When Lifestylebylily asked me to attend a sundowner event sampling a brand-new menu at MUST Winebar in Mount Lawley, I immediately said yes as I have been to this venue before and have eaten delicious meals prepared by the talented Russell Blaikie, so I was very excited.
The new menu incorporates the theme: ‘more vegetables, more sharing, less formal’.
Upon entering the venue, myself and my plus one was warmly greeted by the new manager Russell Carman and a refreshing glass of Stella Bella Sauvignon Blanc.
We were given an insight into Russell Blaikie’s passion for cooking, how the venue was established and why he is so passionate about sourcing local Australian produce.
The new menu is impressive as it caters for vegans, vegetarians and people with food intolerances with no deficit in flavours. The oysters were the first taster and were a big hit with everyone at the sundowner along with the pork cheek, apple, quinoa, goldfields honey and farro crisp entrée. Russell Blaikie is a wealth of information, from his rationale to choosing goldfield honey to why he is tired of pork belly and feels pork cheek is a change in the right direction.
All the food was exceptionally presented and the flavours were infused wonderfully. The sampling menu was like a good romance story, you didn’t want it to end! I have to admit I forcefully add vegetables to my dinner however if I could cook cauliflower fritters like Russell I would be very happy.
It is a very tough call but my favourite dish was the rotisserie chicken with kale fritters and potato jus.
Having received a behind the scenes pass into the kitchen and seeing the chefs and the way the chickens were cooked, I appreciate just how much effort the whole team put into not only cooking but also serving their food.
My plus one was a huge fan of the waigin duck and the Australian cheese board with homemade crackers.
Russell is so zealous in his approach to keeping food local and how food should be shared and he stresses the time you have sharing food, just like in your home, should be treasured and enjoyed and the staff at MUST Winebar try to incorporate these themes to create something special.
From the attentive wait staff to the talented bar staff who made exquisite cocktails we had a fantastic night. I can not wait to return and recommend dishes to friends and try some more fabulous cocktails like the Bramble Spritz Bramble.
Thanks for reading,
Lifestyle by Lily 