience in the region his…3 min
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Sermon and Worship ResourcesGourmet Traveller|April 2023SPOTLIGHT ONRICHARD BUCK Head sommelier, Lilac Wine Bar, Melbourne When approaching Lilac Wine’s drinks list, I am driven by adventure, excitement and enjoyment. Wine is a journey and a window into the land and culture of a place. I want to shine a light on the most interesting and delicious stories within those places, both in our backyard and globally. There’s never been a better time to be drinking Italian wine in Australia. Italian wine importers are crushing it right now with the quality and diversity of things they are bringing in. It’s a very competitive market. Sake also features here. It’s something venue manager Charlotte Martin (who previously ran Adelaide’s Shōbōsho) and I are really passionate about. It’s such a dynamic and diverse beverage culture, and as an imbiber it…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Adelaide HillsSamantha is a sommelier, writer and wine consultant. @sl_payne Whenever I drive from Adelaide, the sights and smells of the gum trees and the forest surrounding the road signify the start of the Adelaide Hills. It’s the point of demarcation from leaving the city and entering wine country. The trees that surround and almost hide Brendon and Kirsty Keys’ winery (and their cool half-pipe) at BK Wines. The scents of eucalyptus that surround crushed pinot gris grapes at David Bowley’s Vinteloper. It’s why my heart broke in the summer of 2020 when an uncontrollable bushfire raged through 1100 hectares of vines in the region, affecting 60 growers and winemakers, roughly a third of the region’s wine production. There were stories of survival, notably the one about Geoff Merrill jumping into…3 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023What milk are you?HARVEYNORMAN.COM.AU online | mobile | in store Hands-free Auto MilQ texturing with milk settings for Almond, Soy, Oat and Dairy From lattes and cappuccinos to long blacks and macchiatos, enjoy coffee at the touch of your fingertips with Breville The Barista Touch ™ Impress. The Barista Guidance navigates you through every step with the Impress Puck System, precise extraction and hands-free velvety microfoam milk with alternative milk settings. Auto MilQ automatically calibrates the pressure and timing for silky smooth soy, almond, oat and dairy based coffees. Barista-quality performance Skip the cafe and satisfy your caffeine craving with professional-quality coffee at the tap of a finger. There’s no mess or fuss with an integrated grinder delivering the right amount of ground coffee on demand. The Impress Puck System, with Intelligent Dosing…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023HONOUR EVERY INGREDIENTHaving grown up by the water, Michael has always felt a strong connection to the ocean. So when it comes to creating one of his favourite homegrown dishes, naturally he is drawn to Cloudy Bay Clams, which sustainably sources some of the best clams in Australasia. “It’s all about the way they fish them”, he says. “They’ve developed a harvesting system which mimics the conditions of a storm - to bring the clams out of the sand naturally.” It’s this very idea of working with nature to harness the best from it, which inspires Michael to carry the same level of mindfulness into his kitchen. Using simple ingredients, just one pan and his intuitive Miele induction cooktop, he seemingly works effortlessly to capture the natural flavours that lead us directly…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023DESERT ISLAND KITCHENChristine Manfield, Arkaba Homestead, SA and Kittawa Lodge, TAS I save used tea bags for fire starters. You dry them out, dip in liquid candle wax to coat and dry again, I learnt this trick from the team at Arkaba Homestead when I was staying there last year. Three or four is all you need for a big fire and away you go. We always do a cook over the fire as one of the dinners on those trips – Spencer Gulf southern calamari, whole fish, quail, kangaroo. Auntie Pauline, a local Adnyamathanha Elder, stays with us and does some yarning round the campfire. I remember the first time I cooked kangaroo for her – rare, as I do it – and she said, “Oh, darl. Too bloody for me.