What: C Restaurant
Where: Caves Beachside Resort, 7 Mawson Close, Caves Beach
Prices: Bread, $9; entrée, $21; mains $35; desserts or cheese platter, $16 ; degustation, $79 ; table d'hote, $65 for two, $75 for three courses; extras, $9; Local's night, $35 for two courses; Sunday roast, $29. Expect to pay more on holiday weekends
Chef: Jamie Ryan
Wines: Comprehensive selection from the Hunter, other Australian, NZ and overseas
Hours: lunch Thursday to Sunday from noon; dinner Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm
Vegetarian: separate menu, ask
Bookings: 4980 9999
Bottom line: entrée, main, dessert $144 for two without drinks, $166 on holiday weekends
Almost a year and a half has passed, the new chef is still called Jamie and the dining room with its lofty ceiling, glass mural, white clothed tables, fine glasses and gleaming silver is still the same. The menu still changes with the seasons and you are still invited to "embark" (nibble), "enjoy" (bread), "enlighten" (entree), "experience" (main) and "explore" (dessert). If you have a group of 10 or more you must take the two- or three-course table d'hôte menu and the six course degustation is only available for a complete table.
The menu and wine list appears promptly, as does the water. You will need time to read the extensive wine list with its separate section for older, cellar wines, but if you choose by the glass you won't be able to taste first or examine the bottle as it will be brought already poured, which is disappointing.
House made bread is available (we know because we are told this three times) but at $10.35 tonight we give it a miss. However, the amuse bouche of pâté with preserved figs is a foretaste of good things to come.
There's more than meets the eye (or the menu description) in an entree of confit of pig belly. Two cylinders of crisp skinned pork with just a narrow strip of fat and a generous slice of luscious meat prop up two very thin, rather leathery slices of dried quince. One cylinder rests on a puddle of truffle flavoured sauce, the other on finely diced, poached quince; a small mound of crisp pork rillettes topped with a slice of black pudding, and crowned with vanilla foam sits in between; and a swirl of quince puree unites the whole dish.
Light as air potato gnocchi support a tumble of blue swimmer crab meat. Tangy beurre noisette (brown butter), sage, capers and tomato concassé provide a classic accompaniment.
The "Experience" section has one beef fillet and a hay-smoked duck breast dish to keep the meat fanciers happy, but this close to the sea there's only one way to go.
Hiramasa kingfish loin bursts with flavour, colour and texture. There's white, finely flaky fish, slices of just cooked celeriac, layered and assembled like a potato gratin, a rosy bug tail, pink bisque sauce and vibrant green parsley oil.
Two cubes of just cooked Petuna ocean trout sit at each end of a rectangular plate, united by parallel smears of cauliflower puree and divided by sweet, tiny golden beets and a spray of watercress. A quenelle of bright green, almond oil infused pea puree adds another colour and flavour dimension.
How could you resist exploring la forêt noire, or "black forest". The kitchen has had some fun here and played around with classic black forest cake. A curl of dark chocolate is formed into a tree trunk oozing chocolate and cherry sauces; chocolate cake crumbs carpet the forest floor; another small log is filled with whipped cream; and a cloud of crême fraîche cuts through the sugar hit.
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