Experience. Know-how. Old-school hospitality. The Recreation is a polished operation with a firm focus on flavour and style
Here’s The Recreation’s take on a tarte Tatin. It’s pears that are poached in cider with cardamom and star anise, then doused in balsamic vinegar caramel. Spicy black pudding glistens on top, keeping the tarte’s sweetness in check. A little hazelnut, watercress and celery salad brings refreshing crunch. It’s rich for an entrée, so you might consider sharing it. Until you tuck in and decide there’s not enough to go round.
A meal at The Recreation might have you reconsidering your devotion to the whole share-plates thing more than once.
Spätzle sautéed with broccoli charred on a wood-fired grill and cabbage, topped with a salty, magnificently retro Gruyère fondue sauce – like a mac and cheese that’s done time in a Swiss finishing school – will also test your resolve. As will the little round cheesecake: mascarpone, cream cheese and vanilla perched on a ginger-biscuit base. The lid of confit apple, shiny with apple juice caramel, a scattering of snowy, perfectly pitched elder flower granita and a few fresh blackberries make it easier to convince yourself that devouring the thing solo is best for everybody.
The Recreation conjures thoughts of simpler times when everybody ordered their own plates of food and queueing was something you did at nightclubs. The approach is old-school and there’s a firm grip on the fundamentals of hospitality at play here. It’s the result of three blokes with fine-dining backgrounds deciding to do it for themselves in a former pub in Fitzroy North.
Esta historia es de la edición June 2017 de Gourmet Traveller.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 2017 de Gourmet Traveller.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
THE SMOKING CAMEL
Each month we explore the origins behind some of Australia's signature drinks and learn how to recreate them.
MEET THE MAKER HELEN XU
As she swings open the doors to a new restaurant and hotel at her Yarra Valley vineyard, we check in with the Helen & Joey Estate winemaker to talk science, Sichuan and the wine brand she runs with husband Joey Zeng.
Fuel to the fire
From chilli to wasabi, there's an art to pairing drinks with spicy foods. SAMANTHA PAYNE breaks it down.
Sri Lankan hoppers
Chef TRAVIN DE HOEDT of Sydney's Kurumba shares his family recipe for this South Asian staple.
The art of...thoughtful feasting
It was a Moroccan tagine that taught ANNA HART to relax her ethics and eat, drink and be merry like a local.
THE NEW COCKTAIL CAPITAL
Mexico City is in its golden era of cocktail culture. Once home to a small handful of recognisable names, today the capital is heaving with globally renowned drinking destinations. And it's leading the charge for North America on awards lists such as World’s 50 Best (last year, Mexico City landed four bars on the list, compared to three in New York City).
Golden age
Time travel may not be possible but JOANNA HUNKIN discovers the next best thing when she pairs the Eastern & Oriental Express with a journey through Veuve Clicquot's private cellar.
48 HOURS IN PHUKET
Beyond beaches and resorts, Thailand's biggest island is a treasure trove of culinary gems. DANI VALENT gets the inside scoop from restaurateur Merica Charungvat.
LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE
Fireplaces, slowness and country scenes. Holidaying hits differently in winter
What is curry?
Cuisine or construct? RUSHANI EPA retraces the history of the saucy, spicy dish across the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.