Emilia reviews a stylish Hurstbridge favourite

Click PLAY to hear Emilia’s full review on 3AW Breakfast

This is not an everyday restaurant, this is a restaurant for when you need a seriously special, brownie-point-winning, intrinsically-Melbourne experience. I was recommended Greasy Zoes from Sly who said a night he shared there was the best food he’d ever had, period, globally. That’s enough to get me there to test it out for myself.

You make it out to Hurstbridge and breathe in some of the freshest air possible as you cross the road to an unassuming corner, you enter floor to ceiling wood panelling that gives you an immediate cosy feel. You’re greeted by Lachlan, co-owner, host, chef, sommelier, etc. To your right you can see Zoe floating around their tiny kitchen which is in the same 6×6 square room that you and the 7 other diners sit in. You sit with 4 other couples but they strike a perfect balance of intimacy but not sitting in each other’s pockets, listening to their conversations.

Before opening Greasy Zoe’s in May 2017, Zoe Birch and her aforementioned partner Lachlan Gardner, both seasoned chefs, were contemplating leaving the hospitality industry. They were disillusioned with some of the industry’s common yet unsustainable practices, such as excessive food waste and reliance on imported ingredients.

The restaurant has no written menu. Instead, diners enjoy a 12-course, reservations-only meal that changes daily, whether for dinner or a late lunch. Each dish tells a story, thanks to Birch and Gardner’s close relationships with local suppliers, most of whom are within 50 kilometres of the restaurant. This proximity gives them an intimate knowledge of what’s fresh, in-season, and abundant. This is even reflected in the crockery, which is all locally made too for them specifically.

For example, a piece of fish caught on a Thursday morning by a supplier arrives at the kitchen later that day and is featured in the weekend’s menu. The use of local produce is complemented by the restaurant’s extensive array of house-made preserves, pickles, ferments, and dehydrations.

When it comes to drinks, guests can choose wines paired with their meal or select their own beverages from a list highlighting local winemakers and producers from the nearby Yarra Valley. Lachlan talks you through each wine, often humbly emphasising how rare it is and how they “could only get 5 bottles”. It feels special, bespoke and curated just for you. Their collaboration with sustainable growers, utilising hyper-local produce from small farmers in The Nillumbik. The restaurant elevates seasonality and locality to new heights and makes every experience completely unique.

So, I’ll tell you about what we had but use this only as a guide for the kind of food you can expect, not a play by play menu. They give you a sealed envelope at the end of the meal to tell you exactly what you ate and where it was sourced. 

Here’s a sample: Let me translate for you, Timbarra Purple Daikon, Croissant Pastry, Pumpkin Seeds, Smoked Fish wish was a flaky, disk-like croissant topped with smoked fish and radish. Somewhere between the complexity of the ingredients and the simplicity of the dish this was one of my favourite dishes.

Next we had BBQ King Prawn on a Potato wrap, topped with a Red Lentil Miso. Think paired back prawn taco. Then we had a crispy, japanese coated Lionsmane nugget paired with a mushroom Egg Custard. Another favourite was the Corner Inlet Rock Flat Head, with Cod Roe. Essentially a ceviche. They gave us a palate cleanser in the way of  Sourdough and Kefir Cultured Miso Butter with Kelp Salt

This next dish my partner joked with photos on instagram that this tall-walled bowl had just a tiny slice of Artichoke in the bottom but I gave a gentle reminder that we had to fit 12 courses in so the small size was actually appreciated. Here’s where it gets more experimental – Flinders Island Wallaby, it’s a ‘When in Rome’ kind of dish. 

And we finished the meal with not one but two desserts: a Spelt Crumpet, 24 hour lactic Cheese, Cherry Guava Kurl Pumpkin, Caramel, Apple and Cherry Tree Rd Quinces, Black Rice Koj Castlemaine Chocolate.

Ok, I know that sounded like another language and the food felt like that too. Flavours I’d never tried paired with reminiscent shapes and profiles like the lionsmane which looked just like a crispy chicken nugget. This truly was a special, different experience. It’s for the foodie that you want to impress and the price reflects this – $190 a head, bookings open once a month.

I did say at the start of this review that it wasn’t for everyone but for those that want something completely different, elevated, innovative and exciting this is one you have to know about. At the very least, if it’s not your cup of tea, intimidate your foodie friends by asking if they’ve ever been to Greasy Zoes, the unassuming name will make you look like a pro.

They received two hats from the Good Food Guide, a testament to its dedication and excellence in dining.

Greasy Zoes

Shop 3/850 Heidelberg, Kinglake Rd

Hurstbridge