Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2022 i Gourmet Traveller

I was 14 when I experienced a bistro for the first time, on my first-ever visit to Paris. We had arrived early in the morning on a whirlwind trip (one of the perks of being a pilot’s daughter was impromptu getaways to anywhere that happened to have spare seats on a flight) and by 11am, I was in love. Paris captured my heart instantly – and still holds it today. Later this month, I will make my first European visit in four years, flying straight to Charles de Gaulle to be reunited with my love. My aunty and uncle arrived from London on the Eurostar and marched us straight to their favourite bistro, informing my brother and I that there would be two choices of main, a starter and a…

Phuket, Thailand There were beach swims, sunset cocktails and spa days aplenty during a blissful long weekend escape to Phuket. But it was lunch with this grand dame (45 years young) that claimed the prize for the most magical moment. Joanna Hunkin, editor Stillwater, Launceston Octopus is a favourite of Tasmanian diners but the octopus and udon noodle entrée from Stillwater is a fresh take on a traditional grilled offering. A rich dashi stock, spiked with chilli and Sichuan pepper gives a strong slick of flavour to chunks of octopus and slippery noodles. 2 Bridge Rd, Launceston, Tas Alix Davis, acting deputy editor Bannisters, Mollymook The pet terrace suite and luxe poolside digs at this South Coast mainstay made my pup Mango feel like the prince he is. There’s plenty…

This month, we chat to Australian chef and artist Hanz Gueco, head chef of neo-bistro Ellsworth in Paris. What brought you to Paris? Obviously, the food and the history of the cooking, the restaurants. All the chefs that I really loved worked here or were from here, so it was an obvious move. I honestly thought I’d stay six months and then it snowballed to another six months. I’ve been in Paris six years now. What’s the concept behind Ellsworth? Ellsworth is a small French bistro with an à la carte menu. Everything is sourced locally from France with a bit from Italy. What’s it like being an Australian chef in Paris? It's nice because you can see things from a different view. I like cooking French food but I’ll…

INTERNATIONAL Acro Suites is Crete’s newest luxury hotel, where Greek designers have joined forces with world renowned architects to create a space that’s as cool as it is calming. Guests can expect raw silk bed covers and custom marble furniture, alongside private saltwater pools with ocean views. There’s also an in-house day spa with sumptuous Byzantine marble baths, a dedicated yoga space and in-house restaurant focussed on local produce. Outrigger Maldives Maafushivaru Resort has undergone recent renovations. Located on a private island in the pristine South Ari Atoll region, the 81 luxury villas include signature overwater bungalows with instant access to aquamarine lagoons. There’s also seven restaurants on the island, with highlights including fresh sushi and fiery teppanyaki. AUSTRALIA On NSW’s South Coast in Batemans Bay, The Isla is the…

Parsley’s scientific name tells us something about its affiliations, and where it grows in nature. Petroselinum is a Latinised Greek word, meaning “rock celery”. In the wild, parsley grows in rocky places on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in an arc from Portugal and Spain in the west, south to Morocco and Algeria, then curving around up through Israel, Lebanon to Turkey, Greece and Italy. These countries are the heartland of parsley appreciation. The further north one travels in Europe, the more parsley is considered a “herb”; a flavouring agent used in small quantities. It’s here we see the pretty curly parsley come to the fore. Curly parsley is less flavourful, for my money, and has a more chaffy texture in the mouth than its wild counterpart. Perhaps that’s…

2021 Harrison Wines ‘Fleur de Lune’ Grenache, $35 The grenache comes from vines planted in the 1940s and 1960s (baby vines in the grand scheme of the region). Pure and bright, this wine is an exceptional example of a classic Barossan grape in an elegant New World style. harrison.wine 2012 Spinifex ‘Old Vine’ Mataro, $50 Mataro is the “dark horse” of the Barossa. It’s a supple and mouth-filling wine that bombards the palate with blackcurrant and spicy clove notes. Winemaker Pete Schell deftly crafted this wine from 90-year-old vines as an aged release and it’s some of his finest work to date. spinifexwines.com.au 2016 Yalumba ‘The Octavius’ Shiraz, $150 One of the more iconic wines from the Yalumba stable, this shiraz blends fruit sourced from the Barossa and Eden Valleys…

