DENGON NET

時々「どうしてこんな所に？」と、思うような場所にレストランを見つけることがある。興味をそそられつつも、なかなか立ち寄る機会に恵まれず、しばくしてから入店したら想像以上に良かった。そんな経験をしたことはないだろうか？ 私は自分の経験値から、意外な場所にあり、佇まいが周りとブレンドしていて見逃してしまいそうな店は、おいしい店と勝手に決めている。今回紹介するThe Recreationも、そんな店のひとつ。どんな料理に出会えるか、期待に胸が高鳴った。

ブリックと木目が印象的でスッキリとしつつも温かみのある店内は、入り口の左手がオーナーの一人であるMarkさんのセレクションによるボトルショップ、右手がゆったりとした雰囲気のビストロになっている。ちなみに、私達を笑顔で迎えてくれたJoeさんも、厨房で腕を振るっているStevenさんも、オーナーの一人だ。

最初は、繊細な盛り付けのSeared Wagyu, crisp rice, smoked eggplant。歯ごたえの残るニンジンとスモーキーでトロトロのナスを、しっかりマリネした和牛で巻いた一品。ごま油と醤油の風味が口に広がり、日本人にはどこか懐かしい味わい。サクサクのライスクラッカーとも相性が良く、食感の違いをうまく生かした料理になっている。

Seared Wagyu, crisp rice, smoked eggplant $7

色鮮やかなソースが目を引くChargrilled calamari, chorizo, ink aioli, rocket。イカは火の入れ具合が難しいが、ここのは調度良い。更に、イカとチョリゾの相性が良くてビックリ。こういう意外な組み合わせに出会えるとうれしくなる。ちょっぴり苦みのあるチコリやロケットとも合い、組み合わせの妙を楽しむひと皿。

Chargrilled calamari, chorizo, ink aioli, rocket $22

香ばしい香りと共に登場したのは、Baked barramundi, grilled fennel and green bean salad, sauce vierge。バラマンディは、皮がパリッとしつつ、身は旨みがギュッと閉じ込められていジューシー。あっさりとした味わいのバラマンディに、フランス料理で使われる軽めのトマトソース、ソース・ヴィエルジュがピッタリ。微かに香るフェンネルの甘い香りが爽やかさを演出して、良いアクセントになっている。白ワインと合わせい。

Baked barramundi, grilled fennel and green bean salad, sauce vierge $34

最後は、存在感のあるRoast pork belly, glazed carrots, pommes Anna。見ただけでは分からないが、皮の部分がパリッを通り越してバキッとした硬さなのに、肉はトロトロ。これは、なかなか家では再現できないプロの技。ほんのり甘味があり優しい味わいのソースと、甘いのにスッキリ、シャープな後味のソースの組み合わせは、肉好きでなくても思わず唸ってしまうおいしさだ。

Roast pork belly, glazed carrots, pommes Anna $39

「食材は季節や仕入れによって微妙に変わるけど、料理のスタイルは統一しているよ」とJoeさん。リクエストすれば、料理とワインのマッチングもしてくれるし、気に入ればボトルショップで購入することも可能だ。どの皿も美しく、バランスのとれた味。教えたくないけど、自慢気に友達を連れて行きたくなる店。ごちそうさまでした。

Walk Quietly, Carry a Big Stick

Have you ever come across a restaurant that makes you wonder why it's in that location? One that piques your interest, but you just can't find the time to visit? One that, once you do finally do get around to eating at, exceeds all your expectations? From my own experience, such restaurants - ones in unusual locations that somehow also blend in to the point where you don't even notice them - are the good ones. The establishment we visited this month, The Recreation, is one such place. With my heart pounding in anticipation, I walked in.

The Recreation's interior is chic, but warm, thanks to its use of exposed brick and wood. On the left as you walk in is the bottle shop, stocked with selections made by one of the owners, Mark. On the right, you have the relaxed atmosphere of the bistro. As an aside, both Joe, who first greeted us, and Steven, who works his magic in the kitchen, are part-owners, too.

We started with the delicately-plated Seared Wagyu, crisp rice and smoked eggplant.  The well-marinated beef ensconced the still-firm carrot and smoky, pulpy eggplant. Sesame oil and soy sauce flavours filled the mouth, creating a somewhat nostalgic taste if you're Japanese. The crispy rice crackers worked well too, resulting in a dish that skilfully blended the various textures.

Following this, the Chargrilled calamari, chorizo, ink aioli and rocket drew the eye with its vividly coloured sauce. Calamari is difficult to grill well, but here, it's done right. I was shocked at how well the chorizo meshed with it too. I love when you come across these unexpected combinations. The slightly bitter chicory and rocket also worked with the other ingredients, allowing you to enjoy the various subtleties of the taste and texture combinations on offer.

Next, the Baked barramundi, grilled fennel and green bean salad with sauce vierge arrived in a cloud of fragrant aromas. The crispy skin belied the juicy flesh underneath, with all the natural flavours trapped inside. Given Barramundi's light taste, the equally light, tomato-based sauce vierge was a perfect match. The fennel's faintly sweet smell adds a refreshing element to the dish and serves as a good accent.

Lastly we had the impactful Roast pork belly, glazed carrots and pommes Anna. You can't tell from just looking at it, but the skin was beyond merely crispy and had entered a state best referred to as 'shatter on impact'. Despite this, the meat itself was melt-in-the-mouth. Cooking pork to this level is not something easily done at home - it's the reserve of skilled pros. The combination of this meat with one slightly sweet, but gentle sauce, and one sweeter, but cleaner sauce with a sharp aftertaste, is enough to generate a sigh of pleasure in anyone, meat lover or not.

"The ingredients vary slightly, depending on the season or what we can get in, but the style of cooking remains the same," says owner Joe. The Recreation's staff will match wines to your chosen dishes upon request too, and if any in particular take your fancy, they can be purchased at the bottle shop. Every dish here was delicious and well-balanced. It's the kind of place you'd like to keep to yourself, but can't help but invite friends to, just so you can show off your new discovery. Gotchisousamadeshita.

The Recreation
1162-170 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North
03 9042 2707
Thu: 5-10：30pm
Wed-Sun: 11am-10:30pm
W: the-recreation.com