REVIEW: Producer's Lunch Forum

For more restaurant reviews and recipes follow us on Twitter

You say the words ‘Australian produce’ and what immediately comes to mind? A lot of the time, our understanding of it is limited to the notion of meat and three veg, and while there is nothing wrong with a hearty Friday night meal of the sort, it sometimes gets lost behind all other cuisines.

The fact is it’s not trendy to want to eat ‘Australian’. Breakfast might be at the French bakery, lunch at the sushi train and dinner with Pad Thai. But you hardly ever hear someone say, “Do you want to go out for Australian tonight?”

While Australia itself might not have a myriad of its own traditional recipes as such, it does have some of the best fresh food produce in the globe, and it’s what you do with it and how you do it that opens up a whole new world of eating.

In simple words, us Aussies need a re-introduction into what can be done with quality local produce, because with so much available to us, it’s a waste if we don’t know how we can best utilise it. This is where the Producer’s Lunch Forum steps in.

The concept was the brainchild of celebrity chef Justin North who founded the event in March 2009 as a way to celebrate the diversity of Aussie produce. In his own words, he told us that the bi-monthly event sought to draw the parallels between the passionate chef and the passionate producer.

Invited to the relaunch last Tuesday, I joined both media and special guests at the forum at Quarter Twenty One on Westfield Sydney’s level 5. Although Westfield Sydney’s level 5 food court has far more refined food outlets than any other Westfield (you won’t be finding any cheap, greasy takeaway fries), I must admit I was still sceptical as to how the venue location could manage to pull off the complete high-restaurant experience.

But stepping through the front entrance of Quarter Twenty One, it was easy to forget you were actually in a major shopping centre food court. The space was completely separate to the buzz of shoppers outside, and created an elegant setting for food-lovers of all backgrounds.

We were seated in plush Eucalyptus-green chairs with five long dark tables across the room. While the dark timber panelled wall to my left contrasted to the white bricks housing wine bottles on my right, together they created that a classy yet earthy Australian spirit that was reflected in the food.

While original host radio personality Simon Marnie couldn’t make it, he was replaced by an equally sought-after host Simon Thomsen; restaurant critic for The Daily Telegraph. Simon introduced and interviewed each food producer with ease in front of the guests before each respective meal arrived on our tables.

Although I was at my table surrounded by women who had all written about the food industry longer than I’d been alive, I myself profess to have no great bank of knowledge of food up my sleeve. While this meant I was a little limited in my discussion as to what the proposed menu “should” taste like (as well as embarrassingly having to ask which fork and knife to eat with first) it also meant I could look at each meal with new eyes and taste flavours for the very first time.

The entré dish was Amuse Bouche containing warm radishes with lavendar butter, and a side of delicious steamy Becasse Artisan bread, containing black olive and Pepe Saya butter – the creation of Pierre Issa who produces the 100% Australian cream butter in their Tempe factory.

My limited experience of high-dining became particularly evident when I was presented with the next dish – cured Kingfish with kohl rabi, horseradish, watercress and shiso. I was raised not a fan of seafood - in fact, my dose of Omega 3 only comes from my once-yearly serving of fish and chips - so was slightly nervous when I realised I hadn’t told the waiter about my “allergy” beforehand.

So as not to be rude, I picked up my cutlery and ate, and I have to say, for someone who doesn’t do seafood, I ate the entire dish. While the texture of fish in general doesn’t tickle my fancy, this one was paired beautifully with the accompanying flavours on the plate – salad produce grown by Steve Adey from Darling Mills Farm.

Next came my favourite dish of all – the highland gourmet potatoes. The dish contained just two of the 33 varieties of potatoes grown by Norman and Robyn Gair from Southern Highland Heritage Potatoes, and was prepared by Becasse Head Chef Monty Koludrovic. The dish was not visibly recognisable as one that contained potato, but after tasting the combination of the soft, buttery purple sapphire and cranberry red potatoes with their crunchy, crisp skins and cured jowl, I was assured that this was definitely the yummiest potato dish I’d ever tasted.

This was followed by Koolang Wagyu sirloin and brisket beef from the Southern Highlands of NSW, paired with pine mushrooms, confit garlic and parsley (the sort of flavours that melt in your mouth!) and finally, the Pepe Saya Butter and Crème Fraiche; a chocolate mousse that contained the perfect amount of rich, chocolate crunch with cool, tangy sorbet and pink grapefruit.

If you need a re-introduction to quality, Australian produce (which let’s face, is most of us), then this is the way to do it. While I don’t claim to be a food-extraordinaire of any sort, I can simply tell you now, the food was flawless – and that’s saying something from someone who doesn’t eat seafood… except on this occasion.

You’ll be surrounded by intelligent food-lovers in a central location, eating fresh, flavour-filled dishes and at the same time, learning exactly where and how your meal came to be right on your plate. And I can tell you now, you’ll be saving money because you won’t be needing any dinner that evening either!

The next producer’s lunch will be held on Tuesday 1st May, so it’s worth checking out more information at Justin North’s Quarter Twenty One to reacquaint yourself with Australian produce.

Related Links
GALLERY: Sensational seafood recipes
ARTICLE: Farmers' markets go digital
Download our handy new food app