Eight o’clock on Monday night and Prahran’s Greville Street is deserted enough to expect tumbleweeds. But at Entrecote, golden light spills out from timber-framed windows and washes over a striped canvas awning and the people sitting under it on meticulously aligned French cafe furniture. On the mostly empty street, it’s like Monday night in an alternate universe, a beacon of life and good times. Paris has landed. Inside, in the entry level, mosaictiled brasserie area, charming staff decked out in classic black and white emerge from behind an antique timber desk to usher you up a short flight of stairs to your table in the enormous main dining space where the sense of alternate universe becomes turbo-charged. There’s a man playing a grand piano as groups nestled into royal blue…

VEGETARIAN GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE Parsnip soup with truffle and hazelnuts SERVES 2 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 25 MINS 80 gm cold butter, coarsely chopped2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 small leek, white part only, thinly sliced4 thyme sprigs2 garlic cloves, finely chopped500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock600 gm parsnips (about 3 large), cut into 1cm pieces300 ml pouring cream2½ tbsp white truffle oil (see note)50 gm roasted hazelnuts, chopped2 tbsp oregano leaves 1 Heat half the butter and the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and thyme sprigs. Cook, stirring frequently, until leek is softened (6-7 minutes). Add garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant (1 minute). Add stock and parsnip, season to taste and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to…

Brisbane LA CACHE À VIN From Brisbane restaurant stalwart Thierry Galichet, the basement bistro is as famed for its incredible wine list (50 Champagnes!) as it is for its classic bistro menu that includes some of the best lambs’ brains to be had in all the land. lacacheavin.com.au MONTRACHET Shannon Kellam’s Bowen Hills eatery is more restaurant than bistro (it’s tasting menu-only on the weekends) but it still prides itself with some truly great versions of bistro classics especially the quality of the protein with the steak frites. montrachet.com.au Melbourne ENTRECÔTE A swooningly lovely, big-boned brasserie that focuses as much on the front-of-house experience as it does on a tight list of traditional bistro dishes and a wine list that spends equal time in France and Australia. entrecote.com.au FRANCE-SOIR More…

Come for lunch, he’d said. At Domaine Balthazar, weeks after my initial call and 3782 miles from New York, lunch burst through the door with as much pomp as could be mustered by a group of meaty, middle-aged oompa-loompas ambling into the dining room dressed in scarlet robes with billowy sleeves, yellow ribbon tied at the neck. This was not the simple Sunday lunch I thought I had been summoned to. Everything spoke of ritual, of tradition, of ceremony. The dresses, red with white trim, matched by soft, beret-style caps, reminded me of academics in graduation processions. Miniature versions of the cassole, the terracotta pot that provided the basis for the name cassoulet, hung on green ribbons around thick tan necks, like medals of honour. Men and women sang in…

Béarnaise Like hollandaise, bearnaise sauce is made from egg yolks and butter but has shallot and tarragon added for extra flavour. Maltaise A hollandaise sauce made using blood orange juice and peel. “It’s a different citrus vibe,” says Marie. Beurre blanc This vinegar and wine sauce is emulsified with butter or cream. “I find it very versatile. You can serve it with white fish, or do it with clams or mussels,” says Marie. Au poivre This classic pepper sauce is most often served with steak. “Make sure the peppercorns are black and fresh,” says Brahimi. “I recommend crushing them on the most coarse level of your grinder so there are some larger pieces in the sauce.” Soubise sauce Soubise is an onion puree, to which you add cream. “You want…