…7 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023BEST MUM EVERhardtefind.com.au SCAN TO SHOP…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Life’s a picnicProfessionally trained pastry chef, Alison Roman is someone who wipes floury hands on her pants; who can’t help slice a pie before it has cooled “just to taste it” and who avoids anything she has to plug in. Unlike most pastry chefs, she rejects the sentiment baking should be precise and tidy. The Brooklyn-based cookbook author describes her baking as “a litte wild-looking and decidedly unkempt.” She says, “I admit that I didn’t so much choose this aesthetic as this aesthetic chose me.” In her new book Sweet Enough, Roman implores us to strive for the “animalistically irresistable, not aethetically pristine”. She adds, “Perfection is boring, and these recipes – baked longer than you think so the edges caramelise and stay crunchy; seasoned with enough salt to taste the butter…9 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Lore of the JUNGLEThis kopitiam is Malaysia’s foodie ground zero – it’s where the late Anthony Bourdain hoisted Sarawak laksa onto the world stage. Mornings start gently in Kuching, in eastern Malaysia. The chill of twilight burns away quickly to leave the air thick and comforting, lulling all into a slow-moving entrance to the day ahead. This colourful little city, with its alleyways of pastel-coloured Chinese shophouses, is gently carved in two by the Sarawak River. Old men row long, covered boats from shore to shore, ferrying neatly pressed office workers to the town centre, and it’s fair to say that I’m not feeling any rush in Kuching’s rush hour. But first: a little geography lesson. Kuching is the capital of Sarawak, one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo,…7 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023FAR OUT LUXURY1SAFFIRE FREYCINET If you haven’t yet visited this luxury Tasmanian lodge, chances are it’s been topping your lust list since it opened in 2010. Sublime undulating architecture is embedded into the even more sublime and undulating surrounds to make this the place to go when you need more awe in your life. Each of the 20 rooms has views for days while the four private pavilions – each with its own plunge pool – offer the ultimate luxe stay. The elegant food and drinks are on free flow and service is delivered with a hyper-personal touch. It’s also one of the few luxury Australian lodges where children are welcome, if it’s family connection you crave. saffire-freycinet.com.au 2KITTAWA LODGE On the rugged coastline of Tasmania’s King Island, surrounded by the Bass…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Going bushTREE CHANGE Even in the plushest interiors, the natural environment is the ultimate muse NATURE WORSHIP Opt for rugged beauty with raw materials and a strong connection between indoors and out. Walk this way Head outdoors in style with a capsule wardrobe set for rain, hail or shine. Lead the pack Nature-ready and resort-worthy, these grown-up backpacks are going places. Nature trails Embrace the restorative power of the outdoors – even when you’re indoors.…3 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023PUTTIN’ ON THE GLITZA restaurant perched 80 floors above Melbourne sounds impressive. But that’s not the only impressive number for Atria, the grand restaurant at the city’s new Ritz-Cartlon. The à la carte menu will have five sections; there will be a dedicated 26-seat cold bar; and it will take just 46 seconds to zip up to level 80 in the elevator. While numbers say a bit about the restaurant, what says more are the two chefs at the helm: the iconoclastic Mark Best, who leads the team as culinary advisor; and executive chef Michael Greenlaw, who spent more than 15 years cooking in five-star hotels and awarded restaurants including London’s Bibendum, New York’s Gilt and Melbourne’s Vue de Monde. The towering restaurant has impressive views out to Port Phillip Bay and along…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023FORAGING FREELYTHREE TIPS ON PINE MUSHROOM FORAGING 1. Positively identify There are an estimated 7000 to 8000 mushroom-producing fungi species in Australia, the vast majority of which have yet to be documented. So, when out in the forest, we are just going to pick the known ones, the ones we are confident we can eat, those that have been catalogued and tested and eaten by generations of foragers. That is why, when I run wild edible mushroom workshops, I only ever teach three species: saffron milk caps, slippery Jacks and slippery Jills. Yes, there are other known edible mushrooms out there – like the wood blewits, grey knights and the elusive porcini – but many of these are rare, and require a depth of knowledge beyond the scope of novice wildcrafters.