Molli comes with some notable names attached. It’s owned by influential Melbourne hospo stalwart Nathan Toleman, the man behind the stylish likes of Hazel, Dessous, Lilac Wine and Higher Ground. Then there are the names populating the CV of the new chef, Caitlin Koether, who cut her teeth at places like San Francisco’s Bar Tartine and Relae in Copenhagen. It’s hard not to notice the synergy.
Koether’s approach is rooted in the fermenting, preserving and minimal waste knowledge and skills she brought with her from the US and Denmark. Red flags might be raised, given those terms can signal a restaurant more attuned to philosophy than deliciousness but – praise be! – Molli’s new chef never neglects the flavour side of the equation.
It helps that she has Toleman’s farm, Common State, at her disposal which guarantees an authentically seasonal approach and rare access to the wonders of veggies pulled from the ground just hours before.
It’s not entirely surprising, then, that some of the highlights of Molli’s dinner menu (the day menu features breakfast dishes, tarts and sandwiches) are when vegetables get the starring role. Bright yellow beets, subtly roasted to slightly dehydrate, concentrate sugars and turbo-charge texture, arrive with a sumptuous depth of flavour, augmented by marigold vinegar, sunflower tahini, candied lemons and a surprisingly complementary crisp of dehydrated pineapple. It comes across as sunny and happy, as do the ovation-worthy carrots, deep orange and slightly chewy from slow roasting that have an entirely successful partnership with buttermilk, turmeric oil and pickled persimmons.
There’s great protein too.
Perfectly cooked beef heart pastrami is thrillingly teamed with sour plums. Floured and fried sweetbreads share space with a bone marrow emulsion and petals of charred onions. Grilled trout arrives submerged in an herbaceous fisherman’s stew studded with clams.
Pretty much everything is made in-house, from miso used for seasoning and the bread – fortifying dark rye is blissfully good – teamed with house-churned butter to a superb vanilla cake with crème fraîche ice-cream and a dulce de leche-style whey butterscotch. It’s there on the drinks list too with house-made fermented drinks rubbing shoulders with natty wines.
Rustic yet sophisticated and thoughtful, Koether’s food is both original and playful. It makes Molli another name to remember.
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