French onion soup SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 1HR 20 MINS Take this soup to the next level and shave fresh truffle over croûtons when they come out of the oven. 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling100 gm butter800 gm brown onions, thinly sliced800 gm red onions, thinly sliced3 garlic cloves, crushed2 litres beef stock6 black peppercorns6 thyme sprigs2 bay leaves35 gm plain flour60 ml apple cider vinegar12 2cm-thick slices baguette, cut on the diagonal60 gm each finely grated parmesan and Gruyère¼ cup thyme leaves 1 Heat oil and butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, cover with lid, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft (20 minutes). Remove lid, reduce heat to low and cook,…

I have a well-thumbed and stained copy of Patricia Wells’ classic cookbook, Bistro Cooking, which is packed with recipes the American writer collected over many years from France’s most famous bistros. The recipes Wells gleaned from legendary Paris establishments include mussel soup from Benoit, smoked haddock with cabbage from Chez La Vieille, roast chicken from L’Ami Louis and an almond tarte from Le Petit Marguery. The book was published in the 1980s, but those bistros still exist, as do countless small traditional restaurants tucked away in almost every block of the French capital and its regional cities, a testament to the enduring popularity of hearty, home-style cooking, despite serious challenges from culinary movements such as nouvelle cuisine. “Bistro cuisine is French home cooking at its best, a style of cooking…

BULGARI HOTEL New and already the talk of the town, Bulgari Hotel Paris is the shining jewel in the luxury brand’s hotel and resort collection’s crown. The 76-room hotel is footsteps from the Champs-Élysées. Inside there’s a 25-metre pool in the luxurious spa, a restaurant helmed by world-renowned Italian chef Niko Romito and a 400-square-metre penthouse with roof garden. From $2156 per night, bulgarihotels.com LES BAINS It earnt its reputation in the ’80s as an iconic Paris nightclub; its dance floor torn up by the likes of David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Karl Lagerfeld. Now, Les Bains is a 39-room luxury hotel, restaurant and bar and just as glam. From $525 per night, lesbains-paris.com SOHO HOUSE Opening its doors in September 2021, but just to a select few, this private…

As first impressions go, it’s right up there. It starts with the overture of driving into the edges of the magnificent Daintree, the world’s oldest living rainforest at 180 million years old, as the sun sets. We’re in Far North Queensland, so the sunset’s one of those rapid tropical ones, light then dark, like someone flipped a switch. And so we drive through the gates of Silky Oaks Lodge in darkness with only a few soft spots illuminating the driveway or flaring up into sections of the lush forest behind which, apparently, is the resort. The density of the foliage and the canopy overhead engulf you, like some kind of enchanted jungle. And then just as we park, it begins to rain, sudden and steady in the humidity, like another…

OILS AIN’T OILY On greasy skin a slick of yet more oil can actually regulate sebum. Look for swiftly absorbed and hydrating formulas such as Habitual Beauty’s Rejuvenating Facial Oil, $120. A-OKAY Vitamin A, or retinol as dermatologists call it, is the gold standard in transformative skincare. In oil form, it hydrates as it gets to work on cell turnover. Try Cosmetics 27 Huile 27 Bio-Nourishing Cell Regenerating Oil, $114. OUT DAMNED SPOT Like jelly on pâté, face oils sit on the skin’s surface to lock in moisture (and luxurious serums). Some also use this vantage point to go to work on dark spots such as Aesthetics Rx Pre-juvenation DNA Oil, $99, and Caudalie Vinergetic C+, $66. PLUMP ROLE A good face oil plumps as you sleep. Especially if it…

Julia If you’ve yet to gobble up the eight episodes of deliciousness that is Julia, you’re in for a treat. Starring British actress Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child, it’s the most delectable series to hit our screens this year. binge.com.au Andrew’s Royal Collection Award-winning Melbourne butcher Andrew Vourvahakis is known as the sausage king and his new collection of smallgoods are fit for royalty, made with top Australian pork and “meraki”, which is Greek for “made with passion”. andrewschoice.com.au Bollinger La Grande Année 2014 A summer of extreme weather could have spelled disaster for Bollinger’s 2014 vintage, yet somehow it resulted in one of the maison’s most vibrant Champagnes to date. champagne-bollinger.com Tasting Australia Bravo to festival directors Karena Armstrong and Darren Robertson for bringing together a stunning line-up of…

