Overview
Degustation menus are an art and an experience, taking diners' tastebuds on a delicately curated journey, as Sydney restaurant NEL lives and breathes all year round. Chef and namesake Nelly Robinson likes pushing the concept further, however, as visitors to the Wentworth Avenue venue know. Maybe you tucked into his KFC-inspired spread in 2022. Perhaps you enjoyed nel's Moulin Rouge!-themed and Christmas degustations, too. Either way, you should now be adding the eatery's latest menu to your must-try list: an 11-course lineup dedicated to native Australian ingredients.
On offer from Tuesday, January 17–Saturday, March 25, NEL's current degustation is a collaboration between Robinson and a guest Indigenous chef, with sustainably sourced ingredients from outback Australia at its heart. It's also a concept that's been in the works for some time, and marks NEL's first-ever degustation to hero native Aussie fare.
"We are very lucky to have a forager who sources the Indigenous ingredients for us, as well as our suppliers," says Robinson, who notes that the latter work closely with local Indigenous communities.
"Being from the UK, discovering these ingredients has been a real learning process. We honour the culinary stories behind them whilst pushing boundaries to continue to be at the forefront of innovation and creativity with all of our dishes," Robinson continues.
On the menu: 11 dishes featuring wild barramundi, kangaroo, lemon myrtle, pepper berries, bush tomatoes and more. Some courses include native dill, others bunya nuts — and Kakadu plums get a showing as well.
Accordingly, diners can look forward to saltbush mussels in a native curry sauce, scallops with warrigal green salsa and Kakadu lamingtons. Plus, there's also lemon myrtle meringue, wildfire barramundi and bush bread on offer, all immaculately plated as always.
Sydneysiders can tuck in for $185 per person, with another $165 each on top for matched beverages. Or, you can sip paired non-boozy drinks for $85 instead.
NEL's native Australian degustation is on offer on from Tuesday, January 17–Saturday, March 25 at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to book, head to the NEL website.