You might recall last seeing Mark Briggs behind the counter at Vue De Monde, where he served as head chef for four years. These days Briggs and his wife, Victoria Hollingsworth, have quit the rat race and set up shop in Paynesville, East Gippsland. So what’s a Michelin-starred chef doing in this one-horse waterfront suburb? A whole lot of fishing, apparently.
Sardine does what you’d expect: the team source some of Gippsland’s finest, fresh seafood and serve it to patrons in their small, unassuming restaurant. The namesake sardines are served whole, charred with finger lime and coriander, while the true treat could be the charred octopus with chorizo and just the right amount of lemon aioli. Mains to try include a crisp roasted fillet of fish served with celeriac and black garlic and two tempura oyster morsels that steal the show. If you want to take a break from all the seafood, the pork belly cooked in apple cider with savoy cabbage is a real winner.
