WINE & DINE

Tasty morsels from the culinary world

BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL

Housed in The Cannery, an old Rosella factory in Sydney’s Rosebery, the recently opened Stanton & Co. from Parlour Group has a funky vibe, a cool drinks menu and some very interesting taste sensations. We chat to group executive chef Regan Porteous.

WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL CONCEPT FOR STANTON & CO.?

We aimed to bring a city dining experience into Rosebery, bringing back a piece of history through the name [Richard Stanton was the suburb’s original developer] and the building design. The food will be created using the freshest and finest produce we can get our hands on in Australia, creatively constructed and delivered in a relaxed and welcoming environment. The menu is Modern Australian with subtle Japanese influences; interesting dishes with big, bold flavours.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE DISH?

The burrata with pickled onions, pistachio furikake is my favourite dish because it’s original. I’ve never seen or tried a burrata with these combinations. We created the dish by thinking a little outside of the box, using the classic pairing between cheese and onion. The dish is perfectly balanced and has an explosion of flavours.

THERE ARE SOME VERY UNUSUAL COMBINATIONS ON THE MENU, LIKE THE CHEESE AND ONION GYOZA; HOW HAVE PEOPLE RESPONDED TO THIS KIND OF MASH-UP OF TEXTURES AND INFLUENCES?

This dish is selling [like] hot cakes. We have three cheeses stuffed in a gyoza, pan-seared and steamed so we have two textures from the pastry. The warm melted cheese is perfectly balanced with the mustard vinegar dressing; charred pickled onions and sliced shallot greens are added to aid digestion and cut the richness of the cheeses. We literally have customers ordering a second serving after they try it!

WHAT COCKTAIL DO YOU KICK BACK ON THE OUTDOOR TERRACE WITH?

The Regal Rosebery is our top-selling cocktail at the moment. We use our neighbour Archie Rose Distilling Co.’s Signature Dry Gin. We wanted to create a cocktail that draws inspiration from Rosebery, known as the ‘garden suburb’. We pair the gin with a rose vermouth and elderflower liqueur and a homemade hibiscus syrup. It’s beautiful, vibrant and fresh and showered with edible flowers. parlourgroup.com.au