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The name Troy Rhoades-Brown is as synonymous with the Hunter Valley as the shiraz and semillon grown on the vines. At age 24 – after stints at Robert’s Restaurant and Brett Graham’s The Ledbury in the UK (which recently won its third Michelin star) – Rhoades-Brown opened Muse Restaurant in Pokolbin. It’s been 15 years since that very first service (longer than most relationships) and the fine diner has since gone on to collect many impressive accolades. Walking in one evening, there’s not one free seat in the house, and it’s clear that what Rhoades-Brown has won over the years is far more important than any piece of paper. And that’s the loyalty and respect of the region.
Truthfully, I’m briskly walking into the restaurant, as I’m running late for my reservation. I apologise to the gentleman who greets me warmly at the door. He gives me a smile and says, “Don’t worry, life’s too short to rush,” and I immediately feel at ease.
Inside is dazzling – all golden and brown tones – and I take a second to breathe it all in. Long, pendant lights that look like luminescent beads drop down from the soaring ceiling. Light reflects off the dark wooden furniture and leather chairs the colour of coffee beans. In fact, the whole space shines like freshly polished jewellery. It’s a resplendent, grand dining room; and it reminds me of sitting down at Sydney’s Bennelong, sans sails.
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Sommelier Melinda Beswick’s wines-by-the-glass menu showcases drops from mostly New South Wales, while the full list includes international vintages. There are three drink pairings available: ‘Young Guns’, featuring wines by the Valley’s up-and-coming winemakers (Beswick tells me it’s a great way to give young and passionate producers a go). The second, ‘Australian All Stars’ with wines by well-known vintiers. Plus, a third non-alcoholic wine pairing. Sadly, I’m driving, so Beswick recommends I go with a 2022 albarino by Margan Wines (who were the first to import the grape from Galicia in 2014). It’s crisp and citrusy, with a touch of minerals.
On the front of the summer menu is a drawing of an about-to-burst heirloom tomato by local artist Emma-Jane Pitsch. Like most great restaurants, Rhoades-Brown’s menu is seasonal. There’s only one five-course set menu on offer, plus snacks. The meal begins strong, with a spiced heritage pork and quail scotch egg. It arrives sliced in two, facing upwards with a golden and crisp shell. It’s studded with buttons of black garlic and truffle cream, and in the centre is a sunny, jammy yolk. The pork is spiced and beautifully seasoned, and the truffle and garlic work in harmony with the flavours, as opposed to overpowering them. The words of Action Bronson come to mind, but instead I'll settle with: Man, that’s delicious.
A dish of lightly seared Nelson Bay bonito sitting on a lagoon of potato and macadamia is pretty thanks to a florist-like arrangement of cucumber, cipollini onion and finger lime. The fish tastes clean and fresh, the char imparting a touch of smokiness, and it pairs well with the subtle sweetness from the potato and contrast of fresh as well as zingy pickled cucumber. Though, the additional ground macadamias don’t add much.
I glance up to the open kitchen. The chefs, who look smart, having swapped the usual white get-ups for navy shirts and brown aprons, are working calmly and methodically. Rhoades-Brown then makes a joke and they burst out laughing. It’s a joy to see.
I smell the next course before we meet: sweet corn and blue cheese agnolotti with house-made chorizo. The pasta looks like lolly wrappers, and the inside filling is smooth and tastes sweet, salty and umami. It's drizzled with a buttery and fruity sauce that has a sharp edge, thanks to a dash of verjuice, and the ground garlicky pork acts as a seasoning. The waiter tells me this is his favourite dish, and I get why.
Next, woodfired quail is layered with ginger and shiso chimichurri, and topped with glistening and charred shishito and tangy biquinho peppers. The meat is blushing pink and succulent, the chimichurri is herbaceous, and a dollop of red pepper and dashi sauce adds sweetness.
Pukara lamb cooked over ironbark transforms into a plate of art. Flawlessly cooked, the meat lies on a smear of smooth eggplant, and is adorned with thin slices of watermelon radish and little curls of pink bonito flakes. Acid in the mirin pickle cuts through, and the eggplant adds smoky notes. An additional lamb rib, coated in a sticky and sweet glaze, has its fat rendered to crispy perfection. It’s a glorious treat, like a lamb paddle pop, without the drips.
I finish with a disc of vanilla sponge topped with yoghurt and peaches, laid under a shard of meringue adorned with yuzu and delicate white flower brooches. The sponge is not as light and airy as I would like, though the bright yuzu sings, the sour yoghurt brings balance, and the soft peaches taste like summer.
At Muse Restaurant, Rhoades-Brown’s exquisite presentation in each dish is backed up with sublime flavours and service as professional and endearing as what you’d expect to find at Australia’s best restaurants. Just like shiraz and semillon, Muse Restaurant stands as one of the Hunter Valley’s icons. May they all continue to age like a… you get the gist.
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