When Broadsheet spoke to Jamie Musgrave back in May, Restaurant Botanic’s new executive chef was excited to broaden the focus beyond the garden shining a spotlight on small producers around the state and further afield. Now, his debut menu has hit the pass, making great use of the garden’s bounty – from bunya and bush tomato to warrigal greens and wattleseed – as well as premium produce from suppliers like Something Wild, Creative Native and Afishanado.
“We are now nudging out from the garden to explore unique native ingredients and flavours from across Australia,” says Musgrave. “It's a journey towards deeper, more indulgent tastes.”
That vision is on display in the crocodile-fat tortilla, enriched with croc lard and topped with squid tentacles and saltbush. And a very Aussie high- lowbrow scented emu bush scroll.
The over-20 item tasting menu builds upon the world-class dining experience set out by Justin James, who left in July after catapulting the fine diner to national and international acclaim alongside Musgrave as head chef. The newly promoted chef is also drawing from his time with WA heavyweight Vasse Felix and roving restaurant Fervor, where he gained firsthand knowledge in First Nations culture, native ingredients and foraging.
Musgrave says he aims to expand the use of native ingredients in the future, too. Below, he walks us through some highlights of the new menu.
Crocodile fat tortilla, Atherton almond, tentacles and saltbush
This dish is inspired by my good friend William Leigh who travelled throughout South America researching tacos. This croc version brings together unique Australian ingredients for a modern take on one of his recipes. Usually made with pork lard, this taco is instead enriched with crocodile fat, lending it a bold and slightly gamey depth. For the filling, we’ve crafted a paste of fermented peppers and Atherton almonds, providing a tangy and nutty contrast. This is paired with crisp squid tentacles dusted in a blend of dried koji and squid garum and fried to add a satisfying crunch and umami complexity.
The dish is then dressed with a vibrant paste of chilli de arbol and fresh, local seaweeds, infusing each bite with a smoky, briny finish. The taco is finished with a delicate saltbush salad, bringing a crisp, herbaceous note that ties all the elements together. This dish celebrates the fusion of traditional techniques with native Australian ingredients.
Southern calamari, native lemon grass, native ginger, fermented green almonds and Geraldton wax
The squid is cured between layers of kombu and then sliced into thin, delicate sheets. These sheets are rolled with sunrise lime and fermented green almonds. The dish is finished with a consommé made from squid, native ginger, and native lemongrass, and dressed with Geraldton wax.
To me, southern calamari is quintessentially South Australian – it's a beloved staple here. Native lemongrass is an exceptional ingredient that's rarely seen on menus, so I wanted to showcase it. We source the native ingredients from our friends at Creative Native, and the squid is locally sourced from Port Lincoln.
Donnybrook marron, sea lettuce, sunrise lime, smoked eel and lemon myrtle
The marron is grilled over redgum and brushed with a sea lettuce butter, then placed atop a paste made from sunrise lime and fermented green chilli. The dish is finished with a sauce of smoked eel and koji, and dressed with fried sea lettuce and lemon myrtle blossoms.
Growing up, one of my fondest memories was catching marron at midnight and cooking it for breakfast. I cherish those moments and aim to keep shellfish dishes simple, allowing their delicate flavours to be the hero. The marron is sourced from Western Australia.
Victorian emu flat fillet smoked in paperbark, warrigal greens and karkalla, emu liver and truffle
The emu flat fillet is cooked in a paperbark parcel with bush tomato and mountain pepperleaf, served rare, and topped with a generous amount of Manjimup black winter truffle. Warrigal greens and karkalla (beach bananas) are prepared in a mountain pepper and brown butter emulsion, and finished with radish flowers. Emu liver is made into a paste with warrigal greens, seasoned with fennel pollen and bottlebrush from the garden. The dish is completed with a sauce made from fermented onions and preserved truffle.
Cooking in paperbark is a technique I learned while working in the Kimberleys with Paul Iskov from Fervor. Growing up near Manjimup, truffle season was always an exciting time for me as a cook, and truffles remain one of my favourite ingredients to use.
Sea urchin, bush tomato, desert lime and wattleseed
Fresh sea urchin tongues are marinated in bluefin tuna garum. Swamp wattle seeds are infused into butter and then incorporated into a brioche. The toast is dressed with a bush tomato emulsion and a salsa made from desert limes and ice plant. The dish is finished with green tree ants from the Northern Territory.
My love for sea urchin stems from my time in Japanese fish markets, where I savoured fresh uni. This dish is a fusion of those memories and the unique flavours of Australia. Currently, we serve sea urchin sourced from Tasmania, bringing a touch of the pristine southern waters to our table.
Warm paperbark mousse, strawberry gum and macadamia
Paperbark is set alight and then infused into milk, which is then transformed into a mousse with caramelised white chocolate. At the bottom of the bowl lies a jelly made from strawberry gum (a type of eucalyptus) and a macadamia cake crisped in brown butter. The dish is finished with fresh strawberry gum. The warm mousse is designed to melt the jelly, creating pockets of consommé throughout.
Paperbark is a fascinating ingredient. Its flavour, when toasted and scorched, is truly remarkable. It’s exciting to showcase it in a dessert, challenging the common perception that it is suited only for savoury dishes.
