Rawsons Restaurant is a suburban gem
Located in the unassuming, apartment-filled suburb of Epping, Rawsons Restaurant is a surprise. Tucked in The Epping Club, an RSL, the restaurant features acclaimed chef Nick Whitehouse at the helm, a personality seen on Masterchef and at hatted restaurants around the world. Taking pride in plating up honest but visually stunning food, Whitehouse’s menu changes seasonally. He pairs new-found foodie-innovation with British pub classics.
On this particular occasion were were visiting Rawsons Restaurant for a special wine dinner hosted by Tyrells called Best of the Vats. The menu of which, although similar to their current offerings, was prepared to better compliment the vino on offer but will still give you an idea of what to expect.
Fresh seafood speaks for itself. It can carry any dish without seasoning, flavouring or manhandling. If one insists on pampering seafood with an array of other tastes, what better than the all-flavourful cucumber?
Jurassic Spatchcock / Carrot Gel / Apricot Gel / Cardamon + Vat 47 Chardonnay 2011
The stand-out dish of the evening. Plump, juicy Spatchcock was given new life with subtle notes of cardamom, and perfectly paired with carrot and apricot gels. The chardonnay, having touched no trace of oak in its lifetime, was acidic, cutting through the beautifully rich dish.
Dry Aged John Dee Rump Cap / Smoked Onion / Soubise + Vat 6 Pinot Noir 2013
If you’ve never tried smoked onion, it is a must. All the flavours of a sumptuous, smoky wood fire encapsulated in translucent crunchy shells are a wonder of foodie experimentation.
Blue versus Smelly Gorgonzola versus Holy Goat / Date / Honeycomb Vinegar Gel / Roasted Pear / Granny Smith Apple Julienne + Vat 9 Shiraz 2011
The experimental cheese platter combined the sharp mustiness of blue cheese perfectly with the sweetness of poached pears. Small balls of sweet green apple contrasted with the crumbs of digestive biscuits heaped on the plate. While the red wine did perhaps not suit all the flavours of the cheese plate, it provided an eclectic end to the evening.
Alcohol is a large part of Australian culture, and for those who love it, it’s a point of pride to find the home-grown manufacturers that add to the aforementioned culture. And whilst these producers are indeed hard to find, there is something to be said for those who craft affordable, easily available and well-marketed wine, something Tyrells has certainly done very well.
Rawsons Restaurant is indeed a gem in among the ever-climbing apartment towers of suburbia. There’s really nothing like it around!
Rawsons Restaurant
The Epping Club
45-47 Rawson St, Epping
Phone: (02) 9876 4357
Breakfast: Mon – Friday 7:30am – 11:30am (from the Brasserie), Sat & Sun 9am – 11:30am
Lunch & Dinner: Wed – Sat 12pm – 3pm & 6pm – late, Sun 12pm – 3pm