Pearl review, Fleurieu best restaurants | delicious.SA: Regional 50

This family-run seafood restaurant and kiosk right by the beach at Aldinga captures the relaxed spirit of a summer holiday.

Grilled garfish at Pearl, Aldinga Beach.

Lower Esplanade, Aldinga Beach

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pearlaldingabeach.com.au

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This family-run seafood restaurant and kiosk right by the beach at Aldinga captures the relaxed spirit of a summer holiday.

Conceived, built and now run by its young owners, Jules Rydon and Bec Seidel, with plenty of help from both families, Pearl embodies all that is good about life by the beach. It is a shack in looks and in disposition, celebrating the simple and the stress-free.

A short, handwritten menu reflects a family connection to the fishing industry and Jules clearly knows his way around sourcing and preparation of seafood, but is also adept at making the most ordinary ingredients shine. Zucchini, for instance. Chunky pieces of the veg have sat on the grill just long enough to soak up some smoke and soften before being tossed with mint leaves, smoked almonds, pomegranate, chilli and a mellow lemon dressing.

Little padron peppers, the ones known for their random heat, are fried until shrivelled and tender, then sprinkled with just enough salt flakes to make them sing.

Their seafood counterpart are school prawns, from northern NSW, speckled with dried saltbush and nori. Munched head and all, as advised, they are like a wonderful seafood chip.

A twin-set of local garfish are laid side-by-side, skins striped by the grill and dusted in the Middle Eastern mix of dried herbs and sesame known as zaatar.

The sole dessert is a block of the Greek galaktoboureko, notable for the restrained sweetness of its semolina custard that sits beneath a filo top drenched in syrup.

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• Hours: B Thu-Sun L Thu-Sun D Fri
• Bill: E $6-$24 M $28-$38 D $16
• Wine: Wine list plus BYO | Corkage $25
• Chef: Jules Rydon