SA Weekend restaurant review - Fishbank on King William St
From caviar and lobster to a fish burger before the footy, a new seafood restaurant casts a wide net, writes Simon Wilkinson.
SA Weekend
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One day you return to shore empty-handed. The next you bag out. That’s the fickle nature of fishing. It is also a fair analogy for the welcome rush of eateries specialising in quality seafood that have arrived like a school of salmon chasing a feed.
No longer do we need to bemoan how a state with such vast stretches of pristine coastline and a superior-quality farmed and wild catch could have so little to show for it when dining out.
Despite having different business models, this new wave of operators share a commitment to sourcing seafood that is local, sustainable and fresh.
SeaSalt, Pearl and Kuti Shack have staked their claims by the beach. Angler is turning out exceptional fried and grilled fish for takeaway in the Hills. Oceanique (reviewed here two weeks ago) has turned a local sailing club into something special.
But Fishbank, opened last month in the city corner location that was previously Jamie’s Italian, could be, should be, the jewel in the crown.
For a start, there is the setting, a beautifully restored banking chamber that is grand in proportion and in finish, with towering windows, slabs of marble and spindly-armed brass lights that, in the current context, could represent giant octopuses or anemones.
New owners the Palmer Group, who also run 2KW on the rooftop, haven’t needed to change much. A video strip on one wall now shows a crashing wave. The charcuterie bar has been converted to serving sushi. The furniture, including booths, banquettes and some of Adelaide’s smaller two-person tables, is much the same.
The biggest investment has gone into the kitchen, both in updating equipment and introducing a new team, led by long-time Jolleys Boathouse co-owner and chef, Tony Carroll. His first menu for Fishbank casts a wide net. You will be welcome to grab a fish burger before the footy, or slip in for a plate of sashimi between drinks. On the other hand, you might want to splash out on Beluga caviar, grilled lobster and Grand Cru Chablis, or have your first encounter with periwinkles that have been wok-fried with XO sauce.
With so many choices, it pays to order carefully and also to be explicit about how the meal should progress. At the next table, the occupants look bewildered as everything from shellfish to fried squid to fish curry and Asian greens are dropped off in one hit.
We heed the warning and ask for dinner to be split into logical stages. First up, raw scallops from WA’s Abrolhos Islands are served on the half-shell, the pearly white meat (minus roe) laid on finely diced cucumber and dressed with bonito vinegar, spring onion oil and a dab of finger lime.
Large Spencer Gulf prawns have their meaty midriffs exposed but for a strip of shell underneath that hits the grill and adds an extra blast of sweet crustacean funk. They will be gone quicker than you can say “Did I really pay $12 for one prawn?”.
Still, I’d save that pleasure for Christmas and pay a few dollars more for two far more substantial pieces of rye toast spread with white bean puree, salsa verde and a grilled tommy ruff fillet that has been treated with salt and rice wine vinegar to firm up the flesh. SA’s unsung hero shines alongside the ocean’s elite again.
Salt-and-pepper-coated kingfish “wings”, a portion cut from around the dorsal fin, are packed with magnificent white meat under their golden crust. They sit in a pool of palm sugar and tamarind caramel that veers to the sweet side, though a chilli-and-garlic laden cucumber dressing helps redress the balance.
A fillet of farmed Murray cod has been blasted with heat fierce enough to bubble and char its skin but leave the meat delicate and moist. Chunks of squishy steamed eggplant, edamame and a dazzling black vinegar syrup build the dish into something special, perhaps going close to justifying the $48 price tag.
Seafood features even in dessert, where fish fat is used in place of butter for a caramel that lies beneath a quenelle of chocolate mousse, a combination that is richer than an oil shiek who has won Lotto.
Six weeks in, Fishbank is still working through service issues, especially when the restaurant is packed to the gills through until Christmas.
Be patient and, like all good fishing expeditions, the rewards will come.
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