It’s only their tenth day but Majestic Harvest is already getting slammed by a mix of old school Petersham and those ever-present young renovators. Yet despite some hipster trappings - Edison bulbs, cold drip, food on boards, ‘cold pressed’ Daily Juice ($6.50) and dishes presented in frypans - the food is remarkably honest and free from (much) pretension.
I was warned: categorise this restaurant and whatever it is, will vanish in a puff of steaming chai, rather like their steamy yet elegant dessert: Hot Tea, Iced Tea, Aaah Tea featuring rhubarb, cranberry and raspberries. But I’m going to have a crack using Owner/Chef Adam Humphrey’s own words: “We’re very serious about what goes on the plate, but we’re taking the piss.”
Cooking anything other than chook seems to get many home cooks into a flap. I remember my mother’s heart palpitations as the annual battle-turkey grew near. We were smart enough not to even mention duck, let alone goose…
I slid back into Blancmange with the familiarity of catching up with an old friend; but change has been stirring in the form of a new young-gun chef. Nathan Brindle just twenty-four, but in this instance, take youth to mean forward thinking. His first round of changes include a tempting set of appetisers...
In light of my recent column about supporting restaurants we want to stay around, I nipped in for another taste of Darren Templeman’s good cooking. It’s pure folly to imagine his three-course Mid Week Special ($70/head) is a pared back affair. It includes all the trimmings from amuse bouche to pre-dessert, so settle in for a luxurious, midweek ride.