Food Porn Nation

Darrell Felstead at Foveaux Restaurant (One Hat) puts forward a weird and wonderful menu to suit the adventurous diner. You have a nose to tail philosophy, a creative flair for reinvention and a pairing of unlikeliest of food types. Surely that should pique anyone’s interest? The menu challenges you conceptually and can be confronting if you’re not quite game. There’s the pepper nachos and sour cream ice cream which is said to quite popular or the duck cheese served with smoked duck and cuttlefish. What… is that all together? Or perhaps the veal tail is more to your taste? No matter where you turn, you can’t hide. It is not for the faint hearted and I like that. A lot.

With a Groupon voucher I was able to sample the menu at a reduced cost and for two people we received an entree and main for $59.

Prices quoted below are at al la carte prices.

The oysters from Port Stephens ($4 each – additional) are deliciously creamy and come with a sensational dressing leaving me quickly gushing for more. Our entrees really set the scene and showcase the brilliance  behind Felstead’s handy work. The smoked duck ($24) is a quick hit. Smokey tones are positively bursting against a delicious charred skin, surprisingly pairing very well with the cuttlefish. The duck cheese boasts rich flavours and is interestingly made from a duck egg then grated over at the finish, melting in the mouth. The seared bonito ($24) is just as spectacular. It is succulent and flakey with the mushroom milk and picked vegetables providing contrast in bite and taste.

It is the golden trevally ($36) that steals the spotlight, delivering a cracking crust and a yielding centre. The kohibari puree and white wine reduction is white gold. It is perfect, elegant and disarming. However, the roast venison leg was less successful. The meat was a touch bitter and particularly gamey which I am not normally accustomed to when it comes to venison. I suspect this is to do with the cut of meat. Tamarillo jam during dessert provides sweet justice to the hot doughnuts, reminding you that nothing really beats a fresh doughnut hot off the fryer with lovely remnants of sugar crumbs sticking to your mouth. The orange miso custard is definitely an unusual mix but overall I am pretty satisfied.

Foveaux tends to be more of the obscure hatted restaurants on the scene and fairly understated one at that. The experience is innovative and charming, staff are friendly and good for a laugh, adding to an already enjoyable experience. It is definitely a place you can see yourself coming back to again and again just to see what weird and wonderful things will be cooked up next.

www.foveaux.com.au

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