MELBOURNE A retro Italian diner and rooftop by the Everleigh, Heartbreaker and Bar Margaux team has arrived in the CBD, bringing alfresco Spritzes, deep-pan pizza and plenty of pasta. Connie’s Italian Diner and Rooftop Terrazza is the more formal incarnation of Connie’s, which fans of the divebar Heartbreaker will already be familiar with: it started as a by-the-slice pizza shop within the bar years ago. Now, it’s got its own digs, reopening as a 100-seat trattoria-inspired diner above Heartbreaker. That inspiration shows up in the retro space – which mashes up design elements of an old-school trattoria with an archetypal New York red-sauce joint. It’s an evocative room that instantly tells you what to expect on the menu: so uncool-they’re-cool classics served with a wink. There’s lasagne, cacio e pepe,…

A new audio documentary is set to explore the science and history of the five basic tastes – salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. Adam Liaw will host the Audible Original podcast, How Taste Changed the World, with help from an impressive roster of guests including Fuchsia Dunlop, Dan Barber and Yotam Ottolenghi. “I’ve changed the way I cook since listening to the podcast because it answered a lot of questions that I hadn’t even thought to think about,” says Liaw. “I want people to be able to cook better after listening to this podcast.” audible.com.au…

Bentley Group’s Nick Hildebrandt and Brent Savage are cracking open their restaurants’ wine cellars with Bentley Wine Vault, an online wine store selling some of the country’s hardest-to-find drops. The sommelier-curated collection draws from the acclaimed cellars of Monopole, Bentley, Cirrus and Yellow, and is a unique platform for people to buy more than 300 wines that would never be found in a bottle shop. As GT wine writer Samantha Payne explains: “To have access to these old and rare Australian wine curios – wines most of us have never seen and might never get a chance to see again – is an incredible gift. It’s fantastic.” bentleywinevault.com.au…

I have admired Pasi Petänen since my days at Billy Kwong Crown Street, when he was head chef at the neighbouring Marque Restaurant. Like all of his peers, I always knew he was destined for great things. For me, Cafe Paci provides one of the most exciting dining experiences in Australia today, with its singular food style and casual, fun, yet sophisticated interior and vibe. Like the characterful Pasi himself, the place exudes a very special “lightness of being”, amid seriously masterful cooking, and respect for best quality everything. Pasi Petänen just wants you to be comfortable. For every gastronomic skill he has mastered, each flavour explored, all ingredient sourcing, staff cultivating and God-given talent, it all counts for something. But the Cafe Paci chef believes the secret sauce that…

THE MANHATTAN In its roughly 150-year lifespan, the Manhattan has certainly proven its mettle. Said to have appeared in print for the first time in 1882, the rye whiskey-based bracer became enshrined in cocktail history in 1948, when David A. Embury listed it as one of six basic drinks in his hugely influential volume, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Much like the Martini, the Daiquiri and other similar benchmarks, it makes the most of minimal ingredients and a foolproof method – the key, no doubt, to an appeal that cuts across cultures and generations. It has also become something of a cocktail category in its own right, open to all manner of interpretation and reinvention. Dominique Lentz, the co-owner of La Buvette in Adelaide, puts an effortless Gallic twist…

