Who said fine dining was dead? Doesn’t anyone appreciate art? We do!
The Mountain View Hotel with its wraparound verandah and creek flowing through the beer garden stands at the centre of Whitfield, a farming and wine village at the upper reaches of the King Valley. It’s a sunny midwinter’s day and the place is busy with diners. They are spread out around the sunny outdoor dining area, tucked near heaters under the verandah and snuggled into tables by the fire inside. They’re here to make the most of hearty winter fare prepared by young German-born chef Ben Bergmann.
He runs the kitchen with a mix of German punctiliousness and his own sense of good-natured generosity and is now famous in press and social media for his pork knuckle. This is a great joint of pork that has been brined and roasted until the skin is crisp and golden and the flesh inside soft, sticky and buttery before it is served with mashed potato sauerkraut and gravy. Also popular is the wagyu burger, served in a sesame-crusted dark-glazed bun with crisp bacon, relish, cheese, tomato, leaves and mayo. This is all served by a young front of house crew, mostly European, who, with their fun Euro-pop playlist on the stereo, bring a winter resort feel to the public bar.
While the everyday gastro pub menu in the public bar is popular with North East locals it is the fine dining menu that brings in people from further afield. Ben’s delicate, finessed dishes are served in the elegant dining room next door. Expect true silver service there, from starched linen napkins draped across your lap to freshly baked bread placed on your plate with spoon and fork. The service is among the best in the country.
Typical of Ben’s modern playful style is the poached coral cod. Wrapped in a black but subtle skin of liquorice gel it lies on a bed of quinoa and broad bean purée, fresh and light but beautifully earthy. Its perfect match is the Wachau Grűner Veltliner, a dry but aromatic white wine that is like a burst of bright winter sun pulling all the flavours of the dish together. The wines are chosen by Italian sommelier Mario Mori, a polite but genuinely funny young man who brings not only knowledge but palpable passion to the dining room.
Towards the end of the meal the trolley of local and imported cheese is pushed to the table and a platter professionally portioned. Then there is Ben’s Iced Apple Strudel. This is a reverse apple strudel in which the flavours of the classic German dessert are infused into the ice cream, resting on a bed of crushed biscuit, berries and balled fruit. The dish itself is served on a wooden board with a compartment hiding dry ice that floods the table with a chilly winter mist. That experience alone is worth the trip.
4 King Valley Road, Whitfield
(King Valley), Victoria
Tel 03 5729 8270
www.mvhotel.com.au
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