ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S MOST POPULAR RESTAURANTS HAS SCRAPPED ITS MENU
- Restaurant Botanica's newly appointed executive chef overhauls entire menu
- New tasting menu uses native Australian ingredients
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A world-renowned Australian restaurant has scrapped the menu which made it famous.
Restaurant Botanic's critically acclaimed spread will stop being served July 17 - despite foodies traveling from all over the world to try it.
The South Australian restaurant, which is among the 50 best restaurants in the world, has a new executive chef - who wants the menu to reflect him instead.
Located in Adelaide's Botanic gardens the three hatted restaurant's major changes began with the reshuffling of staff when Justin James passed the keys to the kitchen to executive chef James Musgrave, formerly of Fervor restaurant in Western Australia's famed Margaret River region.
Justin James put Restaurant Botanic on the world map with dishes such as garden flower and green ants, abalone in botanic curry with myrtle buds and a sublime emu egg chawanmushi with wallaby tea, caviar, and native lemon grass.
Restaurant Botanic was awarded three hats in 2023 and also won South Australia's best restaurant in 2022 before its menu was scrapped.
James Musgrave's exciting new vision is to 'push the boundaries of presenting native ingredient profiles from around Australia
'Reflecting on my new role, I am excited to showcase my ideas on food and hospitality,' Mr Musgrave said.
But the venue's passion for Australian native ingredients with a commitment to employing produce from the best artisan, small batch producers around the country will continue.
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'I look forward to delving into the rich tapestry of native Australian ingredients and drawing on inspiration from my time at Fervor, where we embarked on foraging expeditions alongside Aboriginal elders, spanning the breathtaking landscapes from Esperance to the Kimberleys,' Mr Musgrave added.
The newly-appointed executive chef will also draw from his recent stint in Hong Kong in the esteemed kitchen of James Sharman's One Star House Party which gave him experience in the detail and attention required to produce such intricate dishes.
The new menu features a standout dish of West Australian Marron grilled over rum, brushed with sea lettuce butter made from foraged seaweed and served over fermented pepper and sunrise lime paste, with a finishing sauce of smoked eel, koji and fragrant pickled lemon myrtle buds.
Diners trying Musgrave's new menu can also expect a crocodile chawanmushi, a subtly steamed Japanese egg custard layered with crocodile bone dashi and hot smoked crocodile rib meat, finished with a crocodile foam and vinegar made from lemon aspen leaf. Those who have tried it described it as 'light' and 'divine'.
Foodies who shy away from trying such unusual flavours only need a quick glance at some of the reviews from amazed diners to be swayed to try out the new menu.
'Restaurant Botanic sets the gold standard for fine dining in Australia,' said five-star review read.
Another agreed: 'The most spectacular meal that I had in Australia. The menu was so well crafted and the food was absolutely delicious and gorgeous.'
'I have been to some incredible restaurants and this is hands down the best restaurant of them all. The service was amazing, all staff were lovely. The restaurant itself is beautiful and I love that you can watch the kitchen do it’s thing,' gushed another diner.
The venue is light filled and intimate and the views of the surrounding 51 hectares of peaceful, manicured, gardens creates a magical and unique ambience.
The menu price is $365 per person with a selection of additional beverage pairings available - including the 'temperance', a 'complex and adventurous' non alcoholic selection of juices, infusions, ferments, kombuchas and mocktails, for $165.
Alcoholic pairings range from $225 per person to a dizzying $950 per person for an experienced aptly named 'The Creme de la Creme' which involves luxury libations from some of the most prestigious labels in Australia and around the world.
Read more 2024-06-28T02:55:18Z dg43tfdfdgfd