Bustling French bistro” is one of those food writer cliches that gets pulled out to quickly illustrate pops of Champagne, the sizzle of steak frites, the clamour of copper pots, the accented banter of your aproned servers. But the first thing I notice upon arriving at Loulou Bistro, a restaurant-traiteur tucked just off the tip of the Harbour Bridge in Milsons Point, is that they’ve made a solid effort to tone down the “bustling” part. Despite the bentwood chairs on concrete floors and close-packed banquettes, the restaurant’s soundproofing is excellent. The visual bustle is there but I can hear my dining partner, and I can’t hear the conversation of the table next to me and that’s a satisfying start in my eyes. The considerate acoustics mean my other senses get…

Soufflés, the baked egg-based dish that evolved in France in the 18th century, have a reputation for being notoriously difficult to make. But while soufflés can be delicate and need a little finesse, they’re not as problematic to bake as you’d imagine. Here, we serve it with a zesty burnt orange marmalade and Grand Marnier cream. Step by step 1 For burnt orange marmalade, combine 500ml (2 cups) fresh orange juice, 2 tbsp julienned orange rind, reserved pips from 1 orange and 500ml water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook until rind is soft, and liquid is reduced (45 minutes-1 hour). Stir in 400gm caster sugar and 1 tsp jamsetta. Cook over low-medium heat until marmalade is thick and starting to catch…

My family’s culinary tradition began with my grandparents, Élénore and Gaston, who were both professional chefs. My grandmother worked for the Rosthschild family and was one of the first female chefs in France, while my grandfather was chef saucier at the historic Grand Hotel in Paris. I’m so proud of them. After working for several years in Paris, my grandfather’s health deteriorated, and my grandparents were forced to leave the capital. They returned to their native Normandy, where they bought a modest famhoues in Bernay. My father, Gaston, was born there in 1920, followed by his brother Marcel a year later. After earning their professional certification in pastry and bread making, the brothers headed to Paris in search of fortune. When the war broke out, the brothers rushed back to…

Chez Paul A neighbourhood bistro has been on this spot since 1900. The Paul family took over in the 1940s. In its latest iteration it’s boisterous and authentic, serving Gallic comfort food in a warmly glowing, yellow-painted room. 13 rue de Charonne, Paris, chezpaul.com Chez Georges With a beautiful, mirrored room and a menu of classics that is almost encyclopaedic, this quintessentially Parisian restaurant is wildly popular, so do make a reservation. 1 rue du Mail, Paris, +33 1 42 60 07 11 Chez André This lively bistro has been a stalwart of the well-heeled 8th arrondissement, near Place de l’Etoile, since 1936. It still has lots of old-fashioned glamour, with its crisp white tablecloths, uniformed waitresses and original zinc bar. 12 rue Marbeuf, Paris, chez-andre.com Chez La Vieille This…

FOREVER FRENCH From the sidewalks of Paris to your own private breakfast nook, rattan mixed with stripes will always elicit a swoon. NEO BISTROTHÈQUE A thrilling hint of wine bar energy brings the classic French kitchen into the here and now.…

Melbourne is set to welcome a winter blockbuster exhibition, The Picasso Century, a collaboration between two French institutions – the Centre Pompidou and the Musée National Picasso-Paris – and the National Gallery of Victoria. Documenting the far reaching career of Pablo Picasso, the exhibition also examines the artists, poets and writers with whom he interconnected, featuring more than 70 works by Pablo Picasso and more than 100 works by his peers. Other artists include Salvador Dalí, Françoise Gilot, Guillaume Apollinaire, Henri Matisse, Gertrude Stein and more. During the exhibition Bar Lourinhã will also take the reins at the NGV Garden Restaurant, with a menu of Iberian-Mediterranean influenced food to celebrate the vibrant culture that sprung from Picasso’s seminal works. June 10 - October 9, ngv.vic.gov.au…