…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023A QUICK WORD WITHMICHAEL FRANTIMusic is a healing art. We’re going to go see Ed Sheeran on Friday and I can guarantee at some point I will cry. I’m not even that big a fan of Ed Sheeran, but I’m certain I’ll be singing along, high fiving strangers. I’ve experienced every kind of wellness modality; yoga, Pilates, meditation, cryotherapy, crystals, you name it. All of them resonate in some way but music is one of the few things I’ve found to be truly universal. It’s like food. When we started doing retreats [in the early days at our hotel Soulshine Bali], we had these really deep experiences; everybody was crying, journalling, processing emotion. I was like, “Wouldn’t it be great to go down a waterslide right now. Play some loud music and dance our…5 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023ALBERTA’STHE NEW COMER Busselton, WA Let’s get it out of the way: Kirsty Marchant and Ben Ing, the life and business partners behind Alberta’s, both worked at Noma. When reports surfaced that the former head gardener (Marchant) and head chef (Ing) of one of the world’s most watched restaurants were floating around WA, locals – unsurprisingly – had questions. Where were they living? What were they doing? Could they get me a table at you-know-where? With the opening of this breezy 50-seater in the coastal hub of Busselton last June, the couple answered many of those questions while prompting some new ones, not least “why Busselton?” Beyond being familiar to Marchant – she grew up in Perth and holidayed “down south” as a kid – Busselton was somewhere that two…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023YŪGEN DININGTHE NEW COMER South Yarra, Vic There’s nothing subtle about Yūgen nor is there meant to be. From the moment a meticulously groomed greeter ushers you into a glass-walled elevator that drops into the high-ceilinged, stone-walled, dramatically lit basem*nt – a cross between a Bond villain’s lair, MONA-style art gallery and Eurotrash nightclub – there’s no avoiding the ambition. Perhaps it’s the DJ. Or the birdcage-like “private” room suspended over the main dining area. Or the menu stacked with 9-score wagyu, Southern Rock lobster and top-grade sashimi. It’s deliberately, luxuriously over the top, saved from toppling into parody by some key points: a genuine sense of fun, pitch-perfect service and some excellent flavours on a menu that unapologetically cherry picks influences from Japan, China, Malaysia and Vietnam. Fans of Yūgen’s…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023VICTORIA JAMESHow did wine first woo you? I had my mind set on becoming a psychologist and went to university to study this but quickly fell down the wine rabbit hole while bartending to pay for school. I found a dusty old copy of Wine for Dummies behind the cash register and this silly book just hooked me. I soon found myself signing up for sommelier courses and dropping out of college. You were the country’s youngest sommelier when certified at 21. What were the biggest hurdles? The wine world is full of older men and as a young woman I felt like I was being thrown into a den of wolves. What I really struggled with was figuring out who I was and finding a safe space in the industry.…2 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023A TASTE OF THE ADELAIDE HILLS2011 Odeon Museum Release Pinot Noir, $175 For a pinot that’s only made in “exceptional” years, this lives up to the claim. From a single-vineyard plot in Lenswood, Bowley shows why we should not overlook pinot from this area. Evolved notes of forest floor and earth are at the fore with raspberry lingering on, even after 12 years in bottle. vinteloper.com.au 2022 Travis Tausend Yumi Pinot Noir Pinot Gris, $38 A light, bright blend of pinot noir and skin-contact pinot gris grapes picked from the southern end of the Adelaide Hills, the Hope Forest sub-region. A cherry and balsamic strawberry-filled wine that’s perfect to chill and devour on autumnal afternoons. winebytravistausend.com 2008 BK Wines Ma Fleur Chardonnay, $150 Brendon and Kirsty Keys made their first chardonnay in 2008. The wine…1 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023EVERYDAYVEGETARIAN GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE Chickpea pancakes with vincotto greens, chard and burrata SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 35 MINS (PLUS STANDING) 110 gm chickpea (besan) flour1 egg yolk2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling200 gm (1 bunch) broccolini, trimmed60 gm Brussels sprouts, halved300 gm rainbow chard, stalks removed and sliced thinly, leaves sliced thickly1 tbsp vincottoFinely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon1 burrata (about 125gm), tornMicro red vein sorrel, basil leaves and lemon wedges, to serve 1 Combine chickpea flour and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Gradually whisk in 275ml water and yolk until smooth. Stand for 10 minutes. 