Latest news with #Fawkner
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Hunter Valley's newly two-hatted restaurant is hosting an anniversary dinner of greatest hits
Eating out Good Food events Frank Fawkner of EXP. Restaurant will reimagine 10 of the restaurant's most iconic dishes for a special anniversary dinner series in September. Ten years ago, Frank Fawkner made the difficult decision to step away from his role as head chef of Muse – which was the Hunter Valley's most celebrated restaurant at the time – to strike out on his own. A decade on, and his own restaurant, EXP., has just been awarded a second hat by Good Food, with Good Food Guide editor David Mathews calling it ' the most exciting restaurant in the region '. To mark the milestone, Fawkner is hosting Ten Years of EXP., a dinner series spread across four nights next month, from Friday, September 19, to Monday, September 22. Each evening will showcase 10 of the restaurant's most iconic dishes reimagined. On the Friday evening, Good Food app editor Erina Starkey will host a Q&A with Fawkner to explore the decade-long evolution of EXP. and the vision behind it. One of the dishes making a comeback will be EXP.'s Ego, which is Fawkner's version of the Magnum ice-cream. Introduced to the menu in 2018, the frozen dessert was originally made with a wattleseed parfait filling, lemon myrtle caramel and Daintree chocolate shell. 'We've done around 10 or 12 versions over the years using similar types of ice-cream or with different layers, or coated in meringue and torched,' Fawkner says. For the dinner, he'll be updating it with a truffle-infused cream made using local Kanimbla truffles and macadamia praline. Longtime diners at EXP. will also recognise Redgate Farm duck, which is sourced from a free-range farm in nearby Seaham. It's a fixture of the menu, where you can often find it wood-roasted over iron bark or cherry wood, or cured into salami, chorizo, prosciutto and lardo. The duck will be served two ways: a seven-day dry-aged duck breast with black garlic hollandaise, and a duck and pistachio terrine, wrapped in smoked duck 'bacon' made from pressed duck legs. Over dinner, Fawkner will share the story of EXP., from its origins at Oakvale Wines to its pivotal move to Pokolbin Village Estate in 2020, where Fawkner added a chef's counter and shifted to a tasting menu format. What hasn't changed, though, is the restaurant's commitment to delivering an immersive experience – not just through the food and wine or the service, but through the furniture, handcrafted by a local wood sculptor, and the knives and forks, custom-forged by a local metal artist. 'One in three of our diners will turn over our brass charger plates to see if there's a signature or brand on the back,' Fawkner says. 'There isn't one.' Looking ahead, Fawkner would like to phase out all standard cutlery in favour of handmade artisan pieces. He's also exploring a revamp of the dining room layout, and some new tables and chairs. Getting the restaurant to where it is today has been a process of constant refinement, he says. 'We've just been building and building and building, and trying to give people the best experience we can. To be recognised for that now is amazing.' Ten Years of EXP will be held at EXP. Restaurant at the Pokolbin Village Estate on Friday, September 19, to Monday, September 22, $185 for a six-course menu of 10 dishes. Matched wines are priced at an additional $90 per person, or upgrade to the somm selection for $150. Tickets are available here.
The Age
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Hunter Valley's newly two-hatted restaurant is hosting an anniversary dinner of greatest hits
Eating out Good Food events Frank Fawkner of EXP. Restaurant will reimagine 10 of the restaurant's most iconic dishes for a special anniversary dinner series in September. Ten years ago, Frank Fawkner made the difficult decision to step away from his role as head chef of Muse – which was the Hunter Valley's most celebrated restaurant at the time – to strike out on his own. A decade on, and his own restaurant, EXP., has just been awarded a second hat by Good Food, with Good Food Guide editor David Mathews calling it ' the most exciting restaurant in the region '. To mark the milestone, Fawkner is hosting Ten Years of EXP., a dinner series spread across four nights next month, from Friday, September 19, to Monday, September 22. Each evening will showcase 10 of the restaurant's most iconic dishes reimagined. On the Friday evening, Good Food app editor Erina Starkey will host a Q&A with Fawkner to explore the decade-long evolution of EXP. and the vision behind it. One of the dishes making a comeback will be EXP.'s Ego, which is Fawkner's version of the Magnum ice-cream. Introduced to the menu in 2018, the frozen dessert was originally made with a wattleseed parfait filling, lemon myrtle caramel and Daintree chocolate shell. 'We've done around 10 or 12 versions over the years using similar types of ice-cream or with different layers, or coated in meringue and torched,' Fawkner says. For the dinner, he'll be updating it with a truffle-infused cream made using local Kanimbla truffles and macadamia praline. Longtime diners at EXP. will also recognise Redgate Farm duck, which is sourced from a free-range farm in nearby Seaham. It's a fixture of the menu, where you can often find it wood-roasted over iron bark or cherry wood, or cured into salami, chorizo, prosciutto and lardo. The duck will be served two ways: a seven-day dry-aged duck breast with black garlic hollandaise, and a duck and pistachio terrine, wrapped in smoked duck 'bacon' made from pressed duck legs. Over dinner, Fawkner will share the story of EXP., from its origins at Oakvale Wines to its pivotal move to Pokolbin Village Estate in 2020, where Fawkner added a chef's counter and shifted to a tasting menu format. What hasn't changed, though, is the restaurant's commitment to delivering an immersive experience – not just through the food and wine or the service, but through the furniture, handcrafted by a local wood sculptor, and the knives and forks, custom-forged by a local metal artist. 'One in three of our diners will turn over our brass charger plates to see if there's a signature or brand on the back,' Fawkner says. 'There isn't one.' Looking ahead, Fawkner would like to phase out all standard cutlery in favour of handmade artisan pieces. He's also exploring a revamp of the dining room layout, and some new tables and chairs. Getting the restaurant to where it is today has been a process of constant refinement, he says. 'We've just been building and building and building, and trying to give people the best experience we can. To be recognised for that now is amazing.' Ten Years of EXP will be held at EXP. Restaurant at the Pokolbin Village Estate on Friday, September 19, to Monday, September 22, $185 for a six-course menu of 10 dishes. Matched wines are priced at an additional $90 per person, or upgrade to the somm selection for $150. Tickets are available here.
