‘Steak so tender the knife is redundant’: Rural Qld restaurant worth the drive
The wagyu stands out at this Queensland country eatery where produce is grown onsite or sourced locally, with the end results making it well worth the one-hour drive from Brisbane.
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As we sit gazing out over the spectacular undulating horizon that is the Lockyer Valley, the faint whisper of “service please” can be heard in a velvety French accent.
We’re at fine dining restaurant Homage at the luxury Spicers Hidden Vale retreat in Grandchester, an hour’s drive west of Brisbane, and the Gallic murmurings are from recently appointed head chef Antoine Potier.
While a Frenchman might seem a little out of place on an almost 5000ha former cattle farm in rural Queensland, it’s actually a natural fit for the Michelin-trained, paddock-to-plate zealot.
“It’s like getting back to my roots, but on the other side of the globe,” Potier says.
“I want to make the quality produce shine in the same ethical environment in which I grew up in Brittany.”
And at Homage, that means taking sustainability seriously. The word is not just an overused catchphrase here, but a way of life.
Just metres from the restaurant’s kitchen is the market garden – elevated beds layered with herbs, fruit and vegetables. There are also beehives, an orchard, egg-laying chickens, and a smokehouse and preserving room for minimising food waste. Plus, what isn’t recycled onsite by the chickens is collected by Mallow Sustainability for composting. Meanwhile, what can’t be grown on the property comes from local farmers and producers, whether that be a piggery near Toowoomba, or an aquaculture set-up just 90 minutes away on the Gold Coast.
This commitment to the environment isn’t rammed down your throat by sanctimonious staff, either, in fact, it’s not mentioned at all by Potier’s wife Odara, who runs the restaurant floor with charm and vivacity. And that’s just how it should be; venues taking responsibility for their commitment to the planet without trying to attract kudos for it.
Potier takes the same approach in the kitchen, using the local ingredients smartly to showcase their flavours and freshness, but without pomp and ceremony. The ultimate example of this is a simple yet satisfying entree of barbecued leeks. The white part of the vegetable is cooked until it just holds its shape, its flesh lightly blackened for flavour on the barbecue outside, paired with a subtly smoked oat milk and basil consommé poured over at the table adding freshness and herbaceousness.
Also pared back is the main course of Darling Downs wagyu tri-tip MB9+ that comes blushing pink and so tender the steak knife is almost redundant. It’s served with a silky onion soubise, a black garlic puree and an IPA beer glaze, ensuring it hits the spot for beef lovers.
The aforementioned award-winning Rocky Point Aquaculture facility provides the cobia for our other main, the generous portion of fish cooked to textbook standards and presented alongside a mountain of oyster mushrooms, a fermented mushroom paste reminiscent of Vegemite, mushroom puree and leaves of the succulent variegated baby sun rose from the garden for pops of brightness. It would no doubt pair well with a glass of MMAD chenin blanc from the predominantly Australian wine list.
Guests are locked into a set two ($89 pp) or three courses ($99) with three options per course at lunch, while at dinner, there are four or five options per course for the same price. Dinner also offers five-course vegetarian and meat chef’s tasting menus for $109pp/$129pp.
Whichever you choose, make sure you order the Ghost Gully fig cheesecake. Deconstructed into thick, luscious squirts of cream cheese, dollops of fig jam, slices of fresh fig and plum, a quenelle of cherry sorbet and shards of meringue, it is a textural wonderland.
Potier is a classically trained French chef and as the warmth of the refurbished homestead with its rich woods, deep leather tones and mountain views engulf you, his approachable refinement on the plate is the perfect match.
Spicers Hidden Vale,
617 Grandchester Mount Mort Rd,
Grandchester
5465 5900
homagerestaurant. com.au
Lunch Wed-Sun,
dinner seven days
Ghost Gully fig cheesecake
Food 4 stars
Service 3.5 stars
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