Baby chicken
DARRIAN TRAYNOR
The housing Commission precinct of High Street, Prahran, has not been known for its dynamic dining. At least not until the arrival of The Smith a few months back. This gentrified corner pub, once the notorious ETs, is flanked by a Brutalist tower and a building site. But South Yarra’s smart set recognises one of its own when it sees it and has happily ignored the dodgy neighbours to mob the place since its debut.
Indoors, The Smith is all “flexible eating spaces” in the front bar while out back is the dining room proper and 2011’s obligatory restaurant accessory, the open kitchen, where fans of culinary theatre can perch at a terrazzo bench and eyeball their meal’s evolution.
The colour theme is monochrome black and white, offset by fishbone parquetry, plain wood tables and brogue-brown banquettes. The crowd is well put-together and polished, not unlike the food. The menu is a United Nations assembly of feelgood global classics from sashimi to ribs, tortilla to Thai salad.
The restaurant’s Facebook page lists the house cuisine as “Asian Fusion, French, Japanese” but forgets to mention the also-dominant Mexican theme running through proceedings. The surprising thing is, under the direction of Michael Lambie – ex-Circa and Taxi – this juxtaposition of food styles works, for the most part.
It’s also good value if you take the five-course tasting menu for $65 a head (minimum two people; $80 for seven courses) that lets you choose your own mix of two smaller dishes, two larger ones and a dessert. Premium plates such as the $38 dry-aged rib eye are off limits, but there’s plenty more to choose from.
We kick off with crab croquettes (blue swimmer on the first visit, spanner on the second) served with a creamy mayo seasoned with bonito flakes. Bound to be a crowd-pleaser.
Pork spare ribs are fried to a point where the meat loses all moisture and fuses crisply to the bone. They are served with a puddle of hot and muddy chilli teriyaki and, despite the ribs being completely frizzled, they’re annoyingly snacky. Our waiter, who seems a very nice bloke, says he can’t stop eating them.
Papaya salad
DARRIAN TRAYNOR
The wine list offers noteworthy local and European labels but also branches out into some interesting lesser-known grapes such as garganega, arneis and mouvedre. The cellar is extensive and runs a tempting gamut from a cheapie Loire Valley muscadet to an ’06 Henschke Hill of Grace shiraz for almost $850.
Soft fajitas with braised Cuban wagyu osso bucco, avocado and spicy corn are typical of the kitchen’s pan-global ambitions. The filling is slightly unconventional but luscious, though the tortillas are unremarkable.
To Thailand next, and a refreshingly crunchy salad of green papaya and beans mixed with pebbles of palm sugar. Their sweet explosions are balanced by the saltiness of dried shrimps and some chilli fire. It’s simple but beautifully done and possibly my favourite dish so far.
A roasted fillet of snapper sits on a coriander and walnut salsa – quite like a pesto – and is drizzled with yoghurt tahini dressing. The quality of the fish is high and the method, like much of The Smith’s menu, could never be accused of being dull.
Plump chunks of baby chicken have been simmered in master stock and sizzled to a crisp finish without sacrificing the juiciness of the chook. Condiments range from a mouth-puckeringly sharp lime salt to sliced chilli, a coleslaw of wombok and a jammy clump of nam jim that’s heaven with the fried son-in-law egg that accompanies.
Side orders include Asian greens with heady sesame oil (beware the giant garlic chunks buried within) and the unfortunately named but deliciously executed smashed chats,
roasted with garlic and rosemary until golden and crunchy.
We are full by the time dessert arrives but stick a spoon in anyway, as duty dictates. An orange and Grand Marnier soufflé dusted with icing sugar towers airily above the rim of a coffee cup and is a gorgeous blend of citrus and sweet. It probably doesn’t need the added richness of white-chocolate chunks hidden inside and, anyway, something appears to have separated at the bottom of the cup so we don’t finish it. A side scoop of Jaffa ice-cream is the colour of liverwurst but tastes reassuringly of orange chocolate with caramel highlights.
In keeping with the menu’s broad sweep of culinary influences, this most French of desserts is served on a banana leaf. The world on a plate, which seems so very Melbourne. And, judging by the hordes at The Smith, so very now.
Orange souffle with Jaffa ice-cream.
DARRIAN TRAYNOR
Eat this
The Smith
211-213 High Street, Prahran
Cuisine \ Fusion
Chefs \ Michael Lambie, Brad Simpson and Zach Cribbes.
Hip Pocket \ Bank on $80-$90 a head with drinks; more if you take the set menu.
Open \ Lunch and dinner daily.
Highlights \ Polished fitout and food.
Lowlights \ The noise levels.
Bookings \ Good idea. Phone \ 9514 2444
» www.thesmithprahran.com.au
We rate it 7 out of 10
