Pair’d: Culinary adventures in Western Australia’s Margaret River

The Australian woman beside me had won her seat in a competition, and we nattered over lost love, heartbreak, scorn … perhaps a little too loudly.

Meelup Beach wasn’t just about the food; it was about the company, laughter shared over plates and glasses, and the thrill of tasting something entirely new.

Of course, there was dancing – and a few extra Aperol spritzes.

The first oyster I have ever eaten was slimy, briny, and decently garlicky. Photo / Ben Tomsett

The previous evening, another Pair’d event was just as extravagant – though with less footwork: de’sendant x Cloudstreet was a lush dinner hosted at de’sendant restaurant in Margaret River township. Two premier chefs, Rishi Naleendra of Cloudstreet and Evan Hayter of de’sendant, joined forces to create an impossibly lavish menu.

Upon arrival, we were presented with a choice of sweet or savoury Belvedere Tomato Martinis, accompanied by canapés of salt-baked beetroot with Malay pickle and goat’s cheese, and pickled Albany rock oysters with olive oil. I skipped the oysters, but the regret may have nudged me toward trying the delicacy the next day.

The evening was resplendent. Cooks worked in an open kitchen next to diners, and the wine flowed generously. Crab consommé arrived, served with celeriac custard, kaffir lime and chilli, paired with Krug 172ème Edition – a bottle of which goes for more than my weekly rent.

The meal at de’sendant x Cloudstreat was a stunning combination of two premier chefs in one of Margaret River’s finest restaurants. Photo / Pair’d

Next, Manjimup marron in Sri Lankan tomato curry with lychee achaar, paired with a 2012 Howard Park Porongurup Riesling. I learned that marron is a kind of yabby native to Western Australia, a rare delicacy. I prodded at the fleshy tail swimming in yellow curry and gave in to the pairing wine.

Vegetable tortellini in a light oil sauce followed, with 2017 Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay. Then came the centrepiece: Futari wagyu sirloin with roasted celeriac and black garlic, paired with a 2014 Marchand & Burch Clos Vougeot Grand Cru.

Premiere chefs Rishi Naleendra of Cloudstreet (right) and Evan Hayter of de’sendant, joined forces to create an impossibly extravagant menu. Photo / Pair’d

Before dessert, fine local cheeses appeared alongside a selection of spirits and sweet wines; I chose a Hennessy VSOP Cognac, because it made me feel like Hemingway.

Later, the chefs described the emotional geography of their food. Naleendra described never quite fitting into a neat culinary box – Sri Lankan, Melbourne, Singapore, French.

“It’s what I’ve lived,” he told us. Sri Lankan childhood, Melbourne kitchens, then Singapore, where Cloudstreet earned its Michelin star and where he eventually stopped trying to avoid his roots. “With age, something’s happened. I eat Sri Lankan food five days a week now.” Covid had forced Cloudstreet into takeaways, and it was Sri Lankan curry that kept the business alive.

Hayter, by contrast, stressed locality. After years running Arimia, an off-grid restaurant two kilometres down a dirt track, he thought a small diner in town would be easier. “What a nightmare,” he said, grinning. He told us he still operates with the same stubborn commitment: tiny growers, fishermen who bring back whatever the ocean gives them, barrels of wine made just down the road. The crystal crab served that night, dragged up from 600 metres of water off Augusta, was a reminder of how much of the region’s finest produce goes quietly unseen, he said.

Italian opera singer Silvia Colloca’s performance in the ancient and sacred Ngilgi Cave’s was a special moment unique among other Pair’d celebrations. Photo / Pair’d

The following afternoon, we ventured into a completely different indulgence. At Ngilgi Caves, Wadandi custodian Josh Whiteland led a slow walk through bushland, sharing stories of his people. Bushfood canapés of kangaroo, emu, beef tartare, and a glass of Margaret River wine followed on the decking above the cave.

Then we descended underground. Limestone walls breathed cool, humid air, stalagmites jutted from the roof, and Whiteland’s didgeridoo rolled through the chambers. Italian soprano Silvia Colloca’s voice circled above, surreal and haunting, echoing through the cavern. She sang in Italian, but one didn’t need a translator to know she sang of yearning, love and desire.

Burnt Ends & Friends was a highlight, arranged by Michelin-starred chef Dave Pynt along with Australian chefs Francis Mallmann and Don Macdonald, New Zealand’s Andy Hearnden, and Wills Domain’s Sergio Labbe and Jed Gerrard. Photo / Pair’d

That evening swung back to spectacle, an event that was right up my alley: Burnt Ends & Friends. Dave Pynt, Michelin-starred from Singapore’s Burnt Ends, returned to Western Australia with a team of culinary Avengers: Francis Mallmann, Andy Hearnden, Don Macdonald, and Wills Domain’s Sergio Labbe and Jed Gerrard.

The Wills Domain terrace became a constellation of pits, domes, smokers, and asados, each belching heat and promise.

Francis Mallmann’s potato bread roll with dome-hung wagyu ribeye, domino potato and chimichurri sauce was, undoubtedly, the best thing I have ever eaten. Photo / Ben Tomsett

Guests wandered between stations, charred vegetables still snapping from the grill, smoky meats pulled and plated still steaming, embers crackling at their ankles. At the far end, a whole pig on a spit was being rotated and basted before becoming succulent pulled pork sliders.

I returned several times to Mallmann’s table, where he served potato bread rolls with dome-hung wagyu ribeye, domino potato and chimichurri sauce. It may have been the greatest thing I’ve ever eaten.

The final Pair’d event, The Grand Tasting, was held at Howard Park Wines. Photo / Pair’d

The festival’s grand finale was the Grand Tasting at Howard Park Wines, a four-hour celebration of iconic vintages, limited releases, and winemaker favourites. Acclaimed chef Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca crafted dishes that paired seamlessly with wines. Local winemakers hawked their wares, and guest speakers shared insights into the craft of winemaking.

By the final day of Pair’d, I was exhausted from the wining and dining yet wired with excitement at all I had seen, tasted and learned. My palate was transformed, and I was ready for the next culinary adventure – perhaps the Bluff Oyster Festival …

Checklist

MARGARET RIVER | WESTERN AUSTRALIA

GETTING THERE

Fly from Auckland to Perth direct or with one stopover with Air New Zealand, Qantas, or Singapore Airlines. From Perth, it’s a three-hour drive to the Margaret River region.

DETAILS

Pair’d Margaret River | pairdmargaretriver.com

Tourism Western Australia | westernaustralia.com

Margaret River Region | margaretriver.com

The journalist travelled courtesy of Tourism Western Australia.