“Soups and roasts”: the menu
Thick soups, one roast each evening and puddings that arrive with custard, cooked behind the old pay window.
“Soups, roasts and puddings”
Soups
Strawberry pavlovaA crisp meringue shell topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, finished with berry sauce.
Coconut lamingtonsSquares of light sponge coated in chocolate and desiccated coconut, served ready for afternoon tea.- Cream of mushroom soupField mushrooms cooked slowly with thyme, then finished with cream and a little parsley.
- Pumpkin and sage soupRoasted pumpkin blended smooth, with crisp sage leaves and a spoonful of sour cream.
- Chicken and corn soupA golden broth with sweetcorn, shredded chicken and a thread of egg, as served in country kitchens.
Roasts and mains
Mixed berry pavlovaLayers of crisp meringue and whipped cream, piled high with fresh raspberries and blueberries.
Fish with garden greensTender white fish served over colourful vegetables and tomato sauce, topped with fresh garden greens.
Crumbed fish filletsGolden crumbed fish fillets with creamy mashed potato, roasted tomato, lemon and fresh dill.- Marlo flathead and chipsCrumbed flathead fillets with thick chips, tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon.
- Baked chicken with herbsA half chicken roasted with garlic and thyme, served with roast potatoes and greens.
- Beef and vegetable casseroleSlow-cooked topside, carrots and onions in a rich sauce, ladled over creamy mash.
- Mushroom and leek pieA vegetarian pie of mushrooms, leeks and cheese in a short pastry, with mash and gravy.
Puddings
Creamy salmon orecchietteOrecchiette pasta topped with seared salmon, cherry tomatoes and spinach in a light cream sauce.
Beef carpaccioThinly sliced rare beef with mushrooms, fresh sprouts, shaved cheese and a savoury dressing.- Apple pie with custardTart green apples under a lattice of pastry, served with vanilla custard or ice cream.
Seared liver with capsicumSeared slices of liver served on creamy mash, topped with roasted red capsicum and pan juices.- Bread and butter puddingThick slices of buttered bread baked in custard with sultanas and a sugared crust.
- Butterscotch tartA crisp pastry case filled with soft butterscotch and finished with a little cream.
Tea and cold drinks
Pour-over coffeeFreshly brewed filter coffee, poured by hand into a glass pot and served strong and black.
Pot of teaFreshly steeped tea poured from a china pot and served warm in a matching cup.- Ginger cordialFresh ginger simmered with lemon and sugar, served with chilled water over ice.
- Apple juicePressed from Gippsland apples, served cold in a tall glass.
“Nothing that needs explaining”
Stuart Butler is of the opinion that a dish ought to speak for itself, and his menu is accordingly plain. Soups are made from stock he simmers himself, pastry is rolled by hand each morning, and the roast changes with the day of the week and the contents of the cold room. Nothing is deep-fried that could be baked, and nothing is baked that could be simmered.
He buys locally wherever he can. The beef comes from properties along the river flats, the cheese from a dairy within a short drive, the flathead from the lakes and the vegetables from growers close to the coast. In autumn, he picks the berries for the lilly pilly jelly himself, from the trees along the creek behind the rainforest walk.
Dinner is served in the order in which a person would naturally want it: soup first, a roast or a pie after it, and a pudding to follow, with tea at the end. A party that wishes to omit a course is welcome to do so, and the kitchen will never press anyone to order more than they want.
- Stock
- Simmered in the kitchen from the bone
- Pastry
- Rolled each morning, by hand
- Jelly
- Berries picked from the creek trees in autumn
“Is the roast always the same?”
Do you serve lunch or breakfast?
No. The lounge opens at half past four in the afternoon and serves dinner only. The kitchen begins preparing at about noon, and guests who arrive earlier are welcome to wait with a pot of tea in the hall.
Is the roast always the same?
It changes with the day. Beef is the roast on Sundays, pork on Fridays and lamb on Wednesdays, while chicken and the casserole fill the remaining evenings. The exact choice is shown on the board at the door.
May I order a pudding only?
Certainly. A pudding and a pot of tea is a perfectly respectable evening, and the kitchen has no minimum for anything. Many of our regulars come at the end of the dinner hour for exactly that.
Are there vegetarian dishes?
Always. A vegetable soup and a mushroom and leek pie are on the card every evening, and the kitchen can adapt a roast plate with extra vegetables. Please mention it when booking, and Stuart will plan the meal.
Where does the produce come from?
Mostly from East Gippsland. Beef from the river flats, cheese from a nearby dairy, flathead from the lakes and berries from the creek. Stuart will happily tell you the name of the farm if you ask him.
From the pass
