‘Familiar and esoteric’: local restaurants bring the world to the south coast
A far cry from Pad Thai or meat pies, these south coast restaurants are serving up new taste sensations that are sure to sate cravings this year.
The South Coast News
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For these south coast restaurants, it‘s out with the old, as local chefs and culinary experts ditch the tired old staples for new and multicultural options.
While Pad Thai or the signature Aussie beef pie are still popular choices, many restaurants are betting big on new and exciting menus.
From a steaming serving of Indonesian nasi goreng to an innovative Malaysian mix, find your next culinary adventure here:
Dapur Bandung Indonesian Food Truck – Nowra
Despite hailing from one of Australia’s closest neighbours, Indonesian cuisine has yet to gain the same fame as its Malaysian or Thai counterparts.
For many Australians, the fragrant blends of rice, noodles and a myriad of spices is something only savoured while travelling.
Lucas Cleverly and his family, at the helm of Dapur Bandung Indonesian Food Truck, are on a mission to change that.
The Nowra-based food truck was only a year old, but had already made waves in its journeys up and down the coast, Mr Cleverly said.
The mile-tallying truck is steered by head chef and wife Jenny Cleverly, who arrived in Australia more than 15 years ago.
Ms Cleverly was born in the central Javan village of Bandung, where the truck gets its name and cuisine from, and, according to her husband, learnt to cook at just 10 years old.
“Jenny watched her mother cook and she passed down traditional recipes from her ancestors,” Mr Cleverly said.
“Jenny arrived in Australia in 2005 with the vision of sharing traditional Indonesian cuisine.
“She started catering in Sydney and her dream of owning a food truck led her to the south coast.”
Mr Cleverly said many residents might already be familiar with some staple Indonesian food from travel to popular Indonesian tourists spots like Bali.
But, that was only the start, he said.
“Not only do we do dishes that Australians have grown to love while travelling, such as mi goreng, nasi goreng, chicken satay, and others,” Mr Cleverly said.
“But, we also honour and value our heritage and serve authentic dishes from our villages, such as Batagor and Bandung.”
Dishes includes popular Javan foods such as fried fish dumplings in a peanut sauce, Indonesian rissoles, perkadel or potato fritters, spicy chicken wings and vegetarian spring rolls.
While they are back at home base in Nowra for now, Mr Cleverly said their truck was often travelling up and down the coast, stopping at popular locations such as Jervis Bay.
MilkHAUS – Woodstock
For MilkHAUS co-owner and head chef, Nat Taylor, finding the right ingredients is the key to making great food.
The Woodstock-based eatery and kitchen garden invited residents to sample wholesome, seasonal and sustainable food, Ms Taylor said.
“The seasonal menu is curated with the emphasis on fresh and local produce, with much of the menu grown in their own kitchen garden and sourced locally,” Ms Taylor said.
“The staff have fun making and serving their food, which creates a beautiful menu in a warm and friendly environment.”
Ms Taylor said the menu indulged a “curious palate”.
“The inspiration and vision of our food is to take people on a food journey and to showcase seasonal and local produce, that it’s so good it should be celebrated and savoured,” she said.
“We love to play with flavours to get the perfect marriage of vegies, fruit, herbs and spices.
“We make all our food on-site so you know it’s real food that tastes wholesome and fresh.
“This is how I like to cook and eat, and I am super proud of the result we serve on the plate and the team we work with.”
Some examples of their most recent summer breakfast menu include pistachio and cardamom waffles, kaffir lime and goat cheese polenta logs, and the popular roasted blistered tomatoes on a bed of whipped sumac yoghurt and eggs.
The lunch menu includes a beetroot and goat cheese tart, “HAUS” smoked ocean trout and the popular slow-roasted lamb.
Ms Taylor said it was rewarding sourcing and growing so much of the menu on-site, before harvesting the produce to create something enjoyable and memorable for customers.
Based in a 1900s former cheese factory on the outskirts of Milton, the venue is surrounded by picturesque countryside, including rolling green hills and located next to a dairy farm.
