Morphett Arms review: Simon Wilkinson uncovers a pub with real potential
A CHEF on a mission to lift the quality of food in pubs has taken on the challenge at a recently revamped suburban watering hole.
It’s one of those descriptions that attracts a reviewer like a moth to a raging inferno. A combination so ambitious and unlikely it has to be tried. Just in case.
“Boston Bay pork fillet, mushroom duxelles, daikon, young celery, chickpea miso, shaved bonito,” it reads – but that’s only half the story. Coming across such a dish in a posh city restaurant with a reputation for boundary-pushing would be one thing. But we are crammed into an unremarkable dining room in a suburban hotel with a reputation for – well, until now at least, not much at all.
The Morphett Arms is in my neck of the woods. For many years, as surrounding establishments such as the Highway and Warradale were given megabuck makeovers, the Morphy stood its ground, which may well have suited its loyal clientele. Finally, last year, owners the Palmer group (who also have a stake in the other pubs mentioned), took the plunge and invested in an update that includes a courtyard hub with ready-grown tree and a lounge where you can move from a row of booth-style tables to the comfy sofas around one of those mod open fires.
Coming in the rear entry, where a courtesy bus waits to take guests home, these changes aren’t so obvious. On one side is the pokies space and, on the other, a dining room with precious few features to make an impression, bar the fact that it is jam-packed early on a Friday evening. The demographic? Let’s just there was plenty of life experience on show.
So what’s the attraction for them and, more importantly, for me? At one level, the Morphy ticks off most of the pub standards (schnitzel, fish and chips, steak – but no burger in this room) at reasonable prices, particularly when they include a run of the stainless steel trays of the salad and vegie bar.
Be prepared to spend a few bob more, however, and there are more interesting options built around hero ingredients such as Paroo kangaroo, Hay Valley lamb and Boston Bay pork, a good indication that someone in the kitchen is up to speed.
I’d already marked it down for a visit before discovering that the someone in question is Grant Schooling, a chef who has been on a mission to lift the standard of pub dining since his time at the Gilbert Street Hotel and, more lately, The Cathedral. For the Morphy, he has once again tapped into a good network of suppliers, added a few twists (particularly Japanese and native flavours), all while being careful not to scare off the regulars.
So while the Coffin Bay oysters are available both natural and kilpatrick style, they also come topped with native lime and muntries. Among other starters, truncheons of fried eggplant are coated in a wisp of tempura batter, with a big blob of miso-powered aioli and a scattering of fried shallots . A plate of Thai-flavoured prawn gyozas shares similar textural qualities, the dumplings fried until golden and crisp, particularly the frilled seam at the top, and a large pool of creamy coconut and chilli sauce for wiping up.
The “beef tartare” is a surprise, partly because I hadn’t read the preceding “bush balsamic cured” in the description. It is presented as a trio of long crackers, each loaded with a mysterious, brown/black concoction looking like the onion leftovers found in the corner of the barbie. However, the meat has a sweet-sour tang and, with a burnt chilli mayo on top, isn’t bad as a snack.
Kangaroo tail butt has been slow-cooked for six hours to make an absolute cracker of a ragu (or should that be rag-roo), packed with deep, meaty, Vegemitey flavour that is good for the soul. It is served with potato gnocchi, not in the style of an Italian-style pasta dish, but a dumpling on the side. A straight-up filet mignon delivers quality beef, plenty of bacon and a decent red wine sauce.
And the pork? It’s brave, all right, with a big whiff of dried fish (from the wisps of bonito piled on top) as a first impression, and then a gradual assessment of components including the intense, almost jammy wild mushroom duxelle and strips of pickled daikon. I’m not sure it really hangs together, especially with the fillet a smidge overdone.
A list of crowd-pleasing desserts (apple pie, sticky date, chocolate pudding et cetera) don’t justify the calories this time round.
Still, I’ll be back to the Morphy, probably in the lounge, where the lack of table service is balanced out by a buzzier vibe. A chef with pride in his work and a passion for pubs is a rare find and worth taking a risk or two.
MORPHETT ARMS HOTEL
138 Morphett Rd, Glengowrie
8295 8371; morphettarms.com.au
OWNER Palmer group CHEF Grant Schooling FOOD Contemporary ENTREES $6.50-$18
MAINS $17-$38 DESSERT $6-$7.50
DRINKS Table and bar service. A surprisingly lengthy list, almost all from SA, at reasonable prices.
Open for
LUNCH and DINNER Daily
SCORE 6.5/10