Parliament House's executive chef David Learmonth can oversee thousands of meals on a busy sitting day but for Enlighten, he has created a fine dining degustation menu in one of the most exclusive venues in Canberra.
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The Members and Guests Dining Room at Parliament House will be the location for the dinner, giving patrons a unique view of Enlighten, when buildings in the Parliamentary Triangle are illuminated.
The dinner, on Saturday, March 9, is being presented by Learmonth, a hatted and Michelin star chef, who joined Parliament House in mid-2017 from a previous job as chef at the NSW Parliament House.
His past work has included cooking overseas on super-yachts for the likes of Beyonce, Bono and an Arab sheikh. And now the father-of-two is responsible for catering across Parliament House.
"It's a really iconic building and I feel quite fortunate to be leading a really amazing team,'' he said.
The Enlighten dinner features Australian produce, focusing on the Canberra region, and showcases Learmonth's attention to detail.
"We wanted to really showcase a lot of really good Australian product and pair it with some good local wineries,'' he said, on Friday.
The dinner has a capacity of 100 guests and demand for tickets has been fierce.
"It just went live yesterday and the numbers are staggering so we're already thinking of doing multiple nights. Time will tell on that,'' he said.
Planning for the event is well underway, with Learmonth meeting on Friday with Lake George Winery owner Sarah McDougall and Lerida Estate general manager Andrew McFadzean to match their wines to his food.
The neighbouring Lake George wineries are thrilled to be part of the Enlighten dinner.
"It's such a prestigious and important venue and it's really nice to see them getting on board with the regional and local produce,'' Mr McFadzean said.
"I think wine, in particular, represents the place it was grown like no other thing does.''
Sarah McDougall and her husband Anthony bought the Lake George Winery eight months ago and now they were preparing to serve the wines at Parliament House.
"It's such an iconic building, it's the hub of Canberra and to bring Lake George wines here, it's really exciting for us,'' she said.
"Every time I come here, I get goosebumps. My mum worked here, my sister worked here. And just to be in the members' lounge, it's beautiful and the views are stunning.''
The Parliament House executive chef's degustation dinner on March 9 is:
- Beetroot, radish, rhubarb, macadamia custard
- Murray cod, finger lime, Parliamentary Librarian's gin, apple
- Wagyu beef shin lasagne—kutjera curry, wattle seed buttermilk, Gooda Creek mushrooms
- Prickly pear, kombucha
- Lemon verbena parfait, meringue, chocolate, coconut
- Petit fours—APH honeycomb Baileys truffle, Pistachio crumble choux, Milo chocolate crackle
Tickets are available here.
Enlighten Canberra is from Friday, March 1 to Saturday, March 16.
