Restaurant review: Manly Pavilion

The Manly culinary revolution is now in full swing. The latest opening is the finest yet and will have rivals across the harbour heads wondering “where is everyone?” Written by Justin Wastnage.

The following article originally appeared in Australian Traveller magazine.

Seven miles from Sydney, a thousand miles from care” was how Manly used to portray itself on steamship posters. For decades the Insular Peninsula has liked to pretend that it's somehow not part of metropolitan Sydney, a half-truth belied by the hordes of suited, boardroom-bound commuters thronging its ferries each day.

The transition from seaside resort town to outlying suburb has been an easy one for Manly.

A seemingly never-ending flow of Poms have set up home over the past 20 years, their hitherto powerful pound propelling house prices into the unimaginable levels of the Eastern Suburbs. But Manly has suffered from a perceived lack of sophistication compared to the sought-after South Head suburbs.

The freshly renovated Manly Pavilion is part of a new wave of north shore re-awakening that includes China Beach and Pilu at Freshwater. No longer content to play step-brother to Sydney’s urbane ways, a clutch of new openings has gone some way to restoring the dented pride felt when Will & Toby’s upped sticks two years ago.

Like its near-namesake Balmoral, Manly Pavilion was built in 1933 as a bather’s pavilion. After extensive remodelling by Squillace Nicholas Architects that includes the restoration of Italian marble terrazzo stairs, Manly Pavilion has more grandeur than its iconic rivals in Bondi.

The setting, too, rivals Bondi. Perched like a wedding cake on a promontory overlooking Manly Cove, Manly Pavilion has unrivalled views over the comings-and-goings of North Head, the ferries providing a perfect accompaniment to your meal.

Head chef Jonathan Barthelmess (who regularly tops up-and-coming chef lists) draws less on his own Greek-Australian heritage than the Italian lessons he learnt from former mentor Steve Manfredi at Coast, where he earned a prized chef’s hat in 2007.

Yet having spent little more than a holiday in Italy, the influences in Barthelmess’s food are distinctly second-generation. The flavour-driven simplicity of the Mediterranean produce shines through – despite lacking some of the technique normally acquired during a European apprenticeship.

Guided by the well-trained personnel, we start with grilled buffalo mozzarella delivered on a lemon leaf as an oyster sits on its shell. Covered simply with salt crystals and olive oil, the excellence of the single ingredient infused with lemon overtones is sublime.

Next up, a refreshing cuttlefish salad; with only the merest hint of aniseed coming from the fennel it’s mixed with and with eggplant to balance out its texture. The snapper sashimi similarly demonstrates the outstanding quality of the chef’s suppliers. However, two other courses on the degustation, the crostini and the scampi, would not have been out of place in a good café, save for perfect presentation.

A local feral hog supplier is no doubt rubbing his hands in glee at the news that a sublimely smooth wild boar ragù is one of the signature dishes here. The flavours are delicate, not robust, with the base ingredients of onion, carrot and celery still evident. The pasta was al dente, but a little too smooth for the rich sauce to cling to adequately.

The grilled short rib on the bone was the flashiest display of technique. Tender but with a beautiful crust – almost certainly cooked sous-vide then gently braised – the beef melted in the mouth. I would have preferred the option to soak up the melted marrow with bread, but my side plate had been cleared away long ago.

Rice pudding at the end of a big meal is a brave call, but the Manly Pavilion’s pastry chef has the ability to surprise and delight in equal measures with the budino, which is lifted immeasurably by the candied apple.
Like the waiting room, where a lurid turquoise chaise longue breaks the otherwise sleek elegance of the interiors, there are some aspects of the Manly Pavilion menu that do not quite work. The density of tables, for example: diners are crammed a little too tightly together, leaving servers to raise their voices to be heard.

Yet there are simple extra touches – like embroidered scarves to keep outside diners warm, or the 375mL carafes that open up the wine options beyond glass-or-bottle – that work very well indeed.
The menu, too, works extremely well, as the young chef has stuck to letting the superiority of his fresh ingredients shine through. An impressive cocktail list, with a whole page devoted to Campari-led mixes, shows Manly Pavilion’s desire to ape Eastern Suburbs trends.

There is some evidence it’s working too:
a table of young girls with super-sized sunglasses lent the dining room some glamour, and the presence of a former athlete added a frisson of celebrity excitement.

What’s the gossip?
Here’s what other reviewers have said:
“This is exhilarating food of great lightness and freshness from a sensitive chef . . .” Terry Durack, The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The food is fresh in both its thinking and execution, and resonates beautifully with the setting.” Pat Nourse, Gourmet Traveller.

The AT Verdict
Justin Wastnage, who paid his own way and visited anonymously, says:
“Manly’s desire to be taken seriously has taken a massive step forward with the Pavilion. The quality of the ingredients, seasonal use of produce and perfection of cooking make Manly Pavilion the north shore’s first destination restaurant.”

