Igni

After a couple of weeks of ill health; tonsillitis followed by thunderstorm asthma (who knew it was a thing?) it was time to shake off the germs and put on some hot pink lipstick...

We'd planned to take the train to Geelong to lunch at Igni a while back. When we first arrived in Melbourne 6 years ago, Loam was on the list of must visit restaurants but we never made it before it closed and then Aaron Turner went underground...Nashville apparently according to the charming sommelier who looked after us.

Anyway Aaron returned with an impressive range of checked flannel shirts for himself and his kitchen crew and Igni was born.

Ranked 4th in the recent Herald Sun delicious.100 top Victorian restaurants, we turned up with expectant hearts, minds and tummies. We loved the timber decor and whilst it looked dark and moody from the outside, the interior has a Scandi smokehouse kind of feel crossed with some Australian earthiness that is light, bright and airy. It's a good blend of styles and very comfortable to dine in.

Dining options are a 5 course or 8 course degustation with matched beverages, mostly wines, an option. The wine list is affordable too which is good to see with some unusual options from as far afield as Uruguay and as close to down the road.
​Dishes are not described or revealed until they are at the table and are have deceptively simple 3 ingredient monikers. 

Courses are set at a good pace with no dragging out of time but we're also not rushed. Before long the bread comes out which is a saltbush roll with cultured cream. Toasty and nutty with some hefty density it's appetising and served slightly warm. And the roll is quickly followed up with our selection of snacks. 

• Roe on chicken skin
• Salt and vinegar saltbush
• Zucchini flower stuffed with a mussel
• Lardo on a stick
• Duck on a stick
• Air dried local beef with radish

Our first bite is the slightly warm, very juicy stuffed zucchini flower and it's delicious. Soft, slippery mussel encased in a slightly charred zucchini flower with a green cleansing flavour. The salt and vinegar saltbush remind us of the same we had at Brae and it's just so moreish; that zingy savoury flavour. The sticks of rye provide a yummy wholemeal flavour against the charcuterie saltiness of the lardo or the smoked duck but the stand out for us is the roe on chicken skin. So fragile and so unassuming in appearance, the savoury umami flavours are a decadent hit. More please!

​The first wine served is a local sauvignon blanc and we're informed it's a classic pairing with what it to come. The mystery of what will be served is prolonged to the final minute until the dish arrives:

• Asparagus, buffalo milk, egg

Reminiscent of a similar dish we have had at Marion the combination of cured egg yolk, tangy yoghurt buffalo milk and in season asparagus is just Spring on a plate. And for a non sauvignon blanc drinker it is matched wonderfully well with the wine. It's not a typical savvy with non of the sharpness I dislike and is well rounded balancing the tartness of the buffalo milk.

A bone dry Muscadet is poured next to accompany:

• Oyster, peas, rice starch

Sweet green peas, vibrant in colour balances the saltiness of the local oyster and texturally we go from crunch to silky. Garnished with one perfect garlic flower and one perfect blue oyster flower it shows restraint and elegance. The gummy glutinous rice starch provides some depth and richness to the dish.

It's another fairly classic pairing of wine and food and so far we are impressed by flavours and service. We're a little surprised at how conservative it's been so far but there's still time for creativity...

​So we've consumed two dishes that have impressed with their elegance and restraint. This next one packs a flavour punch:

• Snapper, cabbage, yabby

The yabby is the sauce which is pretty intense when tasted on it's own. As is the charred cabbage with a strong burnt bitterness. The snapper is perfectly cooked wrapped up all cosy in the cabbage blanket which keeps it soft and succulent. The delicate sweetness of the fish just tempers the powerful intensity of the burnt char and yabby sauce so as a sum of all three parts it' manages to balance out all the flavour notes. Clever...and there's the creativity we've been waiting for.

And the red wine is poured...a delicious Tommy Ruff Mourvedre and Merlot blend entitled Sunday by natural wine innovator Tom Shobbrook. It's super easy drinking and a perfect Sunday smasher and it compliments our first meat dish:

• Jerusalem artichoke, Wagyu, potato

Jerusalem artichokes cooked overnight in the embers are sat in a potato sauce enveloped in pink and white marble slices of paper thin cured Wagyu. The artichokes are sweet with a BBQ char mellowed by the potato and then seasoned with the meaty saltiness of the delicious Wagyu.

​And we break away from traditional pairings of duck and pinot and go with duck and a Beaujolais Villages:

• Smoked duck, fennel, finger lime

Who would have thought that sharp, tart lime could be paired with duck? It's usually a sweeter fruit; cherries, oranges...

But I love the smoky natural sweetness of the duck (Great Ocean ducks reared on a diet of strawberries and other goodies) offset by the sourness of the finger lime. I don't like fennel but I quite like this charred version that cleanses the palette with a more neutral flavour. The duck is perfectly pink and the dish is a delight.

​Our cheese course looks little like the delicious roe on chicken skin and like that impressive predecessor it's super fragile to pick up and eat:

• Satiro, linseed, cumquat

Soft curls of Satiro, an Italian semi soft cheese made with pasteurised goat and sheeps milk lie atop a layer of cumquat chutney on the lightest cracker that is less cracker and more cloud that melts in the mouth. Such a delicious cheese course - salty, sweet, melting...

​In spite of having worked through so many dishes, we're not overly full and looking forward to dessert. And the anticipation is increased with the delicious yuzushu (sake based yuzu cordial) and ginger beer which is refreshing and bright on the tongue with no sugar sickliness.

• Blood orange, cultured cream, honeycomb

Think zing, zap and tang. Beautiful citrus flavours mellowed out with some creaminess and tempered with sweet honeycomb. This is such a great Summer dessert reminiscent of a beautiful Mediterranean orangerie bathed in sunlight and love.

​After the refreshing first dessert, we're expecting something richer; perhaps chocolate? So we are surprised by the next course:

• Apple, onion, dried milk

In the same colour hues as the previous dessert, that's where similarity ends. This one is unctuous, rich from the egg custard, sweet and yes that hint of onion is definitely there baffling our brains. Is it enjoyable? Yes weirdly it is. Is it my favourite course? Probably not but it's certainly very fun.

And as we wind down with tea we're provided with:

• Matcha madeleines, grilled pineapple

Lunch at Igni is incredibly enjoyable. It scores high in all aspects - flavour, quality, creativity, service, ambience. It's truly a classy but also innovative place to dine. 

When we chat to the sommelier we find out that tables are not served the same courses especially tables next to one another. We missed out on a potato, garlic and chicken fat dish that looked immense. Long spaghetti like strands of potato cooked in chicken fat...I can only imagine how good that would have been.

There are usually around 20 dishes on the go per sitting and each degustation is tailored combination per table taking into consideration dietary requirements and what the adjacent tables are having. They like to play and create food envy across the diners...I'm not sure I like that as I am definitely disappointed to have missed out on dishes! But I guess that just means we have to return!