Hemmingway’s has been our coffee
and drinks haunt in Manly all summer; the Jet-Setter is a massive fan of the
bearded wonder’s short stories. So an opportunity to try their dinner menu is
an exciting prospect to both of us. The menus theme in the downstairs bar is
presented as ‘school meals made adult and fun’ so there are things like chicken
nuggets and chips and fish fingers. So what awaits us in the restaurant
upstairs? Awkward staff members for one thing.
After being assured downstairs
that there is space for two in the restaurant, we reach the top of the stairs
to find two bemused floor staff without a spare table. After a really weird
conversation in which I felt like we were speaking a different language to the
waiters we decide to wait downstairs until there is a table available. Once we get
a table upstairs and pursue the menu we opt for:
‘Peppers’; padron peppers, bacon,
feta, currants
‘Gin and tonic’; poached salmon,
gin jelly, cucumber puree, salmon roe
‘Kiev’; black garlic, sweet corn,
chicken
‘Leaves’; rocket, parmesan,
balsamic
The ‘peppers’ is not much
special, essentially peppers covered in cheese. The portion is decent enough,
though you do get the odd really hot one so choose carefully. ‘Gin and tonic’
is beautifully presented, the jelly is lovely and fragrant and the salmon is
beautifully cooked. The one thing this dish really needs is salt to lift the flavours
to the next level. By far the best dish is ‘Kiev’, the chicken is served in a
lovely crispy, salty ball with smears of smoky black garlic and sweet corn that
I end up wiping off the plate with my fingers.
In the end the meal was nice, but
I have been to nicer restaurants for less. The restaurant feels a little
grungy, when I was expecting a bit more of a colonial, manly (oooooh fun with
puns) opulence. Having my meal presided over by a portrait of a shirtless
Hemmingway is a tad odd, though not unpleasant. I’ll be back for the coffee and
snacks downstairs.
http://www.hemingwaysmanly.com.au/_.html
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