AT Menu
Stuzzichini: Mozzarella di bufala grilled on a lemon leaf with extra virgin oil $12
Crostini del giorno $12
Antipasti: Grilled scampi, celery ragù and bagna cauda $28
Cuttlefish, fennel, eggplant and lemon $26
Raw snapper dressed with white balsamic, capers and parsley $24
Pasta: Pappardelle with wild boar ragù, verjus and mascarpone $24
Carne: Grilled beef short rib with bone marrow, olive and a cress salad $38
Dolci: Rice budino, candied apple and toasted farro gelato $14

Drinks: Negroni cocktail
2008 Matthias & Emile Roblin “Terres Blanches” Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc
2006 Bannockburn “The Bruce” Cabernet Shiraz Merlot

Total cost: $280.50

Where // Esplanade, Cnr Commonwealth Parade, Manly.
Notes // Stuzzichini from $9; antipasti & pasta from $22; mains from $34.
Contact // (02) 9949 9011, www.manlypier.com

Horsing around in Ferraris

This article originally appeared in TravelWeekly Australia

Driving Ferraris has become a top corporate team building exercise in Sydney. Justin Wastnage recently took four of the red super cars for a test drive







Speed, they say, is not everything. But not to one West Australian automotive
journalist clocked at over 225km/h a few weeks back. He copped a $2000 fine and six-month ban for driving a Ferrari F149 California at twice the speed limit.
I am reminded of the speed limit as part of the briefing given by Prancing Horse, the driving tour
operators whose Ferrari corporate drive days have grown fourfold in the past year despite the recession.
I will soon be given the keys to one of four turbocharged luxury sports cars and will have a chance to drive each one by the end of the day.
That’s about a million dollars’ worth of hardware they are entrusting to me, which is why I, along with seven others, am listening intently to Matt Thio, business development director of Prancing Horse over early morning Italian coffee and pastries in the firm’s ‘stables’ in Marrickville, Sydney.
Its location makes for easy access to the state’s Royal National Park, which in turn winds its way to the Grand Pacific Drive, New South Wales’s coastal road stretching down to Wollongong. The highlight of the tour is the Sea Cliff Bridge section of the Lawrence Hargrave Drive, the $52 million cantilever bridge that runs along the cliff face, suspending you in mid air above the crashing waves. Again, the speed limit of 60km/h is observed.
In truth, there are sections where the drivers can open the cars to something like their full potential. I had mine accelerate from 30 to 125km/h in a little under four seconds. But the real beauty is in the cars. I am in a Ferrari F430 Spider, behind me are an F360 Spider, an F355 Spider and my favourite, the fully-manual F328 GTS, as popularised by Tom Selleck
in Magnum PI. Each can draw admiring looks from bystanders.
Most bookings Prancing Horse takes are for corporate events and team-building. The company is actively promoting the drive days on the weekends, not only to men, but increasingly ladies’ days out (the two-day spa packages staying at the Gerringong boutique hotel Bellachara are popular with “second marriage hen parties”, Thio says.
The company also has plans to expand the fully-commissionable product to Victoria’s Great Ocean Road and possibly an as-yet undisclosed location on the Gold Coast. Anywhere there is a road and a speed limit, it seems. ■

Details: A one-day package costs $990 per driver, two days with a night at Bellachara starts from January, priced at $1490. All products are commissionable at 10%.
Contact: www.prancinghorse.com.au or 1300 307050

Make your Marque in Sydney

Review originally appeared in TravelWeekly Australia September 5, 2008

Booking business hotels in Sydney is tricky if your clients cannot spend $300 or more per night. The Marque Hotel Sydney is a renovated business hotel in great style with a central location. Justin Wastnage recently stayed at the property and had change to spare

The Rendezvous group recently finished a four million dollar makeover of the former Country Comfort Inn's central Sydney hotel. The Marque Sydney is now pitched at the trendy four-star market.

First impressions 7/10
The reception space is nicely done, with retro lollipop-coloured chairs and shiny plastic surfaces throughout. The check-in staff are pleasant and helpful, though not entirely at ease with the hotel's systems. Getting into the car park (a tricky thing in this neighbourhood of one-way streets and no entry signs) could have been better explained. All these points, plus the shabby lift, are no doubt teething problems and have probably already been sorted out.

Ambience 6/10
The Marque claims to be a boutique hotel brand. It's not. But that said, it pulls off the modern chic look with ease. It's minimalist, with blacks and reds complemented by grey furniture. The property is not huge, but the design team has worked wonders with the space it has. The location, almost directly opposite Central Station, means that slightly unsavoury characters and low-rent storefronts will remind you that you are in the cheap end of town despite the slick appearance.

Accommodation 8/10
There are still some lingering reminders of the old Country Comfort Inn, chiefly in the tight layout of the corridors and internal structure of the rooms. But again, the décor more than makes up for it. The suite's bathroom had a very funky angled marble floor to drain the water away in the shower that left the rest of the room dry. Drawbacks of the location become apparent, however, during weekend nights when the street outside is noisy from either drunken revellers or unlicensed drag racers using the five-lane intersection as a starting grid.

Facilities 7/10
Unfortunately, when I stayed, the much-vaunted iPod clock radio did not work and neither did the television, which appeared not to pick up the ABC. But the suite had a fully stocked kitchen in addition to the mini bar - perfect for the longer business stay. The downstairs Script restaurant makes a good stab of being a trendy lounge bar and the food is good. Nearby options are plentiful if your clients know how to get to Chinatown. If not, they will find themselves at a loss for culinary alternatives in the wrong end of town.

Service 7/10
Friendly staff were still finding their way when I stayed, but it's still early days for the hotel and overall the service was fine.

Overall 70%
Four-star hotels in Sydney are often rough around the edges, but The Marque is one a brace of renovated properties that have a definite cool factor in the mid price bracket.

A business bed and breakfast package at The Marque Sydney is available from A$170 per room, per night. For more information visit www.marquehotels.com/sydney