O.MY is the restaurant of brothers Blayne (chef, on the left) and Chayse (sommelier, on the correct) Bertoncello in Beaconsfield, about 45 minutes from downtown Melbourne. They began the restaurant again in 2013, once they had been solely 19 and 23 years outdated. All of the fruits, greens, eggs, and honey that’s used within the restaurant comes from a farm in close by Cardinia that’s run by a really shut pal. The meat, seafood, flour, and dairy is sourced from producers throughout Victoria.
The restaurant is considerably of a hidden gem, though it’s listed as among the finest eating places in regional Victoria. The man who checked us in on the campsite that could be very near the restaurant had by no means heard of it, and from the surface it’s laborious to inform that the very best effective eating institution within the space is listed right here. Particularly as you zoom out:
The restaurant presents a 7 course tasting menu (AU$ 230 with alcoholic pairing for AU$ 130 and non-alcoholic pairing for AU$ 90) or a 4 course tasting menu (AU$ 165 with pairing for AU$ 95/AU$ 60). We opted for the 7 programs.
We began the pairing with a 2021 ‘blush’ (rosé) glowing by Eck Wines from the Macedon Ranges (Victoria, Australia), 55% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir, made like a champagne.
This was an excellent pairing for the snacks. A crispy ring of pastry with buttermilk, horseradish, and seasonal flowers. Warragal greens skewered on a sprig of rosemary after which barbecued, brushed with hen fats (superb). A tartlet with duck ragout, blackcurrant, beetroot, and purple wine vinegar.
And zoom in on the Gazander oyster with meyer lemon, verbena, and oyster plant leaves. The oyster had been deep fried in sourdough batter and served in a pastry shell that regarded like an oyster. Each stunning and scrumptious.
We continued with home made sourdough bread with home churned butter and witlof root salt. The levain for the sourdough has been maintained for the reason that begin of the restaurant. The bread had nice texture and a pleasing barely bitter aroma (I don’t like ‘German’ sourdough bread that could be very bitter and difficult).
The second wine was a 2024 Crawford River Riesling from Henty (Victoria, Australia) with a really good balanced acidity.
It was a superb pairing for the variations of zucchini with recent cheese curds, basil pesto, and coriander flowers. The dish had a terrific steadiness of textures (crunchy zucchini however not too crunchy with creamy cheese curds) and flavors. The acidity of the dish and the wine had been nice collectively.
The third wine was a 2016 Chardonnay by Paternoster from Cardinia (Victoria, Australia). Properly aged, advanced, and spherical.
It was a remarkably good pairing for the recent egg pasta (with eggs from the farm) in pork inventory with braised younger onions and chives flowers. Outstanding as a result of the dish was very elegant and also you’d anticipate the wine to be too sturdy, however in truth the dish gave a really good increase to the wine and introduced out its complexity.
The wine pairing continued with a Pinot Gris ‘on skins’ by Fleet from Mornington Peninsula (Victoria, Australia). Similar grape selection and producer as a rosé Pinot Gris we had yesterday, however a totally completely different wine on account of 21 days of pores and skin contact (to get extra shade and texture), 100% malolactic (to melt the acidity), and getting older in oak barrels with stirring of the lees (for a creamy texture). This can be the very best ‘orange wine’ I’ve ever tasted, with nice steadiness and complexity.
This was a superb pairing with the Australian herring with younger lettuce, Vietnamese mint, and a butter sauce with inexperienced beans. The fish was very crispy with out being dry. The wine was a remarkably good pairing with the butter sauce (however is sensible due to the getting older in barrels with stirring of the lees and malo).
We continued with the 2023 Pinot Noir by Bindi from the Macedon Ranges (Victoria, Australia). A bit younger and subsequently served decanted. The wine had good texture, however I believe it’s going to develop extra aroma with some bottle getting older.
This was an excellent pairing for the neck of lamb with shallots, salty ice plant, garlic, floor ivy, and rosemary. The lamb had been cooked sous vide and was very tender and succulent.
The second purple wine was a 2023 Georgia’s Paddock Nebbiolo by Jasper Hill from Heathcote (Victoria, Australia). This has nothing to do with Nebbiolo from the Langhe in Italy and was a bit younger (and served decanted). It appeared extra like a really ripe model of Nebbiolo from Valtellina, with good construction with out being too tannic.
It was an excellent pairing for the pork shoulder with apple core sauce, radish, candy carrot puree, and fennel. The radishes had been properly delicate (not as aggressive as Dutch radishes). The perfect a part of this dish was the crispy pork crackling that was served as a ‘crumble’ on prime of the extraordinarily tender and succulent pork. Pork crackling can typically be chewy, however by serving it as a crumble it was splendidly crisp and fluffy.
The ultimate pairing was a spring rhubarb vermut from the identical producer from Victoria because the purple vermut we had at Saint Peter in Sydney.
The pre-dessert was rhubarb with labna, whey granita, dill flowers, and farm honey. Rhubarb could be very astringent, however this was fantastic and an excellent pairing with the vermut.
The dessert was strawberry ice cream with crispy sourdough offcuts, chamomile, blackberry, and extra strawberries. Very good and once more an excellent pairing.
And at last blueberry tartlets with buttermilk, pomegranate vinegar, and thyme.
Wow, what a meal. All of the dishes and all of the wines and wine pairings had been glorious. The service was additionally glorious and really pleasant, with some humor as properly. It was very clear that not solely the 2 brothers but in addition the opposite folks that work listed here are actually having fun with what they’re doing. Michelin doesn’t price eating places in Australia, however I’d say O.MY ought to get two Michelin stars. It’s a disgrace it’s one thing like 17,000 kilometers from house, or I’d certainly come right here usually.