Herald Sun
10-08-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
Stunning Buninyong home hits market
Ballantrae, a gothic revival homestead built in 1857, is set on five acres just outside the rural township of Buninyong, near Ballarat. Despite its nearly two-century-long age, the 7208 Midland Highway home has only ever had four owners. 'The family that built the house went bankrupt building the house, and so they only owned the house for two years. 'The next family owned the house for 140 years, then the family we bought it off, owned the house for about 40 years,' the vendor says. MORE: 'Shocked': Fawkner house lands massive deal Prankster's bizarre move to speed up Melb auction Stunning Melb home will have buyers buzzing The vendors stumbled across the home by accident when viewing a vacant lot next door. 'We were going to build a new house on that lot, but it had flooding issues, so the owner invited me to his house to have a discussion, and on arrival, we got talking about his house, which he thought maybe I should buy that instead,' the vendor says. 'On seeing it for the first time without even going inside, I agreed to buy the house. It has so much character and hasn't been touched for nearly 40 years.' The vendor says his experience as a builder not only allowed him to see the potential, but it also assisted during the renovation process, which included painting, retiling, and rewiring. 'In principle, we left the bones of the house and made it more modern with our style, but certainly kept the history and heritage of the house,' the vendor says. These renovations created a sophisticated blend of period features, including open fireplaces, a wine cellar, and the home's striking facade and modern comfort, including high-end appliances and fixtures. Based at the foot of Mount Buninyong, the home also encompasses its natural surroundings. 'The rear of the house faces north, so we have tried to make all the rooms at the rear of the house have a view of the park, as I call it, to the rear of the property,' says the vendor. 'This includes the kitchen, meals area, a deck, and a bathroom, where you can sit in the bath and open the windows, and really feel part of nature. The park is a very private space, so you feel part of it in all of these rooms.' Outside, the property features expansive grounds and shedding, allowing opportunity for a hobby farm or space simply to enjoy. 'There are five heritage-listed trees on the property, so just to walk around the garden at dusk, it's beautiful,' says the vendor. 'We often go for a quiet walk after dinner and just enjoy the energy of the trees; they are quite magnificent. Recently, we rebuilt a small dam/pond, and seeing the ducks returning to the property is rewarding.' Buxton Ballarat's Mark Nunn has the home listed for sale with a $2.45m-$2.65m asking price via private treaty. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: New horizons for Highett home with a prison cell Vic 'spaceship' cabin takes top gong Shock list of Melb's most sold suburbs
News.com.au
04-08-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Fawkner: Opening bid $60k above asking range stuns at auction
A Fawkner house that's been in an Italian-Australian family for six decades unexpectedly scored a grand sale on Saturday. Ray White Coburg's Hamza Ali said the circa-1965 home at 72 William St was listed with $740,000-$790,000 price hopes but a massive first bid wowed the crowd watching it go under the hammer. 'The opening bid was $850,000 so with the first bid it was already on the market,' Mr Ali said. 'I was like, 'What is going on?' I was shocked.' The mega-bid knocked out much of the competition but another set of determined buyers drove the final price to $966,000, a sum $176,000 above the asking range's upper end. 'The purchasers were first-home buyers from Balwyn North,' Mr Ali said, 'They loved the house – they are a young couple and they are Italian too.' About 130 buyer groups inspected the house's large front garden, timber-fitted kitchen and garage with its own storeroom, toilet and kitchen during the sales campaign. Vendor John was selling the residence that his late parents, father Nicola and mother Rosa, had lived in for about 60 years. After immigrating from Italy to Australia, the couple rented in Brunswick before moving into their first Fawkner residence, where they saved up money to build their dream home in William St. After working in the Victorian railways and at Broadmeadows' Ford plant, Nicola opened a milk bar in Major Rd and then another store. He later set up a supermarket in Tyson St, Fawkner, named Nick's Big Star Supermarket. 'My parents' front yard was an amazing place for flowers, but the backyard was just like a total vegetable patch,' John recalled. 'They grew everything, tomatoes, broccoli, broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce.' He recalled plenty of family functions such as birthdays and anniversaries at the house, often involving the local church and other friends. 'It also an occasion because they made their own salads and made their own tomato sauce and their own pickles and dried tomatoes,' John said. Nicola made his own wine and salamis in the garage and was also a keen handyman who enjoyed working in the space. John described selling the home as both a sad occasion and 'sort of like an end of an era'. But he added that he would always treasure his memories of the house including the times he had spent time there with his parents, plus his wife Rosemary and their two children.
