Restaurant review: Penny Blue at Marriott Hotel
Schmick CBD restaurant Penny Blue, inside the city’s newest luxe hotel, has only been open for a month but is already drawing a crowd. Our reviewer finds out why.
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Crafting a menu for a fine dining restaurant inside a luxury hotel has its share of challenges.
At the forefront, there’s the need to appeal to a wide range of guests, from those staying at the five-star accommodation, to workers at nearby businesses and local foodies seeking a quality meal.
All while living up to the high expectations inherent at a venue of elegant surroundings.
Such is the task faced by Alexandre Katsman, the executive chef at the new $200m Adelaide Marriott, and the man behind its flagship eatery Penny Blue.
Russian-born Katsman is well-suited to the assignment, with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, including stints working at the Stamford Grand Adelaide and at The Sofitel Adelaide.
Now he’s teamed up with head chef Maddy Zhang to create a menu that places an emphasis on gastronomic nostalgia, offering “timeless” classics designed to revive memories of years gone by – served up with a stylish twist.
Nods to the hotel’s historic past – it operated as a GPO from 1872 until 2019 – are evident everywhere inside the building, from the restaurant’s name (which comes from a rare stamp), to elements of its decor, right down to the venue’s modern Australian cuisine.
It begins with their small-yet-creative cocktails list, which features a sour-style drink called the Ed & Ed, combining bourbon and tequila, with a dash of pineapple juice.
A tribute to the building’s original architects, Edmund Wright and Edward Woods, it’s the right blend of slightly sweet and sour, and arrives with a spray of cinnamon sugar.
Our entrees also fit the bill, starting with a tender beef tartare. Using local eye fillet, it’s prepared with horseradish, chives and traditional egg yolk on top, and comes with dill and herb oil which brings out the delicate flavour of the meat.
It’s as pretty on the plate as it is on the palate.
The Hiramasa SA kingfish is served gravlax style: cured with gin, but with a citrus profile mixed with seaweed, sesame, pomelo and a finely-diced cucumber tomato salsa.
Finished with white balsamic dressing and yuzu caviar, there’s plenty happening yet it combines well.
Penny Blue’s signature dish, we’re told, is their beef wellington, one rarely available around town. But with 60 minutes preparation time needed for this two-person main, we decide to push on with another offering.
The cappelletti – a ravioli-esque, ring-shaped pasta not unlike tortellini – is filled with lamb which has been slowly braised overnight, ensuring it’s extra soft inside the five large shapes on our shared plate.
Made from scratch, they’re covered in a slightly spicy Calabrian-style sauce highlighted by garlic, chilli and basil, alongside fried capers and pitted red olives for the saltiness it needs.
We also order the blue eye trevalla, a firm, lean fish from the snapper family, served with a fennel puree and lemongrass foam for some added flavour, plus a small dollop of Avruga caviar. It’s a simple, clean dish that heroes the fresh SA trevalla.
Now it’s time for a breath, which allows us to admire Penny’s grand dining room, with high ceilings and dark tones across its ample space, which seats 126 people.
Above the open kitchen, there’s a wall of faux GPO boxes, an homage to the venue’s former purpose.
Soon after arrives our dessert, a lava cake with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, which Zhang says he learned while cooking in Paris.
The sugar levels are noticeably reduced and the high quality, dark chocolate gives it a smooth richness without being overly sweet.
Ultimately, Penny’s compact menu delivers as advertised, making it a worthwhile culinary destination for visitors and locals alike.
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