1 Le Collier de la Reine Part seafood bar, part brasserie, and part wine bar, this two-storeyed restaurant from Savoir Vivre group (Déviant, Vivant 2) pays homage to the best parts of French dining; diners are encouraged to settle in for the night and move from one space to another. At lunch, the restaurant offers a plat du jour that changes daily but remains at 15 euros. 57 rue Charlot, Paris, lecollierdelareine.paris 2 Cheese Cellar In the oak-walled cellar of five-star hotel Le Bristol, three-Michelin-starred chef Eric Fréchon and award-winning cheesemaker Marie-Anne Cantin recently unveiled their Cheese Cellar. Visitors are invited to taste a selection of house-aged cheeses, some of which are prepared in-house, and available to purchase at the Hotel’s L’Épicerie. 114 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris, oetkercollection.com 3…

Australia will soon be home to one of the world’s most luxurious cruising experiences, as French company Ponant has announced plans to base its iconic three-masted yacht Le Ponant in the Kimberley next year. With 16 staterooms, the newly refurbished yacht will carry a maximum of 32 guests on each voyage, which will follow bespoke itineraries customised to guest preferences. “Taking into account the time of year and enormous tides the region is famous for, each voyage will offer a combination of iconic locations and hidden gems, showcasing the remarkable beauty of this magnificent coastline,” says Mick Fogg, director of expeditions and destination development. Ponant has partnered with iconic Australian pearling company Paspaley on the venture, with guests set to arrive or depart from the company’s pearl farm in Kuri…

HABOTAT FLEUR DE SEL Soft and delicate in texture; round and saline in taste, this organic French salt is imported by Melbourne lifestyle start-up Habotat, which is committed to plastic-free packaging. Try this in your next batch of salted caramel. 50gm for $19.50, habotat.co ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT This young sea salt is the perfect finishing or table salt for steak frites, a good cassoulet or steak tartare. It’s fine, even texture reflects why fleur de sel is called the ‘caviar of salt’, and this iteration comes from Île de Ré, an island off the west coast of France. 160gm for $16.50, essentialingredient.com.au FLEUR DE SEL GUÉRANDE This melt-on-your-tongue salt comes from Guérande on the Atlantic coast of Brittany, where fleur de sel is said to have its origins. This unwashed, unrefined…

It might seem a little ridiculous to be talking about bistros having a moment when a whole battalion of them – places like Melbourne’s France-Soir, Montrachet in Brisbane and Sydney’s Bistro Moncur – have been attracting packed houses with their excellent faux Paris vibes for decades. But it’s hard to deny something’s afoot when the current restaurant scene is up to its globes oculaires in new joints dishing up steak frites, snails and soufflé in glamorous rooms with French theme park interior design. So what is going on right now? Are we all just in desperate need of escapism after being locked behind closed borders? Or is the petit avalanche of new bistros actually indicative of restaurateurs looking to the past for ways to make Australian restaurants more viable by…

Forty-five kilometres south of Paris, where the City of Light meets the historic farmland and forest of the Île de France, the walled estate of an 18th century château in the village of Saint-Vrain is a hive of activity. For the past five years, Australian chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly have been building an expansive kitchen garden as a homage, of sorts, to the historic market gardens that once fringed the French capital, supplying its residents with fresh vegetables. After catching the attention of le tout Paris with their free-form, produce-driven, nose-to-tail cuisine at neo-bistros Au Passage and Bones, the two friends (who met in 2008 while working at Andrew McConnell’s Cumulus Inc) began hatching the idea of creating their own farmhouse restaurant. In collaboration with their London-based French…

As anyone dining at Ursula’s will see, Phil Wood has put plenty of thought into the notion of what constitutes “Australian” food. Opened to critical acclaim eight months ago with his wife, Lis Davies, the 80-seat backstreet Paddington haunt packs the warmth of a local – and the devoted regulars to show for it – but there’s far more at play here than a predictable list of bistro standards. “As these recipes show, there’s a unique Australianness,” says Wood. “We have dishes with an amazing amount of chilli here and there, sweet and sour with pork dishes, a straightforward beef dish garnished with wasabi and lime. I wish we had a better way of describing it than Mod Oz. Maybe just ‘Australian’ will do.” Wood credits his four years as…