“While visiting, everyone is encouraged to enjoy the whole MilkHAUS experience and wander through the kitchen garden, shop in the retail store, visit Fred Made – our summer pop-up florist – and say hi to our chooks,” Ms Taylor said.
“Milk HAUS strives for a sustainable ecosystem that’s environmentally responsible, conscious of minimising our footprint, upcycling, recycling and repurposing, rather than land-filling.
“The food waste is composted, salad dressings are made from our own citrus trees, almonds used for their HAUS-made almond milk is converted into desserts or off-cuts of sourdough made into the most mouth-watering lemon and rosemary sourdough cake – all grown in the garden.”
The Ruse – Milton
Good food doesn’t stop when the plate is clean for The Ruse co-owner Erin Blair.
The popular Milton restaurant also offers an “indulgent” selection of unique drinks and cocktails to accompany their Mexican-fusion food.
Ms Blair said The Ruse was all about good people, great service and good times.
“Our wine list bridges the familiar and the esoteric,” she said.
“And, we have a tidy selection of world-class cocktails and spirits, too.”
Ms Blair said the inspiration behind it all was the flavours of Mexico, which she experienced with husband and co-owner Ben during their travels.
“The cocktail list incorporates many flavours of Mexico, but also highlights Ben’s almost two decades of experience in cocktails and cocktail competitions,” she said.
“For our autumn menu, we have Clandestine, a clarified milk punch that makes its way onto the menu with mango, raspberry, tonka bean and Ketel One vodka.
“For the more refreshing libations, there’s a tricked-out chilli margarita called the Chicano with two different chillies, capsicum, watermelon and cardamom; or the Paint it Black with wattleseed infused mescal, cold-pressed rockmelon juice and Aphrodite Bitters.”
As for the food, Ms Blair said the emphasis on Central American flavours brought out the freshness of the local produce.
“Our head chef Lisa Toth always tries to use what is in season, and changes the menu regularly to ensure our regulars always have something new and different to try,” Ms Blair said.
GWYLO – Ulladulla
The Ruse isn’t the only Ulladulla-area restaurant serving up a multicultural mix of flavours.
At GWYLO in Ulladulla, owner and head chef Matt Upson has turned a love for travel into a fusion food menu that he said brought together the flavours of at-home cooking with indulgent street food.
Manager Haley Mees said Mr Upson was a well-known name on the south coast, not only for his expertise as executive chef, but also for his community minded focus and dedication to sustainability in the hospitality industry.
“Matt trained in South Australia under Cheong Liew, Simon Bryant and Maggie Beer, among others, and spent time cooking on Kangaroo and Lord Howe islands before moving to the south coast in 2010 and opening the Merry Street restaurant at Kioloa,” she said.
In 2013, Mr Upson moved to Mollymook and opened Tallwood – now GWYLO.
“With a contemporary menu focusing largely on local produce and a shared dining experience, Tallwood proved very popular among locals and tourists alike,” Ms Mees said.
“Matt opened GWYLO, an Asian street food restaurant and bar, in September, 2020, amid a global pandemic.”
The menu includes a mix of flavours and produce, including a share plate with jack fruit, tofu, and curry, as well as street food-style bao buns and octopus.
Mr Upson also opened Matts Lagom Bakery in December 2020.
“The bakery sits on the shores of Burrill Lake and specialises in sourdough breads and pastries, serving up coffee in tree and plastic-free cups, keeping their environmental impact low – and, the bakery has had an incredibly successful start to life so far,” Ms Mess said.
“Running parallel to his popular restaurants, Matt also heads up Tallwood Catering offering unique and bespoke catering of all sizes.”
As for what really makes GWYLO special, Ms Mees said it was all about the ambience.
“What makes it unique is the whole experience,” she said.
“From the moment you walk into our dark, moody space … the friendly atmosphere and all-round vibe leading into creative and fun cocktails – sometimes on literal fire.
“And, of course, the plates full of punchy, bold flavours.”
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