Noosa Boathouse | Noosa Food & Wine Festival

Venue: Noosa Boathouse

Chef: Shane Bailey

Events @ Food & Wine Festival

• Spend the afternoon taking in the beautiful views of the Noosa River whilst learning the tricks of Adriano Zumbo’s creations. The intimate affair will be held on Sunday the 21st of May at 2:30 pm. Cost: $195 book  online.
• For feast of reef and beef, join chefs Nick Holloway (Nu Nu, Palm Cove) and Sunny Gilbert (Austin’s,Mount Erica Hotel, Melbourne) as they team up with chef Shane Bailey at the Noosa Boathouse for the ultimate three-course Beef and Reef lunch with matching Dal Zotto wines. Friday 19 May, noon, $145, book online.

If you followed our insta-story coverage, you would know that our visit to the Noosa Boathouse was the last booking on our itinerary. I was kind of stalling time to share it with you all as I am a firm believer in saving the best for last. Our experience at the waterfront dining hub was extraordinary. The atmosphere is relaxed yet still sophisticated and plays the perfect host for all wonders that the Noosa River has to offer.

We opted for a shared feast to try out different aspects of the menu.

To start off with we had a Charcuterie Plate with cured and smoked meats, olives and grilled bread. An absolute stand out on this board was the inferno paste. It was hot, but the good kind of hot. It made my mouth sing with flavours on its’ own, yet when paired with olives it brought out and entirely new flavour that alike was intriguing. Even if you aren’t a chilli fan, that paste will change your mind.

For entree we started off with the Cedar St Buffalo Mozzarella with watermelon, wagyu bresaola and local figs. My absolute favourite dish of the entire evening; It left me with a whole new way of looking at the marriage between watermelon and cheese; It works a damn treat. There were slight underlying flavours of pepper on the watermelon which were subtle yet bold at the same time. The elements to the dish were extremely simple, yet when combined were very effective.

Baked Wild Caught Scallops was the second dish we tried out. It had sea urchin butter as well as sweet, sour apples. The scallops were buttery, cooked to perfection and worked well with the crunch and sweetness from the apple. The freshness of the produce was quite evident in this dish.

Our mains were an absolute treat. The Slow Cooked Beef Cheek in every way paid tribute to the produce used. The meat broke down into a tender mash with the touch of a butter knife. It made my heart sing with joy. Paired with a fresh tamarind dressing and paw paw salad, the dish was light, flavoursome, full of varied textures and wholesome all at the same time. There was absolutely nothing I could fault about the plate that was put in front of me. A true labour of love.

At this point, we were extremely full but still went on to try out the Grilled Fish which was served on a bed of spiced Mediterranean vegetable pearl cous cous and house made yoghurt. The flavours held within the cous cous were bold yet complimented the freshness of the fish.

To end off the evening, we were treated to a Beetroot and Chocolate Brownie with salted caramel ice-cream. The combination of beetroot and chocolate in a single brownie makes for a perfect match. The brownie was moist on the inside but rich and decadent. The salt from the ice cream balanced out the sweetness from the chocolate and cooled the palate at the same time.

It was an honour trying out the menu at the Boathouse, a showcase of remarkable local produce. I would also like to make mention of the team at Noosa Boathouse, they made us feel extremely welcome, and took the time to explain the menu to us even though the venue was packed with diners. A wonderful experience all round.

Organised by: Tourism Noosa

Written by: Aliyah Ravat