Food review: Bombora on the River
A move from the beach to the river bank hasn’t changed the welcoming vibe of a South Coast favourite, writes Simon Wilkinson.
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Every summer around the state, two tribes pack their cars and head to their favourite stretches of water to take part in their chosen activity. The River Ramblers will be hoping for a glassy surface on which to ski or paddle. The Surf and Sand mob, on the other hand, are chasing wind and waves.
Goolwa, with the beach on one flank and the final flourish of the Murray to the other, is the one place their paths might cross. And thanks to the efforts of two sets of enterprising operators, both settings – river and sea – once again have establishments that offer appealing dining options.
These two venues share a complicated linked history that starts with the same founder, local identity Olaf Hansen. More than 30 years ago, he opened the original Aquacaf on the riverside with a simple menu based on seafood he sourced from a few fisho mates.
He brought the same formula across to Goolwa Beach, taking over an old cafe and enclosed deck next to the lifesaving club which he christened Bombora. One of the chefs that came with him, Joel Cousins, gradually assumed control in the kitchen and, when Hansen decided to semi-retire in 2017, became the new owner.
Meanwhile, after a sustained golden age, Aquacaf changed hands on a few occasions and fell on hard times. When it came on to the market again last year, Cousins moved back to where it all began and opened Bombora on the River.
The setting, beside and beneath the Goolwa Aquatic Club, makes sense, with the bulk of the building protecting it from the prevailing wind while still allowing views to all the activity on the water.
Tables are spread across three zones: inside close to the kitchen and bar; a deck with sliding plastic blinds that can be adjusted depending on the weather; and a paved courtyard outside that seems to cater for those wanting a stopgap bowl of wedges or cup of coffee rather than anything more substantial.
It’s all in keeping with the everyone-is-welcome ethos of Bombora that is reflected in a lunch menu including toasted baguettes and burgers (beef/ chicken/mullet/vego), as well as a decent kid-sized list.
The big attraction for me, however, are the range of seafood choices that are filled out by a trio of daily specials on the blackboard above the counter. From the sharing plates, we start with excellent fish cakes, the minced fillet and herbs retaining some texture rather than being blended to oblivion, keeping the little balls light and bright, the Thai flavours more aromatic than anything too hot or sour.
Meaty portions of soft-shell crab, juicy as a ripe peach, are teamed with a mild sweet chilli and ginger salsa. A similar Asian-ish salad of lettuce leaves, capsicum, carrot and pickled cabbage accompanies both plates (this has now changed).
It makes another appearance with the main course salt and pepper squid. Two whole tubes are skilfully dissected into a row of rings still attached at the bottom so they look like a stretched spring. They are coated in a rice-flour-based mixture with only a touch of seasoning and partnered by a light Vietnamese-style dipping sauce.
Boarfish is a spiny-backed, ugly specimen from deep waters but its boneless white meat is delicate and firm textured, not unlike flathead. This fillet has been expertly floured and grilled, the flesh barely set in the thickest part and breaking apart to show a pearly lustre. It is curled up on top of a stack of bok choy and asparagus that have been finished on the grill, along with roasted kipflers and a cherry tomato dressing that bears an uncanny resemblance to old-school seafood sauce.
Dessert means a visit to a display cabinet filled with carrot cake, lemon meringue pie, vanilla slices and other familiar faces. A paper-wrapped muffin topped with poached rhubarb and crumble is just enough to share with excellent coffee.
While Cousins and partner Casey have settled by the river, the old beach cafe has become the Kuti Shack, a project that has united the Goolwa Pipi Co, the local Indigenous community and chef/managers Brendan Roach and Vanessa Button.
Kuti has reopened after renovations that include proper windows on the deck to keep out the southerly bluster. The new menu, including crab and prawn noodles and sardine katsu sandwich, looks a ripper.
River or sea? Either way you’re on a winner.