Reviewed: 2KW – still THE place to head when there is cause to celebrate
THE view from 2KW’s rooftop is still thrilling, but the arrival of a new chef makes it worth moving away from the edge.
IT could be the guilty pleasure of skiving off for lunch on a Friday afternoon, particularly one so still and sun-soaked it has no right to pop up in the midst of winter. It might be the rarefied air found after two lift trips to the eighth floor. Or it could be the effects of those pricey pints or glasses of fizz and vino that seem to be in every hand.
Whatever the cause, and I suspect it is cumulative, there is a palpable sense of exhilaration among those spread across the rooftop of 2KW.
The novelty might have faded in the three years since this little slice of LA cool landed atop the former Westpac building on one of the city’s most prominent corners but it is still THE place to head when there is cause to celebrate.
In the midst of such frivolity, more practical concerns such as finding something to eat can easily be sidelined, particularly if it comes at the expense of ogling the view. That would be a pity, for while there is a bar menu of some substance that covers the outer extremities, the more thoughtful, sophisticated dining is to be found in the restaurant at the hub.
While this pavilion is open as much as possible to the outside, it isn’t quite the same under the shade of a permanent roof, the sweep of suburbia replaced by the more familiar thrum of service.
That’s where we would have been sitting before management intervenes and insists we settle instead in one of the kabana booths on the King William St edge, which might have something to do with being busted the moment I walked in the door, or that my lawyer mate has spent considerable time and earnings in this establishment.
Either way, the food from recently arrived executive chef Trent Lymn is given a huge leg-up. What grouch would choose to be pernickety in a setting such as this? Certainly, the quality of produce is always evident and some combinations soar. Others, perhaps, are just too tricky or forget the context in which they will be served.
Take the Kangarilla marron, one of many credits given to hero produce from all over the state. It looks a million bucks, split open and splayed on a tomato bisque, its nippers reaching over the rim of the bowl. The curl of tail meat, however, hasn’t been released from the shell, a messy procedure to perform at the table with soup splatter a constant threat. And the swoon-worthy sweetness that makes marron so desirable is masked by the bisque’s palate-coating intensity.
Kingfish sashimi is given much kinder treatment, the rosy-hued slices splashed with a pale green herb emulsion and little pings of shredded nori that both work to elevate the lead player. Beef tartare is taken on an Asian adventure, with salt and citrus from a ponzu dressing, the crunch of puffed rice and the traditional egg yolk on top to stir through and make everything get along. After a spoonful or two, however, I was hankering for the little exclamation marks of flavour that come from capers and cornichons in the bistro standard.
The game lifts markedly with the larger dishes, which is the reverse of what usually occurs. Chicken raised among the apple trees of a Lenswood orchard is a revelation, the skin dark and lacquered, both thigh and breast dense, springy and full of old-fashioned concentrated chook flavour, this meatiness amplified by a fermented rice paste – shio koji – and miso tahini mixture.
The flank lifted from one side of a Murray cod is one of the best pieces of fish I’ve had for some time, the skin bubbling, blistered and slightly charred, the flesh underneath so pristine it might have been warmed by an angel’s breath. A cluster of pipis, a few succulents and a drizzle of orange butter sauce show the restraint missing earlier on.
And roasted Brussels sprouts and broccolini scattered with rye crumbs in a milky pool of “heirloom” yoghurt is “oh my” and goodness in a single bowl.
The one dessert we try is a MasterChef-y plate of black sesame cake and mandarin in various guises (ice cream, freeze-dried, dust) that is undermined by a flabby gel that doesn’t taste of much at all.
The cheese plate is a better bet, along with another drink, if only to delay that lift ride back down to reality.
2KW
2 King William St, city, 8212 5511; 2kwbar.com.au
OWNER Martin Palmer CHEF Trent Lymn
FOOD Contemporary SMALLER $18-$32 LARGER $18-$72 (to share) DESSERT $16
DRINKS New sommelier Liinaa Jaumdally promises to shake up a wine list already impressive in its breadth and back vintages of trophy wines.
Open for
LUNCH and DINNER Daily
SCORE 7.5/10