Must eat
Top End chef David Taylor gives you a taste of the good tucker to be found in the Territory
TWIRLY FOOD $28.95, cook-shops It’s food fun, and a good way to build healthy dishes without the carbs. Daikon spirals in Thai chicken soup, garnishes of ribboned beetroot, and cucumber spaghetti are just a few ideas for the latest Zyliss Spiraliser. It has a non-slip grip, dismantles for cleaning and is dishwasher safe. homesnthings. com.au ADDRESS: Evolution Building, McMinn Street PHONE: 8941 1123 OWNER: A Franco European Chef CHEF: Man of Intrigue ENTREES: $16 to $34 MAINS: $32 to $42 OPEN: Lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday STAR QUALITY: 4.4/5
IHAVE dined here on many occasions since it opened about six years ago. I haven’t been so much in the past year and a bit, as I have been busy seeking out other places. But I have many friends who still enjoy Tramontana. The place is no longer managed by the eccentric John “Thongage” Spellman, who is enjoying retirement and travel. A man of intrigue took over in 2013.
We dined midweek as a foursome. Our guests are new to Darwin so we had fun regaling tales of the space where Evolution Building now sits. The old Mississippi Queen, The Railcar Bar and its gardens, and the quiet and wild nights we had there.
Today Tramontana is an elegantly modern grand dining hall that retains old school dignity and atmosphere. No bright lights, but light enough to see what you are eating. Having a few huge columns in the space (they are needed to support the 30-plus storeys above) creates private nooks for romance or business.
I love nice fine china. I go weak for a bit of old Shelley, Doulton or, as I spotted, Royal Albert. It’s the sort of place where you are tempted to turn the plate over and check. Simple, old-fashioned pleasures are sometimes the best.
Talking of old pleasures, we shared a couple of entrees; perfect oysters Kilpatrick and escargot warmed in garlicy rich butter served with toasted baguette. Quiet groans were heard and we politely fought over the remaining morsels. We discussed the etiquette of plate licking. We decided, as they were Pillivuyt France plates, it would be fine.
Scaloppine al fungi was the first main dish out. It set the taste and aroma challenge. Tender slices of pork fillets with a rich mix of mushroom were simply sensational. Linguine gambieri — prawns with cherry tomatoes on a bed of pasta — was everything it should be; decadent, generous in both flavour and the quantity of prawns. The little chilli kick and the sharpness from a good parmesan finished this dish off nicely. It took me back to Florence and a little Mama’s Trattoria at the end of our street.
My friend from Perth, who has decades of hospitality experience, was intrigued by the Seafood Mug Pie so he ordered it. Out came a large coffee mug with a crust pastry on top (not pre baked) with rice. Like opening a present, the pastry gave way to a pot full of scallops, prawns and squid in a rich, velvety, cheesy béchamel sauce that was packed with flavours of the sea.
I was presented with four juicy lamb cutlets, properly trimmed, cleaned and cooked to a pinky medium rare. They were set on a pretty duchess potato surrounded by a delicious light jus. A little dish of homemade mint sauce sat to the side. We shared the famous eggplant chips with creamy pesto aioli and fresh green beans.
The mysterious owner and Master Chef is a most reluctant star. In the throes of ordering dessert I asked to speak to him. We all praised his remarkable food and I told him I would love to write about his food. He simply said, “You don’t have to”.
I was gob smacked. My friend remarked that he has not enjoyed a meal so much in a very long time. There was a shrug of chef’s shoulders, “I’d rather you don’t”. Well slap me on the bum and call me Cindy! That was not what I expected. So in defiance of his unexpected response to praise, here you have it. Understand the sacrifice I am making here. I may never be welcomed back. One word of advice, don’t tell him you saw this.