af

TDC - Melbourne

 

Four-year-old restaurant, The Disgruntled Chef, has shed its old skin, taking on a new look that pays tribute to the locale’s past existence. Earthy brown plantation shutters against the windows and a rattan woven design in booths are an interpretation of the former nutmeg plantation and British army barracks that stood in the restaurant’s place back in the nineteenth century.

Along with its new look comes a new menu as well, where founder and executive chef Daniel Sia shows off his classical French cooking techniques. On the brunch menu now are tartines (open-faced sandwiches) that come with toppings like beetroot-cured salmon or smashed avocado, feta cheese and chilli. Main dishes take on a new mouth-feel with the use of fresh herbs, flowers and even seeds. The Crackling Suckling Pig, for one, comes adorned with sauerkraut puree and pickled mustard seeds, a finishing touch that works perfectly to cut through an otherwise heavy dish.