Rick Stein’s style shines; even if he’s not in the house

Celebrity chefs put a lot of faith in their staff when they open multiple outposts.

The big-name pan handlers are invariably on site for the first few weeks, but then they have to trust the chefs and front of house staff they have hired to make sure standards are maintained.

That's particularly important when, like restaurateur, cookery book author and television presenter Rick Stein, you have a global reputation to uphold.

Rick Stein at Coogee Beach opened just before Christmas last year and is still pulling in the crowds. The 224-seat restaurant in the same building as The InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach hosts the signature restaurant, bar dining and courtyard terrace.

We've sampled Stein venues in Padstow in Cornwall before and when I checked in last week everything in Sydney was operating exactly as the English seafood chef, and honorary Australian, would have wished.

There was a full house for Friday lunch but everything was working with clockwork precision.

The vibe is beachfront casual - with design from Stein's Australian wife Sarah, and artworks by Australian artist Brigit Thomas adorning the walls and featuring on the front page of the menu, including a striking giant squid and a shimmering school of fish.

The staff are seasoned hospitality professionals. Giovanni and Zara, who looked after us, were hugely impressive - and the kitchen brigade delivered a very tasty repaste of trademark Stein flavours.

We selected sashimi of salmon, kingfish, tuna and scallops (above), served with wakame, pickled ginger, wasabi, sashimi dressing (freshness personified), and an absolutely superb twice-baked spanner crab soufflé with thermidor sauce (below) as our starters.

We followed up with two Padstow favourites: Rick’s fish and chips deep fried in dripping, served with chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce. The batter was crispy, the fish moist and flaky but I didn't enjoy the texture of the mushy peas. Picky. 

The Newlyn fish pie (below) was chock-a-block with salmon, ling, monkfish, prawns, mussels and mushrooms in a creamy seafood velouté, topped with breadcrumbs and parmesan.

We shared a dessert: a classic crème brûlée with almond biscotti. along with glasses of a deliciously zingy artisan mandarin-infused limoncello.

Our wine choice was the 2024 Rick Stein White Burgundy, a house wine selected by Rick Stein and his son Charlie and a perfect match for seafood dishes. But only after my wife had sampled the deliciously dry 2024 Graci Etna Rosato from Sicily.

There is an impressive wine list by both the glass and bottle with a nice balance between Australian wines and quality imports.

Well worth a visit whether or not Stein is in the house.  

Note: Rick Stein at Coogee Beach is a cashless venue, although I'm sure the staff prefer their tips as cash.

See https://www.ricksteinatcoogeebeach.com.au/

# The writer was hosted by Rick Stein at Coogee Beach

New Hunter winery restaurant aims to offer something different

The Hunter Valley is to get a new winery restaurant with a menu designed to accompany "natural" wines.

Harkham Wines will open a restaurant on their grounds to sit alongside their cellar door from Thursday.

The restaurant will have a relaxed atmosphere, a simple menu designed for sharing and live music from local talent. 

Harkham is a family-owned and -operated winery with a focus is on small-batch, single-vineyard varietal wines that are hand-harvested and left to ferment with minimal intervention.

The Harkham family were the first in the Hunter when, back in 2005, they started to produce "natural" and "orange" wines, which were made in clay amphorae.

Only 20,000 bottles are produced each year, with many going on to be sold at restaurants including Brae, Margaret and Bentley Restaurant & Bar.

“We are really proud of the Harkham brand and all that we have done in our almost 20 years," says owner and winemaker Richie Harkham

"Not long ago we identified a gap in the market for a casual offering where people can come to enjoy simple food paired beautifully with a glass of Hunter Valley semillon or shiraz rather than locking into a fine dining experience with a two-course minimum."

Harkham has worked with restaurateur and friend Marco Ambrosino and newly appointed Harkham head chef Shaun Nash (ex-Cutler and Co) on the menu. 

Well-travelled sous chef Robin Clough will support Nash.

The menu will be split into sections: starters and snacks, protein, pasta, pizza, sides and dessert .

Think dishes like fried olives with goat’s cheese; meatballs with parmesan and Napoli sauce; spaghetti aglio olio, veal cotoletta; and a fish of the day. Desserts will include tiramisu and a selection of cheeses.

A snack menu with a smaller selection of small and share plates will be on offer outside of main meal times.

Harkham’s new restaurant will be open from 12pm-5pm on Thursdays (lunch), 12pm-11pm on Fridays (lunch, snacks, dinner), 8am-11pm on Saturdays (breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner) and 8am-6pm Sundays (breakfast, lunch, snacks).

