Restaurant review: Muse

The stakes are high at this urban-style restaurant at a Hunter Valley winery. Does it work?

Muse.

There seemed only one way this could go. For years I have been hearing great things about Muse at Hungerford Hill winery in NSW’s Hunter Valley. About chef/patron Troy Rhoades-Brown’s pursuit of a truly representative Hunter cuisine. The kitchen’s skill. The power of the space. The ship of reality seemed doomed to list heavily under the weight of expectation.

Some first impressions. A proper meet and greet from hosts in stylish black dresses; a walk-through to “your table”, not some kind of cold handpass. A contemporary, moody barn of a building dominated by a kitchen one end and a huge stone fireplace on one flank. An immediate feeling that, in addition to food and wine, Muse trades in relaxed elegance.

The stakes are high in every sense. Muse may be at a winery but it feels like the big, sophisticated city: the masculine decor, the professionalism of the staff, the regional and international wine offer, the attention to detail. And then there’s Rhoades-Brown’s food: very local, crafted but not fussy, contemporary but not derivative of just about every trend that might drift through his transom, to paraphrase Spinal Tap’s David St Hubbins. It’s a food experience you go out for, the chef as restaurateur.

Snacks, of course: kipfler potato crisps with lemon myrtle salt; blackened wood-grilled shishito peppers dressed with sesame oil and seeds; a nasturtium leaf envelope of Murray cod brandade with finger lime, a quintessentially Australian kind of nibble.

First course (no choice) is a delicate combination of salt-baked celeriac wafers and a kind of Japanese celeriac remoulade of local yoghurt and yuzu; textural play comes from puffed wild and short-grain Japanese rice, a kombu “rubble” and micro celery shoots.

The next uses that Japanese strain of locally grown rice again, this time in a creamed corn risotto with architectural wafers of grilled sheep’s milk cheese. Again, with notes of sake, the Japanese muse here (no pun intended) is obvious.

Smoked Newcastle mackerel, creme fraiche, apple, cucumber, organic wasabi and dill. Picture: Jane Dempster

And this is how it continues: light, clean, adventurous yet grounded. Newcastle mackerel (pictured) is the go-to: a “mousse” of smoked fish and crème fraîche served with tiny Mexican cucumber quarters, flaked fish, Avruga and a crunchy crumble of panko and fish bones, blitzed together and toasted. There is both delicacy and power in this formidable dish, served on an amazing piece of polished timber.

King brown mushrooms and “noodles” of dashi-blanched cuttlefish are mixed with miso cream and served with a squid ink tapioca crisp and a fermented green chilli/citrus dressing; blue cheese is whipped into a creamy tube with a honey gel “skin” and served with croutons of pain d’epices, almonds, muscatels and rocket shoots; a palate cleanser of semillon verjuice granita with chopped golden raisins is a dance between acid and sugar from two different iterations of (basically) the same fruit. Stunning.

Desserts are consistent with all this: clever, modern and light. Take “Strawberries and Cream, Shiso Sorbet, Meringue”: sour cream at the base, shiso sorbet on top with fresh, compressed, candied and dehydrated strawberries, two types of meringue (soft and hard), shiso leaves and candied shiso buds … you can see the attention to detail.

I was prepared for a let-down at Muse; what a pleasant error. It’s the complete package: fresh, humble, hospitable and fun, with seriously good food. A pedestal deserved.

Muse
Address: 2450 Broke Rd, Pokolbin, NSW | Contact: [phone] musedining.com.au | Hours: Lunch Sat, Sun; dinner Wed-Sat | Typical prices: Four courses $105; cheese course $15; wine pairing $85 | Like this? Try … Estelle by Scott Pickett, Melbourne; Wildflower, Perth | Summary: A regional gem | Score: 4 out of 5