$450-per-person Opera House dining experience opening in January
A $450-per-person, four-night dining experience at the Sydney Opera House will be available in January.
Led by Dan Hunter of three-hatted Victorian restaurant Brae in collaboration with resident chef and events culinary director Danielle Alvarez, the experience will take place at the immersive Yallamundi dining room with “Harvest of Purpose”.
The six-course menu will be highlighted by the same seasonal and sustainable ethos that propelled Brae to become a world famous restaurant.
Brae is located in a modest cottage on the outskirts of Birregurra, approximately 115 kilometres southwest of Melbourne and has earned widespread acclaim since its opening in 2013. Notable achievements include ranking No. 44 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2017 and being named The Age Good Food Guide's Restaurant of the Year in 2019.
This month, it celebrated a remarkable milestone, receiving three hats from The Age Good Food Guide Awards for the 11th consecutive year.
While Brae sources much of its produce from its 12-hectare organic farm, chefs Hunter and Alvarez will also collaborate with NSW producers like Sift Produce, known for cultivating tomatoes, eggplants, and onions at Living Earth Farm in Young.
“I like the comfort of the home ground, so I haven’t done anything to this extent [out of state] before,” Hunter told Good Food.
“But it seemed like a good opportunity to do something within such an iconic building, during the Sydney summer, with Danielle. I really like her as a person, as well as the sentiment behind her cooking … She’s on the same page as us.”
Alvarez honed her culinary skills at renowned California restaurants The French Laundry and Chez Panisse. In 2014, she moved to Sydney to co-found Merivale’s farm-to-table restaurant Fred’s in Paddington, where she served as head chef until 2022.
“Dan and I have always shared the belief that food should be created and enjoyed in harmony with nature,” Alvarez told Good Food.
“We’re excited to bring this event to life and hope it inspires and leaves a lasting impact.”
The pop up is expected to draw on the harbour city’s “sunshine and frivolity”.
“We’ll certainly be cooking some Murray cod, it’s an iconic Australian fish, and I’m certainly thinking about stone fruits and strawberries at that time of the year in Sydney,” Hunter said.
The dining experience will begin with a snack from each chef, followed by an array of entrées, including “ajo verde” with almonds, cucumber, and melon; potato gems topped with broad beans and hazelnut mountain tomme (a buttery cheese); and lemon cucumbers with lemon myrtle.
Next on the menu will be Brae Farm wheat paired with nut butter and cultured buffalo milk, and farm tomatoes accompanied by ricotta and eggplant caramelle.
For the mains, diners will enjoy Murray cod with king prawn, kohlrabi, crustacean butter, and finger lime, alongside fennel-rubbed pork loin roasted on the bone, paired with sweet corn, whey polenta, and smoked cherry jus.
The meal continues with duck-liver cream, complemented by cocoa and pistachio, a variation of a dish featured at Brae this year. This will be accompanied by a salad of summer leaves dressed with herbs and buttermilk.
For dessert, strawberry gum ice cream will be paired with frozen passionfruit. “Passionfruit is one of the most iconic flavours of summer in our country, and this will be a nod to pavlova without being over-the-top,” Hunter said.
Guests can choose between classic ($265 per person) and premium ($450 per person) wine pairings, curated by Trippas White Group sommelier and Sommeliers Australia president Louella Matthews, along with Sydney Opera House sommelier Polly Mackarel. The selection includes sustainable and organic wines, such as the 2018 Handpicked “Highbow Hill” Chardonnay from Victoria’s Yarra Valley.
For those preferring non-alcoholic options, a pairing ($195 per person) created by bartender and hospitality consultant Lee Potter Cavanagh will be available.
When visiting Sydney, Hunter plans to dine at spots like 10 William Street (Paddington), Sixpenny (Stanmore), Ester (Chippendale), and Bar Copains (Surry Hills).
Tickets for Harvest for Purpose – Brae at the Sydney Opera House are on sale now. Held from January 17 to 20 at 6:30 p.m., the six-course meal costs $450 per person, with drink pairings available at an additional charge.
Jonathan Jackson, 27th November 2024
