Judith Elen chills out in a quiet corner of Queensland's often frenetic Main Beach
Well-organised and attentive: Chill on Tedder is an inviting beacon.
MY Queensland friends Cynthia and Ross have been telling me tales of perpetual rain here on the sunny Gold Coast, so they're determined to enjoy this warm Easter evening and eat outdoors. I need no encouragement: being near the sea is reason enough. Oddly, the only place to eat right at the beach is at the surf club (my friends tell me this captive audience is common on the Queensland coast).
We're at Main Beach, where the buzzy Tedder Avenue strip of restaurants and designer-lit bars is the place to be seen, but we bypass it all and walk to the street's quiet northern end, where Chill on Tedder occupies an inviting peach-coloured townhouse, its interior aglow with warm lighting.
White-framed multipanelled windows beneath a gabled roof and wide open french doors extend the dining area into a paved front courtyard under a canopied awning. Everyone, so far, has chosen this softly lit area, a big old pine tree marking its boundary. We opt for the table under the tree, which delicately sheds its tiny confetti-like leaves throughout dinner, a private celebration of our weekend.
As we settle in amid a low hum of talk and laughter, one of the staff -- there are at least five of them, in waiterly black -- is at our side with menus, wine lists and complimentary shot glasses of tomato gazpacho.
The Gold Coast is full of Easter visitors from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and our waiter says they're expecting a large group so advises us to order before they arrive.
We choose glasses of Springvale Salute, a dry sparkling white from east coast Tasmania ($10.50) for Cynthia and me, and a Corona ($8) for Ross, to sip as we pore over the menu. The other sparkler by the glass is a Louis Roederer ($23.50): the wine list thoughtfully includes a couple in each category.
The specials our waiter recites feature three entrees of Coffin Bay oysters: natural, tempura and one with an intriguing topping of wasabi-scented flying fish roe, wakame and Vietnamese dressing ($18 for six, $34 a dozen). The menu lists some tempting entrees, and Ross opts for char-grilled freshwater crayfish ($20), but Cynthia and I cannot go past the oysters.
In warm evening air, the rosy twilight sky filtered through a dark filigree of branches, the zingy promise of these Asian-inspired oysters seems perfect. The flavours are as fragrant as they sound and impart a vibrant freshness that enhances the creamy texture of the shellfish.
Ross's crayfish is split in halves and served with baby caper, lemon butter and a salad of fresh peach, buffalo mozzarella, shaved prosciutto and watercress. It's a small marron with not much more meat than a yabby. He was expecting something more substantial and is a bit disappointed as the meat is delicious (the sliver I taste is moist and sweet). The little mound of salad at its side is perfect and prompts praise of its own.
As the evening wears on we realise how well-organised the service is under restaurateurs Leesa Huth and chef Daran Glasgow. Soon the dining room is full, as are the outside tables. But despite our waiter's early warning, there is never a delay. The staff, without a moment's down time, are politely attentive, filling glasses promptly and checking details.
To sip with our mains we've ordered a 2007 Charles Melton Rose of Virginia Grenache from the Barossa Valley ($43). Cynthia has chosen a pan-roasted eye fillet of grain-fed beef, which is served with a gratin of potato, gruyere and celeriac, buttered baby spinach, pancetta, tempura onion rings and red wine jus ($38). It is beautifully presented, the elements organised into a coherent whole.
I take her word that the beef is excellent and cooked as she prefers. But I can't resist stealing a spoonful of the light, aromatic base to Ross's dish. This is Atlantic salmon, with steamed bok choi, snow peas, green beans and flaked spanner crab, sitting in a coconut, kaffir lime, lemongrass and ginger broth ($34).
Ross assures us the fish is very good, and the broth -- I can testify -- is delicate and positively life-enhancing. My choice of duck confit (a dish I am rarely able to resist even though it can be a gamble and is often dry) comes with a flat round of caramelised mushroom tart (including ceps), creamed cabbage and bacon, asparagus tips, Madeira-scented pan juices and a peach chutney ($32).
It is rich and satisfying. The confit leg is well textured and the dark and peachy accompaniments provide a perfect contrast to its robust flavour. Only the mushroom tart, though it tastes lovely, defeats me with its richness.
We've ordered a couple of sides (steamed broccolini, green beans, confit fennel and lemon dressing; spring onion and parmesan mash, $8 each) but do not need them as the dishes come with adequate accompaniments. After all this, desserts ($14) might seem a challenge, but it is the holiday weekend and the list is good.
When our choices arrive -- blueberry and white chocolate clafoutis, a raspberry souffle (the souffle of the day from the specials list) and minted chocolate creme brulee -- they look beautiful but are a little disappointing. To my taste, the clafoutis is underdone. It comes in an individual flan dish and is pale on top, lacking the usual oven-browned look, and the interior tastes insufficiently cooked.
The souffle also lacks a gorgeous crust, the inside tastes eggy rather than creamy, and there is a pool of berry juice inside the base. The brulee simply seems to me an ill-advised decision, its excellent fine-glass caramel surface wasted on what tastes like a choc-mint pudding mix beneath. Cynthia and I are in agreement, but I have to report that Ross enjoys them all.
We had expected stunning afters but we share a moscato d'Asti ($38, 375ml) that is like watered gold and the dessert deficiencies are forgotten. There are also four very good cheeses to choose from ($9.50, $17, $25, for one to three), including a brie d'Isigny from Normandy, a Gympie Farm goat's cheese from Queensland and an Italian gorgonzola.
But we've done our dash and will be back.
The Weekend Australian - Review
by Judith Elen
Saturday, 29 March 2008