Run by a former Rockpool chef, this Swan Valley restaurant has all the makings of Perth's next big destination diner
Forming genuine connections to people and places doesn't just get you good meat: it helps you maximise the resources at hand. Fallen gum trees from the property fire the grill. Fat from dry-aged animals is rendered to help produce all-time potatoes fondant. Late-summer tomatoes brought in by locals, once fermented, become the perfect finishing touch for Spanish mackerel cured in a salt mix modelled on Ginversity's native gin.
Does it read like I'm frothing on Oscar's? Good, because I am. While Oscar's is firing after its first year in Herne Hill – previously, it was based in Guildford before building issues forced it to relocate – what's really exciting is that this feels like an operation on the ascent. Easy-going service led by restaurant manager Daniel Adam and Justin's parents feels perfect for the setting; second-generation vigneron Tom Daniel of nearby Chouette Wine in Millendon is helping rehabilitate the property's vines; plus Justin just moved his young family into the farm next to Oscar's, which he'll also be slowly resurrecting.
'There's so much room for us to grow,' says Justin as he excitedly talks about the existing orchard, arable land and potential of his new six-hectare home.
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