2 Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add broccolini and Brussels sprouts; cook until…7 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Forest therapyIt was once considered an insult to be called a “tree hugger”, a derogatory term for an environmental campaigner who attaches themselves to trees to stop them from being felled. These days, though, as more people recognise the importance of forests in keeping the planet healthy, it’s not unusual to come across groups of people hugging and stroking trees in forests, national parks and botanical gardens across the globe. It’s not some kind of zombie apocalypse, but a new craze for forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature for relaxation and health benefits. The concept is ancient – many Indigenous cultures have a connection to nature – but forest bathing is a modern idea. The name shinrin-yoku was only formalised in 1982, when Japanese Ministry…4 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023Sea treasureI’m expecting this small ragged-edged fragment of fresh seaweed to taste salty like the sea, but as I pop it in my mouth and start chewing, the flavour that most comes to mind is garlic. It’s quite a surprise, particularly when it instantly shapeshifts and takes on more of a rounded, creamy garlic butter note and then morphs again with the tang of cider vinegar coming to the fore. All the while as I chew there’s a thrumming baseline of delicious ocean brine. It’s no wonder pepper dulse (osmundea pinnatifida) has become such a prized ingredient. Chefs call this pretty red seaweed the “truffle of the sea” and it’s included in Slow Food’s Ark of Taste. It’s one of the most complex wild foods I’ve ever tasted. Pepper dulse is…4 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023CUCINARUSTICAMy favourite kind of picnic is an Italian-style farmers’ picnic,” says Massimo Mele, head chef at Hobart’s bustling restaurant Peppina. “It’s a spread based on pickled, brined and marinated vegetables, the sort of stuff that you’d find in any Italian pantry, that you then mix with beautiful bread and cheese and some snacks to quickly grill over a fire. It’s a little like an antipasto table, but one you eat outside, preferably with a good view.” And while Tasmania has no shortage of good views to choose from, it helps that Mele is friends with Kate and Iain Field who own Leap Farm in Bream Creek on the island’s east coast. The Fields make cheese under the Tongola label and sell goat meat, making them well positioned to provide some…8 min
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Gourmet Traveller|April 2023A CHEF’S GUIDE TO…Urla, TürkiyeUrla is to Türkiye what San Sebastián is to Spain. The town in the Izmir Province has quickly become a major gastronomic address thanks to an abundance of ingredients from the sea and mountains, outstanding olive oil, plus a healthy community of local winemakers. Osman Sezener, a chef that owns and runs two restaurants in Urla, has established himself as spokesperson for all the region has to offer. ZERO-KILOMETRE COOKING My family and I have been in the restaurant business for 43 years and have always dreamt about opening a restaurant with a zero-kilometre cooking philosophy. We imagined that it would be in a town that felt very local, almost like a village, and one that already has all the products needed to do fine cooking. We looked at every…4 min
Gourmet Traveller|April 2023GREEN WITH ENVYCHANTECAILLE A refillable compact is always a good idea. Even more so when each refill sold feeds an orphaned elephant as is the case for Chantecaille Future Skin Cushion Skincare Foundation, $231. This is just one of many of the brand’s ethical initiatives. mecca.com.au REN CLEAN SKINCARE This London-based brand is certified as zero waste and ingredients are ethically sourced, such as the blackcurrant seed and sea buckthorn oil in the Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream, $76, mecca.com.au PURELY BYRON Elsa Pataky (ahem, Mrs Hemsworth) has tapped into the botanicals of her hometown, Byron Bay, to deliver vegan beauty formulas in post-consumer recycled and recyclable packaging. Native Sunrise Blend Moisturiser, $90, purelybyron.com KORRES From cradle to grave, or seed to skin, Korres sources ingredients from Greek farms. It then processes…1 min
