REVIEW
Chef-owner Frank Fawkner makes fearless moves at EXP. Like the decision to split macadamia cream with eucalyptus oil, which brings bush-walk sensibility to well-cured cuts of kingfish. Or the choice not just to make 'nduja in-house, but to utilise local duck rather than pork, then serve it over dashi chawanmushi with charred corn and black garlic. Flavours are bold from the dégustation's start to finish, with every detail scrupulously interrogated, right down to the striking custom cutlery and serving vessels. (Ever picked a choux bun piped with taramasalata off a banksia cone or plucked honey-infused petits fours from a beeswax plate?) Seats along the kitchen counter offer an up-close look at all the action, but the drama is palpable in every corner of the intimate, low-lit room and carried out with confidence and professionalism by manager Harrison Plant. An accomplished high-wire act in the Hunter.
ABOUT
Chef Frank Fawkner
Price guide $$
Bookings Essential
Wheelchair access Yes
Open Dinner Fri-Mon
Price guide $$
Bookings Essential
Wheelchair access Yes
Open Dinner Fri-Mon
This review was written independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide's reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about the process, head over here.
