Shio
Amazing Japanese Degustation in Geeveston
As part of our stay at Cambridge House B&B, we indulged in a wonderful ten course degustation dinner at their restaurant, Shio. The meal was outstanding in presentation and flavour. On arrival in the cosy dining room, we were seated by the window and shown the array of fresh, local ingredients that the chef would be utilising in our meal. These were displayed on a large wooden bench in the centre of the room and directly in front of the huge fireplace. Included were an abundance of pristine seafood and gorgeous vegetables. Our mouths were already watering in anticipation! We were offered a pre-dinner drink of Umeshu (plum wine) which was served in pretty, long-stemmed glasses. Our placemat was a beautifully crafted piece of Huon Pine and both chopsticks and knives/forks were on offer as eating utensils.
The dinner commenced with a very impressive dish - Blue Fin Tuna, sliced translucently thin, and served on a wedge of crispy pastry covered in a lemon cream. It was like a pizza slice which you ate with your fingers and it was incredible delicious. Every diner in the room (there were two other tables of one) shared exclamations of appreciation and delight. The tuna was sourced from Eaglehawk Neck.
The covering of tuna was very generous and the slicing was artfully thin. We all decided we could devour an entire pizza rather than just one slice!! Our next course was tempura vegetables, created with very local produce and featuring pumpkin and green beans. The batter was light and crisp. The tempura was served with an interesting solidified sauce with a texture like pate, reminding us a little of a chawamushi.
The next course was one of my favourites - octopus cooked in a shabu-shabu style right in front of our eyes at the wooden bench. This was the first of a number of courses where Chef would create the food before us. The octopus, sourced from Burnie, was quickly dipped through a hot broth and then topped with a citrus vinaigrette. The octopus was meltingly tender and paired wonderfully with the tangy sauce. It looked beautiful too, served on a bed of thinly sliced turnip. John is not usually a fan of turnip but the way it was prepared resulted in a sweetness which meant he could not even recognise what it was! We both enjoyed every bite.
Next up was a beautiful and much anticipated dish of abalone prepared two ways. The thick slices were lightly coated in flour and fried and had such intensity of flavour, especially when paired with the sauce.
The next two courses were grilled over the embers of the fire. The first was eel, followed by salmon. We were a captive audience, watching Chef Kaz take care to get the texture just right, using his fingers to test every few moments. We decided to order a glass of sake each to enjoy with the fish dishes and the Japanese wine went well with the food. It was served in the traditional style with the usual Japanese generosity.
The eel came from a farm at Bagdad and was served over a tangy sauce to cut through the rich, oily flavour of the meat. The smoky flavour from the fire was definitely present without being overpowering.
The salmon was perfectly cooked with crispy skin and a gorgeous, pink tinge through the centre. It was plated up on a beautiful setting with spring onions which had also been grilled over the fire as well as a tasty apple and chilli sauce.
At this point Thana, our host, asked us whether we would like a full or half serve of the next dish, our last main course. She explained that some diners start to get full and we could opt for a smaller serve of the pasta coming up. We both decided to take the smaller portion size. It was delicate angel's hair pasta served with black truffle from Huonville. The dish smelled divine as it was being prepared in the kitchen and it looked amazing on the plate. It was served with a single, huge sashimi scallop which was juicy, sweet and tender. The pasta was served cold(soba style) and the flavours mingled together beautifully. Our taste buds questioned our decision but we definitely felt satisfied with this size portion!
The palate cleanser that was offered next was one of the most intriguing and unique dishes I have ever tasted. Our hosts were clearly proud of the time, experimentation and consideration that had gone into formulating and creating the dish. Chef came up with the concept on one of his first bushwalks in Tassie, up to Hartz Mountain. He wanted to create a dish which captured the essence of the bush, the smell, taste and purity of the environment. The course was entitled 'Rain Forest" and looked like a giant drop of gelatinous water on the spoon. You may need to zoom in to see the water - my camera angle has not done it justice. The taste truly captured the earthy, fresh, umami flavours of the bush. It was a moment to close your eyes and savour mindfully.
There were two dessert courses and both took advantage of the local seasonal fruits of Autumn. The first course focused on the mulberry (a favourite of John's!) and was a tangy, fresh granita. The mulberries were picked from a tree down near the river. The last course was based on the apple, of course, and was a kind of deconstructed apple pie.
Chef made a cocktail, using lychee liqueur, to pour over the mulberry granita. The combination of the two fruits worked surprisingly well and it was a refreshing and delicious dessert.
The apple pie was a hit in the dining room! We all agreed we could eat a plateful of the delicious morsels with the delicate, crisp pastry top and the tangy, tart apple filling. The streak of red was a sauce made from the apple skins. The apples were sourced from Franklin.
After dinner we enjoyed some delicious tea made from rose hips(again picked just nearby and dried) and some after dinner sweets created from a delicate rice paper from Japan. They were a lovely end to an incredible meal. We enjoyed every bit of the delicious feast and appreciated the time and effort which had gone into creating such a seasonal, locally sourced meal using the best produce Tasmania has to offer.
We are so glad that we have finally discovered this gem and will certainly return to enjoy Chef Kazumasa's beautiful Omakase again. You can book for dinner even if you are not a guest at the B&B. The hospitality at Shio is second to none and the flavours and artful presentation of each dish is worth the drive to Geeveston.
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