Dine Out: Chardonnay and Shells

Some things are just meant to go together. If you ask Rick Stein, chardonnay and seafood is right up there. For this year’s Dine Out festival, the globally renowned chef will serve a limited-run shellfish menu built around the classic pairing at his handsome Coogee diner. Bookings are encouraged but not essential.

Running alongside the à la carte offering for the festival week only, the menu includes four shellfish dishes travelling from the French coast to Goa and southern China, matched with an optional chardonnay poured by the glass. Pairings include: 

• Mussels in a poulette sauce of cream, lemon and parsley / Silkman chardonnay, Hunter Valley, NSW
• Goan lobster masala / Domaine Naturaliste Artus Chardonnay, Margaret River, WA
• Grilled king prawns with XO sauce / Domaine Laroche Chablis Saint Martin, Burgundy, France
• Vongole with garlic and a Spanish nut picada / Rick Stein chardonnay, Burgundy, France

With the Pacific Ocean just beyond the windows, it’s a chance to drink and eat your way around the chardonnay map without leaving Coogee.