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[title]When three brothers opened a small 25-seat bistro out in Beaconsfield (a 45-minute drive from Melbourne’s CBD) ten years ago, nobody could have guessed what it would turn into. The initial mission was singular and humble: to work with local farmers and friends to create an experimental, produce-driven à la carte menu. It was a celebration of the community’s efforts and connection to the land, but also a chance for then 23-year-old head chef Blayne Bertoncello to unleash his creativity in food – a lifelong passion he’d embarked on at just 16 years old in his first kitchen role.
And besides, who else was doing something quite like this? Back in 2013 when O.My’s doors first opened, farm-to-table and eco-friendly dining were still just emerging, a new approach only beginning to be embraced by the mainstream. The brothers had a little garden attached to their restaurant and so they ambitiously grew some of their own bits and bobs, but most of it was sourced from neighbouring markets. Needless to say, visitors from both near and far were intrigued.
Fast forward a decade later to O.My’s tenth anniversary, and the clockwork-like operation is more harmonious, happening and self-sustaining than ever. Having secured a large organic farm in Cardinia with more than 400 garden beds, an orchard of 50 fruit trees, a berry patch and beehives, the Bertoncello brothers are leveraging around 800 different plant varieties to offer one of the most eco-diverse and exciting fine dining experiences in the state right now. The menu has switched from à la carte to degustation, so that every dish is harvest-based and a true representation of the season’s bounty.
Each staff member gets their hands dirty on the farm to truly understand and appreciate the produce they’re using, and every Monday, the team ideate new dishes based on what’s available. The menu evolves daily, a living and breathing representation of nature, while meat and dairy are locally sourced from small producers in Gippsland, and seafood with the help of the Good Fish Project from Corner Inlet Fisheries. Anything that doesn’t get used is pickled, fermented or preserved to be innovatively interwoven in the kitchen’s next culinary whims.
It’s a truly impressive and intricate system, to be sure. But while O.My’s commitment to sustainability and minimal-waste dining thoroughly impressed us, it was the brothers’ playful imagination that earned their team Time Out’s Restaurant of the Year award.
We loved the high energy of the staff, the sophisticated wine pairings and the artful presentation of every dish we tried. The ingredients may be rustic, but the creations they’re alchemised into are as elevated as it gets.
We marvelled at pickled Jerusalem artichoke with puree and farm eggs; steamed garfish in a savoury leek, lemon and fish broth; and ephemeral cubes of beetroot and rhubarb gelee and milk caramel. But it was the beef ragout that stole the show, made with whole cuts of local Berwick beef (including the neck) and braised in a rich tomato passata with pureed cauliflower and crinkly snips of kale. We were astounded by the faultless balance of flavours and an unrivalled depth of complexity in the marriage of meat, vegetables and technique.
Seated comfortably in the hushed naturally lit space, you’ll be treated to an unforgettable multi-course meal consisting of novel snacks, entrées, a hearty main, dessert and parting sweets – plus matched wines if you choose (and we highly suggest you do).
From the famous jammy Nord and Sud shiraz duo from Carlei Wines, to Dave Verhuel’s refreshing Fallen Quinces vermouth, the vino game here is strong and you’re talked through every pairing with confidence and a dash of good humour.
There’s an infectious sense of joy at O.My, an optimism and knack for fun that flows from farm to kitchen and, blessedly for us, to table. The brothers spend as much time out in the dining room as they do in the kitchen, and you feel as if you’re part of something special. And truly, you are.
So a big congrats to O.My for having shone the brightest for us in Melbourne. Here’s to another epic decade and we can’t wait to see what adventures lie ahead for the team, in the seeds they plant and the success they’ll undoubtedly continue to sew. The sky’s the limit.
Read our full review of O.My here.