Jack Ellis

When I took my first bite of the tuna tostada, I was certain we were in for a good night. The bladework on the fish demonstrates knowledge and care, and the pairing of avocado and lime mayo makes for a perfectly balanced covering for the tostada chip. Beside it on the table, the ‘local fish ceviche’ is served in a skull-sized, coconut shell; the slices of bream sitting thumb-deep in a tiger’s milk liquor of lime, bright-green cherry tomatoes, mild chillies, coriander and cucumber. Although bream wouldn’t usually be my first choice of fish for a ceviche, it’s fresh and undeniably local. I had seen plate-sized bream circling the wharf pylons when I explored the water’s edge prior to the reservation. And, after tasting this unimprovable version, I think bream will now be my first choice for tiger’s milk ceviche. So far, so great. Quarterdeck is housed in an old-style, timber oyster shed, built out over the inexplicably blue waters of the Wagonga Inlet in Narooma, a five-hour drive south of Sydney. All tables have a view of the azure-blue inlet through white-painted window frames, and the décor is unmistakably Polynesian. The cocktail bar is fringed with seagrass, and there are vintage black-and-white portraits of Samoan royalty. The décor appears to be a nod to its former life as a Tiki-style band venue. The illuminated sign over the front door still describes Quarterdeck as ‘The Little Red House of Tunes’. The next dish out is the charcoal grilled citrus pork belly, served with