After a quick drink at the Armada Bar next door, we arrive for our 7.30pm reservation at The Boat House. Remember when restaurants used to allow you to book at that time? Tonight, I'm dining with my old friend Jon, who used to be a waiter. He worked at Vivaldi, Atlantic and probably also Fringe Benefits back in the day, and we first came here for a friend's 21st birthday in the early '90s. This place has really stood the test of time, nestled next to the lake just a few kilometres from the CBD. It's a venue that has outlasted most of the finer diners in town, having racked up 30 plus years of weddings, parties and just about anything. The room is still a simple space with well-spaced tables, all angled towards one of the best spaces ... well, water-filled spaces anyway, in Canberra.
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Most people here tonight are in their Ralph Lauren chinos and Country Road white or chambray shirts. I can't spot anyone who might refer to themselves as an "influencer". Or anyone who really would know what an "influencer" is. Dinner is four courses for $120 and this certainly sits within a premium part of the market. But having experienced two sensational functions here last year, I'm confident the a la carte version of The Boat House will live up to expectations. Hospitality seems to be a less appealing way for the younger generation to spend their Saturday nights, so I'm interested to compare how the fine-dining staff of 2023 measure up to that of 1993.
These days, the costs of running high-end, fine-dining restaurants, like The Boat House, are astronomical. Steep rent, transport costs, the soaring price of the freshest and highest quality meat and seafood, and tens of thousands of dollars in keeping a wine cellar. For staff and producers to get paid fairly for their work, the consumer must pay top dollar. At high-end restaurants around the country, a shift is already underway for better working hours, and The Boat House looks to have this front of mind, opening just three lunches (Friday-Sunday) and three dinners (Thursday-Saturday) per week. My friend who runs the Armada Bar next door tells me that he is "living the dream" which I think means that he has found himself a great full-time job in the industry that he loves, where he only works a four-day week. No full-timer ever did that back at Zorba's, Petro's or Pippi's.
Our welcome dish tonight is a mini brioche "pikelet" with salmon rillette, something you might expect to find in a delicatessen in Stockholm. It's a Swedish type of dish, served with pickled cucumber and dill, and is as light and fluffy as the clouds floating over the foreshore in the distance. The Nordic theme continues with a Bundaberg tiger prawn with fennel, zucchini, and macadamia milk. The prawn sits up like a swan on a lovely lake of basil and fennel cream and our appetites have indeed been whet. Chez Daniel would have loved this dish.
Domaine Ray-Jane Bandol Rosé 2021 (Cotes de Provence, France) is $23 for a 150ml glass and yes, that's an expensive glass of wine even in this particular year. The wine is a pale salmon colour and shows complexity and elegance with depth and with fantastic length. The by-the-glass wines aren't exactly what we used to pay at The Blue Beat Cafe back in '93, so I figure that we may as well have a bottle. We indulge in a Yabby Lake Pinot Noir from Mornington for $111, which is actually very good value considering it retails for around $70. Some interesting side advice: never go for the second cheapest bottle on the list as that is usually the one that is marked up triple. Some things don't change with the times.
Hiramasa kingfish crudo with basil, nectarine boshi, daikon moves into more Tang Dynasty territory. The fish is shiny and fresh, with with lovely Asian flavours and a daikonic crunch to boot.
Slow-roasted pork belly with fermented blueberries, butternut, parsley is a succulent partner. The butternut squash sits fanned atop the perfectly crispy skinned pork and the blueberries nestle underneath like the pretty little fairies that used to live in the garden next to The Lobby in Parkes.
Cowra lamb rump and Braidwood black garlic whipped tahini, cashew dukkah, cabbage has an Atlantic like quality to it. It is beautifully crimson and prepared with the love that you'd expect from one of Canberra's top chefs.
Black Onyx wagyu tri tip with pepper jus, gem lettuce and potato dauphinois has a very fine pepper kick to it and cooked at perfect medium rare. It's more Madam Yip hot pot tender in its texture than Charcoal pepper steak, but top marks for top beef.
Service tonight has been excellent. As Jon would say in the old days, "Look I've carried this all the way from the kitchen without spilling it and that should be enough for you people!" (that wasn't actually always true). But The Boat House staff don't think like that. They have a deep knowledge and respect for the food that they are serving and have lovely manners to match. They may well all become rascals after midnight, but the service from this lovely crew has been on point, and very well informed.
Dessert is a raspberry sorbet with yogurt mousse, white chocolate and Davidson plum, and a cherry mousse with coconut, bitter chocolate, and Malibu. Both are well made and have several components working together in a modern fashion. There are clever techniques on display by a classically trained pastry chef. You may have seen these flavours at The Republic, but they never reached these heights or depths, or likely even went to these lengths.
Jon asks me where I could fault The Boat House and in all honestly, it's hard to fault. This is proper fine-dining, executed by a well-drilled team in a beautiful setting. The kitchen and floor staff know what they are doing, and the passion is on display. To be critical, The Boat House lacks the excitement of trying something strangely interesting or weirdly creative that you've never heard of. But not everybody looks for that in a top restaurant and most people have heard of The Boat House. It's kind of like your trusted adviser of a restaurant. I expect that it will be here well into the next 30 years.
The Boat House
Address: Grevillea Park, Menindee Drive, Barton
Phone: 62735500
Website: theboathouse.restaurant
Hours: Lunch, Friday to Sunday; dinner, Thursday to Saturday
Chef: Jack Gould
Noise: No problem
Dietary: Advise when booking
