Dining review: The Stunned Mullet at Port Macquarie delights food writer Daniel Honan

Having said that, the soft creases of the menu cover does exactly match the appealing teal green ocean waves that gently crash upon Town Beach, just across the road. The contemporary design of the tables and chairs plus the colour palate of the ceiling and walls parallels well within any notion of what a modern coastal dining room looks like. Even the pretty gaudy trio of spectacular shoreline paintings easily agree with the aspiring holiday vibes of a sleepy coastal town.

What does seem stunningly out of place, however, is the quality of food and wine that The Stunned Mullet restaurant offers its diners, seven days a week.

“Port Macquarie was a sleepy little place for the most part when we opened, back in September 2005,” says co-owner Lou Perri. “Certainly our style was more relaxed back then. The metamorphosis into more of a fine dining proposition happened fairly organically over the last few years.”

For starters, the wine list is probably the most delicious and intriguing wine lists anywhere north of Sydney. Adventurous enough for the connoisseur, yet approachable enough for the novice, Lou Perri has written a creative wine list, featuring many heavy hitters from Australia and abroad.

“Wine is a personal passion of mine that brings me great joy and a never-ending sense of discovery,” Perri says. “The challenge of sourcing and selling interesting and iconic wines is one I adore and relish. Over time, we have built up a strong relationship with our suppliers and will continue to strive and explore new vinous territory for our restaurant.”

By way of an example, when we recently dined out for lunch at The Stunned Mullet, my dining associate and I very much enjoyed sharing a 12-year-old half bottle of Baumard Clos de Saint Yves, Loire Valley Chenin Blanc with a truly gorgeous entrée of seared fennel ash albacore tuna (served with dill, orange vinaigrette, horseradish and coriander accoutrements).

The same bottle of white then followed us into a fascinating dish comprised of Patagonian Toothfish, caught in the glacial oceans of the sub-Antarctic, nearby Herd and McDonald islands. The fish’s texture sits somewhere between a scallop and a lobster; firm, yet fleshy, and also creamy, which is contrasted by the airy crunch of an enoki crisp and some fried daikon strips. The fish’s skin is crispy too, while the flesh underneath soaks in a warm broth of subtle earthy shitake suimono (clear soup) flavours. If context is king, then this dish is utterly brilliant.

“David Henry is the head chef [and co-owner], and his cooking is all about letting the produce do the talking. Great quality proteins, impeccably prepared to bring out the best in flavours and textures,” Perri says. “He’s a keen fisherman and very passionate about seafood. He loves Asian flavours so there’s a lot of those ingredients featured in his dishes too.”

Speaking of impeccable Asian flavours, our third course was a seamless transition from surf to turf with the arrival of the de-boned wagyu short-rib, accompanied by a shredded bed of kohl rabi, kim chi, and fermented chili floating in black vinegar and beefy masterstock. Ever so unctuous with a depth of flavour for days.

Back to the wine and a glass of 2016 Pietradolce Etna Rosso grown on the volcanically active northern slopes of Mount Etna in Italy was expertly matched with this beefy wagyu dish; you know, all sweet cherry, dried florals and spice. It was picked from the incredible ‘by the glass’ page of wines that takes full advantage of the magical Coravin device (look it up).

For dessert – a professional indulgence to be sure – we shared a stunning summer bowl of passionfruit gelato and pavlova featuring summer’s greatest hits; mango and lime with pineapple wafers and Chantilly cream . . . 

Make any excuse to head north before the summer ends. The Stunned Mullet is well worth the drive, your time, and your money. Quite simply, stunning.