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I know some friends and family members with Italian heritage who won’t eat out at Italian restaurants. I am no longer one of them. I’d love to have the capacity to make pasta from scratch. But I’d much rather leave it to the hands of those magnificent chefs and their pasta machines at restaurants such as Fior, in Gymea in Sydney’s south.
‘Fior’ means flower in Italian and, in this instance, is borrowed from fior di latte, which translates to ‘flower of milk’ in Italian. In other words, it’s the cream (the best bit). Judging by the number of diners in the neighbourhood venue on a wintry Sunday night, Fior may as well translate to ‘phwoar’.
The Sutherland Shire’s new eatery is brought to you by executive chef Tristan Rosier (ex-Est.) who did his apprenticeship in the Sutherland Shire, and his partner in life and business, Rebecca Fanning. The pair, who also run side-by-side eateries in Surry Hills, charming diner Jane and Aussie degustation restaurant Arthur, settled on Gymea after moving nearby with their young family and recognising how good it would be for the ‘hood.
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Award-winning design studio Luchetti Krelle helped devise the interiors in conjunction with Rosier who presented his vision for the space via a Pinterest mood board. Rosier helped oversee the entire transformation of the restaurant, which housed Caruso’s Italian for 25 years, right down to arranging the irregular pattern of the tiles behind the back-lit bar. He also selected the pendant lighting, which features fluted edges that resemble raviolo. The 120-seater restaurant wraps in an L-shape around the bar and open kitchen and a terrace that is protected by a canvas awning and heat lamps in the cooler months.
We’re off to a good start when the maitre’d greets us like friends, making us feel this is more of an evening than merely a meal. There is a knot of people clinking glasses at the bar. There’s Talk by Gene Dunlap is playing on the sound system and there are balloons bobbing near the ceiling for a 25-year-old celebrating her birthday. The room glimmers with soft light as the waiters pirouette at pace between the oak tables on the terrace and tan banquettes in the main dining room. All of this adds up to the promise of good times. And, like the rest of the Shire folk here, we’re down for that.
All of this adds up to the promise of good times. And, like the rest of the Shire folk here, we’re down for that.
Rosier, who divides his time between his three venues, is supported in the kitchen by his head chef Will Lawson, who comes to Fior by way of Fred’s, Ms G’s and Arthur. As with Jane and Arthur – named in honour of Rosier’s grandparents – the ingredients and suppliers at Fior are mostly Australian. But the winks to Italy are what differentiates Fior from Jane and Arthur. That DuoLingo accent is evident in dishes such as the oh-so-Mediterranean plate of pickled mussels sitting in a creamy puddle of slow-cooked celery, onion and fennel flecked with dill. The mussels are perfectly pickled and olive oil plays an important role in balancing the tartness of the vinegar. An antipasti option of crudo is also safe in the hands of Rosier and co., with the freshness of ruby red grapefruit complimenting the thinly sliced strips of cobia and tuna. Our shared main of barramundi in brown butter with capers is cooked really well, but I would have liked a crisp shard of skin to offset the silky soft fillet.
What the new eatery in Gymea in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire is already known for is being paradiso for lovers of freshly made pasta and you must order at least one plate to share. The gnocchetti sardi shares the spotlight with prawns and chilli and the ridged pasta shells are done to al dente perfection and well sauced, if not well seasoned. Nothing a bit of salt and pepper can’t correct. Do order slabs of sourdough from nearby bakery Thoroughbread to embrace the Italian tradition of scarpetta and dredge up every skerrick of the sauce. Italian simplicity is also celebrated in the salad of heirloom radicchio and green beans, which is zingy and bright with a vinaigrette that is more sweet than sharp to balance the spicy taste of the leaves.
One of the beautiful things about Gymea is that it’s on the train line. Which means you don’t have to play scissors paper rock to see who’s driving and can indulge in a few glasses of wine from the 80-strong list. The drinks list champions Australian winemakers with a focus on Italian varietals as well as local breweries such as nearby Sunday Road Brewing and city distillery Archie Rose.
Although the staff don’t have all the answers to our questions, if they don’t know, they find out, including letting us know the gelato is made in-house, so of course we order the affogato. The dessert arrives as a scoop of hollowed-out vanilla gelato filled with warm espresso with a DIY dousing of Frangelico. So much pleasure in one little cup.
It’s hard to find fault with Fior, but my one tip would be that staff need to keep on top of the bathrooms, which are shared with the Snug Bar next door. Other than that, Fior is a triumph. Let’s hope the restaurant provides a roadmap for other hospos to set their sights on the suburbs.
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