Yellow Billy Restaurant has a new menu and a new hangi pit and the team are fired up for summer.
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The Pokolbin restaurant based at Piggs Peake Winery is renowned for cooking over an open flame and is named after a so-called "gentleman bushranger" who is said to have roamed the Hunter Valley during the 1860s.
Over the past few months head chef Samuel Alexander and his team have been busy experimenting with new techniques, seasonal produce and flavour profiles from around the Mediterranean.
"We're always pushing ourselves to the next level and refining old favourites," he said.
"We are currently working on a porchetta - a whole deboned pig trussed and stuffed - with smoked stuffing and gravy and cooked for 10 to 12 hours, hangi style. We're also playing around with smoking different fruits and vegetables on the top rack of our fire pit."
Yellow Billy's custom-built hearth oven, or hangi pit, is made from an old mining dump-truck rim. Hangi is a traditional Maori method of cooking where rocks are heated and buried in a pit oven underground. The food is wrapped, placed on the stones, buried under soil and left for several hours. When unearthed, it is deliciously tender and flavoursome.
"We're also working on a custom-built offset smoker to add to our fire equipment repertoire - fingers crossed we can launch this around February," Alexander said.
"Our kitchen team has grown and we now have Tahi Ngaronoa and Darren Price in dual sous chef roles, leading the kitchen team of Tyson Atton, Harrison Duncan and Paul Best.
"Special mention must go to Thomas Harrison and Michael Reeves, the driving force behind maintenance on our pits. Rain, hail or extreme heat conditions, these guys get the job done. Our kitchen unit has never been stronger and we have many exciting schemes in the works for the new year."
Diners can now select a small plate, large plate and an "after-thought" dessert dish, with sides served down the centre of the table to share.
Sommelier Pat Hester is excited about the restaurant's summer drinks menu, especially the banquet menu's wine-matching option.
The choice of drinks has expanded considerably since the restaurant first opened.
"There's the Piggs Peake option for those wanting to try the flavours of the winery we are attached to but for those wanting something different, there is a premium option as well, with most of these drawing from my Coravin by-the-glass list," he said.
"There's also the wines from around the world or alternate varieties option for a unique pairing, Orange wines, Pet-Nats [natural wines] or classic wines from traditional regions.
"We have new sour beers in the craft beer section, crisp dry whites and plenty of spritz and fizz on the cocktail list. We use our garden to make a variety of syrups for non-alcoholic offerings as well."
Book online at yellowbillyrestaurant.com, email contact@yellowbillyrestaurant.com or phone 6574 7204.
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