DENGON NET

都市化の進むメルボルンでは、カジュアルな雰囲気だった地域がおしゃれな街に生まれ変わり、近年のグルメブームで、郊外や住宅地にも食通を唸らせる店ができている。そこで、今回紹介するのがThornburyのNorthern Git。肉料理がおいしいと評判の店だ。今回はYorkshire出身のヘッドシェフ、Michaelさんのお勧め料理をいただいた。

最初は「スターターにピッタリ」と、スタッフが口を揃えるGit’s meat sample plate。プレートは、Chicken liver parfait、Habanero salami、Duck rillettes、Beef bresaola、Tête fromagéeの5種類とそれぞれの付け合わせで、すべて自家製。Liver parfaitはほんのりフルーティーで食べやすく、Red onion jamと相性抜群。Salamiはこの中で唯一のピリ辛系で、シャキッとしたBalsamic shallotsと一緒に食べるとマイルドな味わいに。パテに似たRillettesは滑らかな口当たりとまろやかな味で、House pickleと合わせるとサッパリ。Bresaolaは、牛肉の生ハムでほどよい塩気に小キュウリのピクルスCornichonsがよく合う。豚の頭部を使用したTête fromagéeはバラ肉を思わせる食感で 、Caperberriesのやわらかな酸味と肉の味が見事にマッチ。ハウスワインのGit Redをお伴に、付け合わせを変えて味の変化を楽しんでみて。

Git’s meat sample plate $29.5

メインは、肉屋での修行経験を持つMichaelさんが旨味のピークを見極め、自信を持ってサーブする熟成肉。グラスフィードの牛の肉をレストラン内にある熟成室で寝かせ、食べ頃を迎えた肉を提供している。登場したRumpは、肉だけでもビックリするほど味が濃い。通常4種類のソースから1種類を選ぶが、今回は特別に微かに甘みのあるRed wine jusと、時折ピリッと刺激のあるPeppercornを出してもらった。オーダーが300gからと結構な量なので、そのまま食べたり、ソースをつけたり、付け合わせのインゲンやマッシュポテトと合わせてみても。サイドには、香ばしい香りのBroccolini, cumin, chiliがお勧めだ。是非、タップにあるUKビールと合わせてみて。

Beef rump $14.5 per 100g and Broccolini, cumin, chili $10.5　

最後は何が出てくるかお楽しみのDessert share plate。今回は、Fig ice cream, apricot and honey sorbet, crème brûlée, cinnamon donut & chocolate sauce & hazelnut crumb。大好きなクレームブリュレもあるし、熱々のドーナッツにチョコソースをたっぷり付け、後に冷たいアイスやソルベ。至福の時とはこのことか…。と、取材を忘れ1人はしゃいでしまった。甘めのルバーブマティーニと合わせて、大人な締めにしても良し。

Dessert share plate $21 

トラムストップからも近く、便利なロケーション。Michaelさんをはじめ、スタッフみんなフレンドリーで、居心地の良い店。お肉な気分のときには、迷わず訪れて欲しい。ごちそうさまでした。

Welcome to the deep world of meat cookery

Thanks to Melbourne’s increasing urbanisation, areas that used to have a casual vibe have become gentrified. This has led to high-end restaurants that delight gourmands by popping up in suburbs you wouldn’t have expected them, such as Northern Git in Thornbury. Praised for its meat recipes, we decided to embark on a journey through the menu, enjoying dishes recommended by head chef, Yorkshireman Michael Slade. 

For starters, we tried the Git’s meat sample plate. Recommended by all the staff, the platter consisted of chicken liver parfait, habanero salami, duck rillettes, beef bresaola and tête fromagée – all made in-house. The liver parfait was faintly fruity in taste, making it easy to eat, and went extraordinarily well with the included red onion jam. The salami, true to its name, was the only spicy dish, but the accompanying crunchy balsamic shallots took much of the edge off. The rillettes, meanwhile, had a smooth texture and mellow taste, which turned into a refreshing hit when eaten with the house pickles. The bresaola’s saltiness was just right, and went well with the cornichons. Finally, the tête fromagée, made using meat from a pig’s head, has a pork belly-like texture and goes perfectly with the soft acidity of the caperberries. We’d recommend pairing this with the house red, and playing around with different combinations to see what suits you best. 

With chef Michael having spent time honing his skills at a butcher, and with the restaurant ageing its grass-fed beef in-house, it’s no surprise we had beef rump for our main. The meat itself packed an incredible depth of flavour, and to accompany it, we were offered a special choice of two sauces (normally you can only choose one of the four on offer), going with the red wine jus and peppercorn. Priced per 100g, the minimum order is 300g, which is a lot of meat. Such is the inherent flavour, you can enjoy the steak just by itself, or with the sauce, or the accompanying green beans or mashed potato. For a side, we’d recommend the Broccolini, cumin and chili. For drinks, definitely try one of the UK beers on tap. 

To cap things off, we ordered the Dessert share plate. Curious as to what would arrive, we received fig ice cream, apricot and honey sorbet, crème brûlée and cinnamon doughnut with chocolate sauce and hazelnut crumb. We love crème brûlée, so to have it with a hot doughnut covered in chocolate sauce, and cold ice cream and sorbet to balance things out? Well, it was safe to say we were in heaven. Accompanied by a sweet Rhubarb Martini, as ours was, it becomes an adult way to finish off the evening, too. 

Located close to a tram stop, ‘The Git’ is conveniently positioned, and with its friendly staff, it’s a lovely place to be. If you’re ever in the mood for meat, you should definitely stop by. Gotchisousamadeshita.

Northern Git
757 High St, Thornbury
T: 03 9484 6389
Mon・Wed・Thu: 5-11pm,  Fri-Sun: 12-11pm 
W: getatgit.com