Locating this destination restaurant might have you questioning your GPS. Indeed, an A-frame sign on the footpath is all that leads you to this special place in the heart of Mount Gambier. Inside the dark and cavernous space, the focus is a U-shaped kitchen bench around which 23 diners observe chef-owner Kirby Shearing preparing a six-course celebration of Limestone Coast produce. Neighbours often drop excess organic produce at Shearing’s door; a backyard citrus bounty shines in zingy lemon marmalade atop rich chocolate delice with crunchy coastal saltbush. Lacto-fermented prickly pears (also a gift) appear in a rich sauce complementing smoked duck breast, while a local winemaker’s mother’s quinces add pickled punch to a Spritz. Beverage pairings focus on sake and obscure Mount Gambier beverage producers, and house-made kombucha cameos in the thrilling Temperance cocktail list. Clandestine chats with the chefs and the largely undiscovered setting create a sense of adventure from start to finish.
Alex Window
