The Currant Shed Restaurant

May 26, 2023

The Currant Shed Restaurant | McLaren Flat

Located in McLaren Flat is a quaint restaurant with a classic charm and impressive menu, The Currant Shed Restaurant. The dining floor is sophisticatedly rustic and large table space was provided, with alfresco dining available and close parking, the restaurant itself and location are very accessible. Those wishing to involve themselves further in finer dining should visit sometime soon to experience an accommodating seasonal menu. The Currant Shed has multiple dining experiences to offer, at affordable prices ranging from 2-course meals at $70, 3 courses at $90, and the choice for my first experience here, the degustation, available for $135. A degustation wine pairing is available as well for an extra $50, although non-alcoholic drinks accompanied my dining experience, which were not included as an available package.

The food was introduced to us at the table with more description than listed underneath the images, our server was very knowledgeable of the menu, with a few elements from each plate being housemade and/or locally sourced which isn't listed on the menu but add more to experience and the food itself. Although I try to restrict alcohol consumption, I do love the taste of a well-made cocktail, and The Currant Shed was able to provide amazing non-alcoholic cocktails that were able to last the course of the dining experience and mimic the taste so well I couldn't tell the difference.

The lunch started with a bread share plate as diners settled themselves. The light-rye sourdough was warm and crunchy, served with whipped butter and smoked cabernet salt, paired with this was also sourdough croutons with a stunning tomato and pork pate with a kumquat marmalade as well as another crouton topped with caponata and white anchovy. This start of bread accompaniments could easily be listed as some of the best I had experienced as it was simple and flavour-focused but also presented in an elegant manner.

I chose to experience the degustation menu unprepared, only being introduced to the dishes as they were presented, which thanks to such knowledgeable staff was a pleasant experience in itself as they were more than happy to answer any food and drink menu questions that arose.

The dining experience began with a smoked pear salad accompanied with rocket, radish, vincotto, currants, and native pepper crème fraiche. This salad had a balanced quantity of both soft and crunchy elements bringing enjoyable textures to the dish.

This was followed by salmon gravlax, with fennel, lime, beurre noisette, and beetroot. Both dishes were light and contained amazing elements that elevated this dish in ways I wouldn’t have previously considered, as well as being aesthetically pleasing.

The final entrée presented was pork belly, with satay, bean sprouts, mint, coriander, and kaffir lime, also considered to be their signature dish, as highlighted by the waitstaff. The satay was beautifully bold and packed with spice in a way that builds after the flavour is experienced, which was pleasant as most restaurants aiming to successfully achieve an Asian-inspired dish usually overuse spice and it can overpower other elements. Not only was the satay itself liquid gold, but the pork was also prepared to perfection, understandably a signature dish for a reason and well worth the visit to experience.

The main course presented as part of the degustation was traditional beef with celeriac terrine, leek, and horseradish cream. And although simple, similar to the starting share plate, the flavours were that of a star, working together seamlessly to produce a timeless dish sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

The dessert apart of this degustation was a sesame bar, with honey ice cream, baked quince, and honeycomb. The honeycomb was so impressively flavourful, I felt as if I was eating straight out of a honey jar, and is by far, the best I have ever had. This could also be said for the ice cream, which was amazingly silky, however, the sesame bar fell short for me and was difficult to cut, although all other elements of the dish were enjoyable.

Overall, the experience itself requires a short amount of time to be put aside if one chooses to dine the degustation (2.5-3 hours), however, let it be said that it is more than worth it, as many items presented on the dishes are sourced from local produce or are house-made elements, which were so impressive I wish they were available for sale.

House-made light rye sourdough with whipped butter + smoked cabernet salt, and croutons topped with tomato and pork pate + kumquat marmalade, and another with caponata + white anchovy | Entree