33 Govetts Leap Road, Blackheath.
+61 2 4787 6899.
Distance from Sydney CBD: 113km/two hours
The New York Times recently published a feature about the hurdles faced by people in mixed relationships. Couples, that is, in which one partner eats meat and the other doesn’t. Vulcans is the ideal restaurant for such couples to celebrate their anniversaries. Designed almost entirely around what can be cooked in the huge bread oven (this is the site of the old Blackheath bakery), the menu is that rarity among cartes in that it’s of equal interest to vegetarians and carnivores. Master chef Phillip Searle is fascinated by spice, and whether it’s the salad of chickpeas and celeriac (the chickpeas appearing variously whole, pureed and fried crisp), or the roast pork with cucumber salad (glazed with tamarind, soy and sesame) you fancy, the complexity and balance of the flavours are sure
to wow. Forks and spoons can cross over dessert: the upside-down pear cake is a world of gooey goodness, and Searle’s signature chequerboard ice-cream ought to be awarded its own Order of Australia.
Open: lunch & dinner Fri-Sun. BYO. Mains $33.
Source:
Qantas The Australian Way May 2008
Updated: August 2008
It’s hard to imagine Vulcans anywhere but here, amid the mists and leaves of Blackheath. As you leave Sydney and ascend into the Blue Mountains, you’ve got the choice of the direct highway route, or the more interesting, orchard-heavy alternative of the old Bells Line of Road. Either way, as the buildings thin and trees take over, you’re getting into a Vulcans frame of mind, whether you know it or not.
The oven is the heart of Vulcans – more so, perhaps, than with any other restaurant in Australia. The room is simply decorated, eschewing the timber and cloth popular in these here parts for a sleek ’90s collection of hard surfaces and plainly dressed tables. Paintings and sketches provide some warmth, but it’s the open kitchen and oven that bring the most life. The imposing, wood-fired, 19th-century construction forms the structural centre of the small building that was once the Blackheath bakery. Chef Phillip Searle and his team use it to cook the bulk of the Vulcans menu – its even, gentle heat making culinary silk purses of sows’ ear raw produce.
Searle has a magician’s touch with spice, and his organic and intuitive style of cooking is genuinely unique. Dishes such as the glazed roast pork with green mango salad and spiced sambal pair lusciously tender meats with compelling flavours.
It’s not all charred flesh; Searle’s vegetarian dishes are some of the best around. The attention to texture, as in a salad of chickpeas, celeriac and chana dhal with hummus, is key. The other much-talked about string to chef Searle’s bow is his desserts. Whether it’s his unusual take on the bombe, or the precision of his chequerboard of star anise and pineapple ice-cream, comfort and pizzazz coexist happily.
The restaurant is unlicensed; rumours abound that the quality of the service improves commensurately with the contents of your bottle-bags. Either plan ahead by bringing something special from home, or check out Barmans at Leura, the finest cellar within cooee. A leisurely trawl through the huge Victory Theatre antiques centre just up the road is the perfect pre- or post-lunch option for anyone not tempted by bushwalking – or a few crisp schooners at the unreconstructed art deco oasis that is the neighbouring New Ivanhoe Hotel.
Open: lunch & dinner Fri-Sun. Mains $33.
See full article: Gourmet retreats: To drive forSource: Qantas The Australian Way November 2008