| Mystery Diner - Hospitality Magazine |
|
Published Hospitality Magazine January 2010 BELLINGEN IS not your typical New South Wales country town. Its wide undulating streets,lined with leafy trees and hosting some very trendy shops, give the place a dash of Double Bay. It has become a town of destination since the opening of two excellent establishments which work together in the town’s interests—Lilly Pilly B&B and No 2 Oak Street. A recent visit there was no disappointment. Ray and Toni Urquhart’s restaurant is located in a wide, side street in a modestly decorated cottage.The restaurant has held a chef’s hat since 2006 and has become an imperative stop over for foodies travelling north. We had heard many favourable reports and decide to visit ourselves.  Ray has described his style as “simple”, an intriguing word. We wonder if this means peasant food, food made from four or less ingredients or perhaps a menu which is easy to prepare. As we entered No 2 we’re warmly greeted, by name, by maitre d’ Toni. Throughout the night we notice that she manages to remember the names of most of her patrons, whether they be regulars or annual blow-ins. There are children, and parents and grandparents, obviously locals, and we wonder if it’s possible that this can truly be a centre of fine dining. We feel instantly at home. It’s crowded and the noise level is loud with laughter and cross-table discussions creating an ambient buzz. Above all are Toni’s warm greetings. It differs from many hated city restaurants where whispered conversation and pensive deconstruction of the plated creations take precedence over the objective of socialising. While we share a delicious potted loaf with butter and tomato relish we peruse the menu— it’s adventurous yet manageable. We consider the Jamon Serano with Meredith goat’s fetta and olive oil, and the cerviche of kingfish with ginger and lime. The menu features many dishes with capitalised names—Burrawong poultry and Coffs Harbour seafood—all local producers and regions from which the produce is sourced. My dining partner chooses the salted Aylesbury duck breast with shredded beetroot and walnuts with a side of sweet spring vegetables, followed by the Milly Hill Lamb rib in parsnip crème with green beans and sangiovese jus, and for me the barbecued quail with ruby grapefruit salad and watercress and sesame orange dressing, followed by another entree, the triple cheese soufflé. In fact, I order the two entrees in the opposite order but Toni suggests I reverse the order, which turns out to be excellent advice. We order a bottle of Stephano Lubiano 2008 Chardonnay ($55) to wash it all down. They were perfectly sized servings, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. For desserts my partner selects the citrus delicious—mainly because he thinks he is world’s best creator of this dish. One taste proves he has found an equal. I choose the oven-baked lemongrass and vanilla pannacotta with a cinnamon caramel pear. We order a dessert wine and then are impressed again when Toni arrives at our table with not one but two wines—a Brokenwood sticky and a Clare Valley Riesling. She suggests each one works better with the particular desserts we have chosen. And she is right. Once again, we realise that the food experience is at the heart of this restaurant. Diverse punters flock here in their ever-growing numbers because they get the best a restaurant can offer: excellent food and a relaxed atmosphere more like one is likely to experience at the local café. So, here we are in country NSW, recollecting the days of greasy and unimaginative food which not so long ago coloured the landscape. Here we’ve had the pleasure of inclusive, fast and friendly, fine dining, resulting in a wholesome and relaxed experience. This is a balance which sometimes evades revered city restaurants which function like military operations. Most importantly, the waitstaff is relaxed and obviously enjoy interaction with the patrons as if they are their personal guests. When it’s time to leave, Toni has already rung our taxi. She tells us we’ve been most welcome and we decide we’ll certainly be back to this excellent, yet unpretentious, restaurant next time we’re in the region. As we wait for the taxi we reflected on that word “simple” again. “Simple”? Not by any definitions of the word we know. This place, its food and its style, is sophisticated dining at its very best. |
[Back Up]
