We eat every day. Meals are usually memorable due to the company or the occasion. Some for the location or the view. Few meals are remembered for the meal itself. Our meal at the Boat House, however, is memorable for just that. And, perhaps, the bunnies.
We have a date night. It is a rare occasion the boys are excited to have been left with Grandma. Jason has made a booking at The Boathouse, a Canberra institution and I am excited too. I remember looking into holding our wedding reception here. It was my first choice. We couldn’t afford it.
Tonight, many years later, we arrive and Canberra is under a smoke haze. Lake Burley Griffin is radiant with its reflections of pinks and oranges and Parliament House looks all aglow. The swans glide along regardless.
We elect to have a pre dinner drink outside, despite the smoky air. It is summer, the grass is green, the bunnies are out for the evening and we are home.
I select a glass of The Silurian, a sparkling pinot noir, chardonnay blend. It is described by the producer as fresh and vivid with delicate citrusy fruit and a soft, creamy palate. Perfect as a zesty aperitif. Despite the heavy air the bubbles lift my spirits as well as my palate and I sit and enjoy the drink, the views and especially the bunnies hopping around on the rare patch of lush, green grass. This is perhaps the only green grass left in the Nation’s Capital at this time. The city is the driest I have ever seen and fires ablaze throughout the country. The Prime Minister has just returned prematurely from his summer holiday to address the national disaster.
As the sun sinks lower, the dancing colors on the lake deepen and the maitre’d shows us to our crisp, white linen covered, table. We decide on the seven course degustation menu. There is a matched wines option which is very tempting but in the end we give it a miss and order from the by-the-glass selection. Then, before our first course is served, a selection of tasters appears. Each morsel is described in detail by the attentive waitstaff and like the menu, each offering is put together by the experienced kitchen team, headed by chef John Leverink.
The Boat House have created their entire menu from seasonal, regional ingredients. It cleverly reflects an intricate understanding of Australian flavors paired with a creative flair for constructing thoroughly modern food.
This is just the beginning and the tasters of creamy labneh dip, chargrilled octopus and carpaccio on vegetable chips accompanied by house baked bread rolls leaves me both excited about the seven courses to come and slightly daunted by the thought of the same.
My trepidation vanishes along with the first course. Tuna tartare with apple mignonette, confit yolk and holy goat (cheese). The presentation is in a deep bowl, reminiscent of soup, and yet I feel that the flavors and texture deserves a much more delicate presentation. Nevertheless I am half way through exploring before I realise I don’t have a photo and know that in any case the photo will not do the dish justice. The tuna is light like a salty sea breeze and the flavors come together surprisingly well. I’m dubious about putting cheese with the dish but somehow this Sutton Grange Organic Farm offering adds a delightful twist and I savor the taste.
The second entree is equally incredible. It sounds so simple fish with za’atar, carrots and sour cream. Yet I guarantee you that when I cook fish with za’atar, something I have acquired a taste for living in the Middle East, that it does not taste nearly as good as this. Actually, the slices of carrot on top add little but decoration. However, the sour cream and za’atar elements that appear to be only a smear on the plate under the main event create such a sensation in my mouth that I wonder whether I have missed something. Surely the ingredients are more than that.
If my expectations had been limited to entree and main then I would feel very satisfied with my meal right now. Yet there are still five more courses to come. As my empty plate, the waiter briefly appears to collect it. I sit back in anticipation.
Soon after, the artichoke agnolotti arrives with its burnt butter and black garlic. The spattering of sage looks slightly underwhelming and yet the smell has me intrigued. In fact, it is love at first bite. I do like artichoke although I never cook with it as I admit, I find it rather intimidating. It is actually a type of thistle which is cultivated as a food whereby the flower buds are edible before the plant actually flowers. Today the artichokes are cooked to perfection. The overall effect of the agnolotti is a smooth, creamy and nutty flavor with which the bitterness of the burnt butter and texture of the black garlic provides a contrasting accompaniment.
Each dish arrives styled to perfection and presented on an array of Bison ceramics. I am, and have long been, a fan of these beautifully crafted ceramics with their soothing colors and earthy creations. The Pialligo store is a favorite to visit and dream in. I was here in July when visiting Pialligo Estate Winery and love browsing the shelves for design classics that compliment any table. I become instantly envious of The Boat House’s fine collection as the waiter catches me peering under the plate and confirms my suspicions of the table ware’s origins.
If there is one, ever so slight fault in the meal, in my opinion it is the scotch fillet. The flavors of the accompaniments are good but the onion jus is lacking and the scotch fillet is too blue for my taste. Thankfully the nitro pavlova soon makes up for this hiccup the pavlova is sweet, the yuzu curd smooth and the fruitiness perfectly balances.
If there is something better than dessert it is most certainly two desserts and the goat curd marshmallow with crunchy coconut, raspberry sorbet that melts in my mouth like a breath of raspberry on the wind and the hints of sweet vanilla biscuit crumbles is divine.
By now my belly groans with satisfaction after my tastebuds have been dancing with delight all night. We sit back and enjoy the nighttime lights over the lake and the beautiful flower arrangements showcasing various natives in the otherwise simply decorated dining room.
I decline coffee unable to contemplate another bite of anything but Jason orders a nightcap and two salted caramel macaroons appear seemingly out of no where. Perhaps I can fit just one more bite in after all…
Good To Know
The Boat House is open for dinner Monday through Saturday nights, select days for breakfast and lunch. It is also available for weddings and functions. Bookings are essential. See the the website for more details.
The Silurian – a witty name from Mount Majura Vineyard refers to the geology of the site which dates from the Silurian period, a geologic time period spanning from approximately 443 to 419 million years ago. The Silurian retails for about $32 per bottle.
The Boat House uses a range of local produce and the Holy Goat cheese from Sutton Grange Organic Farm is just one example. The farm produces up to eleven different cheeses and hold regular farmers markets both in Melbourne and locally. The farm is located about an hour and a half from Melbourne on the way to Bendigo.
Would I Return?
Yes. Absolutely. The Boat House is memorable for all the right reasons.
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