Gingko restaurant review: The skilled chef has a good feel for the time of year but isn’t helped by the venue

The skilled chef at an Adelaide Hills cellar door has a good feel for the time of year but isn’t helped by the venue, writes Simon Wilkinson.

The last time I was at Golding Wines, its front gate was the finish line for a cycling race through the Hills, the colour of the lycra-clad riders, the swell of noise as they approached, all sharpened by the intensity of a sparkling mid-summer day.

What a difference six months can make, particularly in this part of the world. Climbing the pathway to the cellar door now, the light is dull, the ground damp and the golden leaves are falling from the gingkos on either side.

These trees, native to China, are renowned for their spectacular foliage and longevity, surely a good omen for the fortunes of this family-run business.

Gingko, the restaurant, operates out of a huge structure next to Golding’s tasting room that is rightly dubbed “The Barn”. Stone walls, exposed rafters and a galvanised iron roof are true to the rural location and the vast floorspace would easily fit hay-stacks or a fleet of Massey Fergusons.

Dressed up with strings of fairy lights and other decorations, “The Barn” is a favourite for wedding celebrations and other functions. At weekends, the lunches are regularly booked out.

This Friday is a different story, unfortunately. Our table is one of only six or seven that have been set up at one end of the room, near the bar and kitchen. With no screens or doors to shut off the space beyond, it is hard to generate much atmosphere or warmth, despite the gas burners going full bore overhead.

Pork loin, pearl barley and parsnip at Gingko, Golding Wines, Adelaide Hills. Picture: Supplied

And flies are an unexpected nuisance. Even on this chilly day, they are out in force, poking around whenever food is on the table, generally making a nuisance of themselves, one reminder of the countryside we could all do without. Hopefully this is an abbberation.

Obviously, none of this is beneficial to experiencing Gingko and its two styles of menu. The first is built around an antipasto platter of meats and cheeses, followed by the pizzas that are prepared in a wood oven under the shelter outside.

The other format, more relevant to this column, are the “Seasonal Plates” created by resident chef De Buys Nortier, a South African who has come to this state after a stint at the celebrated Lake House in country Victoria.

His selection of two set choices for each of starters, entrees, mains and dessert show a measure of originality and a good feel for the time of year. Prices are more than fair, as well, with three courses at $60. Still, with only fish and pork listed for the main dishes, red meat devotees will need to broaden their horizons.

Doughnuts with berry compote and chocolate at Gingko, Golding Wines, Adelaide Hills. Picture: Supplied

Supplied Editorial Korean fried chicken at Gingko, Golding Wines, Adelaide Hills

That could be partly solved by ordering a starter of beef tataki with soy, egg yolk and nori. The other option, beetroot and gin-cured salmon, establishes a loose pattern of one European and one Asian-leaning choice at each stage.

For entrees, that means Korean fried chicken, a substantial serve of thigh meat chunks in a coating that gets a pass-mark for crunchiness but not much more. Scattered with a fry-up of chillies and spring onion, it could really do with some form of sauce.

“Perfect Autumn Egg” is from another, more civilised planet. The hero ingredient, poached but still as wobbly as a nervous jelly, is surrounded by a seasonal collection of roasted Jerusalem artichoke, mushrooms and leek. Underpinning it all is a puree of deeply caramelised onion which, with the runny yolk, makes everything it touches taste oh-so-good.

The sophisticated flavours flow through to larger plates. A crisp-skinned fillet of murray cod is plopped in a puddle of a dark, boldly spiced, coconut-based sauce like a grown-up laksa. It is surrounded by fried florets of cauliflower and shaved broccoli stem.

Pork loin has been poached to the point that the flesh is the pale pink of a baby’s cheek, then finished with a burst on the grill to sear the outside. Parsnip puree, ribbons of carrot, and a double-act of pearl barley and wild rice all cooperate remarkably well. Heating the glazed plates would help keep it warmer.

Desserts offer another contrast. A melted slice of brie from local producer Udder Delights is slumped over a slice of brioche and accompanied by cubes of red-wine-poached pear and a walnut crumble. If that’s too high-brow, a quartet of golf-ball-shaped, sugar-dusted doughnuts with berry compote, chocolate and super-sweet “dulce” should please the inner child.

Gingko is hard to judge from this afternoon. With more people, more excitement (and less flies), it would be a different experience, one that the cooking more than deserves. A visit over summer is definitely in order, bike race or not.