The cellar door is open 10am-5pm, Thursday through to Sunday and bookings can be made now via Harkham’s website.

New restaurant has Indian Ocean views and a global vision

It has been described as the most anticipated restaurant opening of the year; and Gibney certainly looks the part.

The waterfront eatery has been described as 'luxurious Californian country club meets Parisian hotel lobby'.

Gibney is a sophisticated seaside brasserie and grill located in Cottesloe and overlooking the Indian Ocean.

With a capacity of approximately 160, this brasserie and grill will be formal in its approach with tablecloths, jacketed wait staff, all soft furnishings, marble, brass and high-end tableware.

The menu draws inspiration from classic steakhouses and brasseries around the globe.

“We’ve drawn inspiration from the great bistros and brasseries from the past by remaining true to what has come before," says head chef James Cole-Bowen. "Classic presentations, sauces and flavour combinations bring Gibney into the present and beyond."

So expect dinner dishes like half a Western rock lobster with curried buckwheat, vadouvan butter and fried curry leaf; and Amelia Park lamb rump with mint salsa verde, feta, olive and parsley.

The by-the-glass wine list features local stars including Cullen, Singlefile and Moss Wood, while the by-the-bottle list is impressively global in reach.

Gibney joins the Kailis Hospitality Group portfolio, alongside coastal venues The Shorehouse in Swanbourne, Island Market and Canteen in Trigg, Kailis Fish Market Café in Fremantle and the recently announced Magic Apple Wholefoods, due to open later in 2024.

See https://gibneycottesloe.com/

Celebrate scallop season in style

Scallop season has opened in Tasmania and Hursey Seafoods is hosting a scallop celebration in the cute north-west fishing village of Stanley.

The Hursey Seafoods restaurant is showcasing some locally caught special scallop treats, complete with orange roe. Think dishes like scallop spaghetti (above).

The fleet-to-plate celebration runs through to August 5 and with new head chef Adam Giddings featuring some culinary spins on the local cold-water mollusks. 

"We know how much our customers love scallops, and we want to celebrate this amazing seafood by showcasing the best quality scallops in our restaurant - and what better way to highlight them than by having a month-long celebration?" says Mark Hursey of Hursey Seafoods.

"We're also very excited to introduce head chef Adam's culinary talent to our customers. He has been working tirelessly to create exciting new dishes that will display the versatility of scallops. You don't want to miss out on these signature dishes."

For those keen to try scallops with a difference, Hursey Seafoods signature entrée special for the month of July will highlight a taster of scallops served three ways.

The new chef, who has 20 years of experience in the industry, says: "I'm excited to be working with the team at Hursey Seafoods and putting my twist on some classic scallop dishes.

I'll be working with some locally sourced ingredients and creating dishes that truly celebrate the delicious seafood we have right here in Stanley."

The wine list features local favourites from producers including Ghost Rock, Holm Oak and Josef Chromy.  

For bookings call (03) 6458 1103. Hurseys is open seven days for lunch and dinner. See https://www.hurseyseafoods.com.au/

Stone the pros! Meet a new cannabis-infused gourmet menu

The health benefits of cannabis leaves have long been touted by the medical profession and with the Thai Government’s recent decriminalization of most parts of the marijuana plant, they have now ended up on a fine dining menu.

Anantara Chiang Mai’s The Service 1921 Restaurant and Bar resort has launched what it says is "a healthy and nutrition-rich cannabis-infused menu".

Diners can enjoy signature dishes including deep-fried seabass with crispy cannabis leaves and a cannabis tamarind sauce (above); spicy grilled prawns with traditional Thai herbs and cannabis (below); and braised pork spare ribs with a shitake mushroom and cannabis soup.

Although the THC-rich flowers, buds and seeds remain off-limits, other parts of the plant such as the leaves have been removed from the prohibited list in Thailand.

Cannabis leaves are seen as highly nutritious and contain significant levels of essential vitamins and minerals.

The new menu also includes cannabis-based drinks.

The Service 1921 Restaurant and Bar is situated in a colonial house that is the centerpiece of Anantara Chiang Mai Resort.

Opened in 1921 as the British Consulate, the house is celebrating its centennial this year. It was the former home of the consul’s family and included a courtroom, offices, servants’ quarters and stables for elephants.

Anantara has a portfolio of 35 properties in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zambia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Tunisia, Portugal and Spain. See www.anantara.com.