The Guardian
05-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘The friendship of the good': how a community garden gave me a sense of something bigger than myself
If you came across our school garden, you might walk past without giving it much thought. On the surface, we don't have anything that would warrant a visit from Gardening Australia: no kitchen garden or water feature or 'reflection space'. But we do have something else you might not see at first glance – something I wasn't expecting to find when I first came to this suburb. I moved to Fawkner, Melbourne with my partner and kids about five years ago, in search of affordable housing. The suburb was nice enough but I felt unmoored. I didn't know anyone here and much of community life seemed to revolve around structures such as the extended family, the church and the mosque. I could see how vital these were for people in our suburb; for my part, however, I'm not religious and my extended family live far away. I tried to find other ways to make connections: my kids and I went to Lego time at the library; we hung out at the local playground and chatted to people at the skate park. But none of it added up to a sense of belonging. Then I signed up to help with our school garden. At the very least, I figured, it was a day out in the sun. On volunteer day, my partner pushed our kids to school in a wheelbarrow, and I was armed with a shovel and pitchfork. Around 50 people turned up to the school on a Sunday to help with the garden, and while the kids played, the adults chose jobs according to our levels of ability and enthusiasm. My partner opted to repair the garden beds and I went for the lower-stakes job of weeding. It was slow and careful work, pulling out dandelions and chickweed – along with a few chip packets. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Between gardening and tending to the kids, there were moments of socialising: a nod of thanks from a teacher, a chat with another parent about the out-of-control compost heap that lives behind the mud kitchen. These conversations were tentative, at least on my part; the pandemic and early motherhood had left me out of practice when it came to socialising. However, the school garden was the perfect place to learn how to be with other people again and I could see that I was surrounded by the sorts of people who I wanted to befriend. At midday we stopped for lunch (all halal, some vegan) and in the late afternoon the kids busied themselves by turning rubber gloves into makeshift water bombs. Eventually we wheelbarrowed our kids home, happy and hyper and wet. When I returned to school on Monday, it looked different – and not just because the garden was in better shape. It looked different because my relationship to the place, and the people, had subtly changed: I felt invested in them. After a few more gardening sessions, I had people to talk to and text. At first, these conversations revolved around the garden; however, one WhatsApp chat group led to another (as they tend to do) and soon enough I had people to hang out with. People I could call on for support if I needed it. Working together in this way brings us close to what Aristotle called 'the friendship of the good'. This, according to Aristotle, is the best kind of friendship: it happens when you see the good in another person, and they in you. It is very different to what he calls a 'utilitarian friendship', where we spend time with another person because of what they can do for us. A friendship of the good, conversely – like the school garden itself – is about creating something bigger than ourselves. Our school garden has given me a way to see the good in my neighbourhood. We have a diverse community: nearly half the adults here, including myself, were born overseas. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion If we are to believe the worst corners of the internet, then life is something to be feared. People are to be feared, because people – as the despots and tech bros would have us believe – are motivated purely by self-interest; therefore, we must dominate others, or risk being dominated ourselves. And maybe that is true for a small portion of society. But in every neighbourhood there is also this: people coming together to work on shared projects, motivated by simple altruism. Projects that help strangers build connections to place and each other. This doesn't mean the school garden is utopia. Sometimes the seedlings die. Sometimes a child gets upset and stomps on a tube stock. But even these moments become lessons about care, consequences and how to repair damage. In tending to the garden together, we create a common purpose rooted in the things we all need: nourishment, agency and belonging. And maybe that's the most radical thing we can grow. All We Need by Magdalena McGuire is out now (A$34.99 Ultimo Press)
