Media Release
Matt Moran and Solotel unveil the spring menu by executive chef Thomas Gorringe, as the venue reopens. Continuing to build upon the lauded fine dining restaurant’s legacy of supporting Australian producers and suppliers, the menu will feature produce partners Maremma Free Range Duck, Pepe Saya, Moran Family Farm and Leeuwin Coast Oysters.
With a career that includes stints at Pier One’s hatted restaurant The Gantry, hatted Berrima restaurant Eschalot, Bentley Restaurant and Bar, Sydney’s Otto and Bearfoot Bistro in Canada, Thomas has spent several years honing a paddock-to-plate approach to fine dining and a seasonal produce ethos that is present within his debut menu.
“I’m honoured to be joining the Aria team and debuting our new spring menu”, says Thomas. “We are privileged to be working with some of Australia’s greatest producers and suppliers, and this menu is a celebration of that. Matt and I share a passion for the land and our endemic ingredients and I think that is definitely something you can taste on the plate – from beautiful Aussie mangoes and mulberries to coral trout, Murray cod and kangaroo, it’s a taste of the land”.
Menu highlights include white asparagus with jersey milk, sorrel & buckwheat; glazed maremma duck, salsify, nectarines & chicory; steamed murray cod, charred eggplant, baby corn & anchovy; torched bonito with tasmanian wasabi, green strawberries & kombu; moreton bay bug with tamarind xo, macadamia & sugar loaf cabbage; lightly cured paroo kangaroo, beetroot, mulberries & juniper; and mango, elderflower, white chocolate & coconut for dessert.
The new menu will be complemented by one of the most awarded wine lists in the country, showcasing the diverse range from smaller Australian winemakers with an emphasis on wines that speak to a sense of place, through to a reinvested passion of Burgundy to the already formidable offering. “The wine program is coming back with a vengeance after being kept quiet for so many months. The extra maturation period for the long term cellar program is bringing another layer of depth out of the dark and onto the list”, says Kirkwood.
Aria is open Wednesday – Saturday for dinner, as well as for Friday lunch. Bookings available via ariasydney.com.au
About Thomas Gorringe
Thomas Gorringe is the newly appointed executive chef of renowned Sydney fine-dining restaurant, Aria. Originally from the Southern Highlands, Thomas cut his teeth within Bowral’s Milton Park Country House and Sydney’s Otto restaurant, before moving abroad to take up the role of senior sous chef at Bearfoot Bistro in Canada, in 2012. Here, he was introduced to luxury ingredients and the importance of seasonal dining, working closely with local producers and suppliers to create award-winning menus within the confines of Canada’s harsh seasonal availability. Returning home in 2014, Thomas was appointed head chef of hatted Eschalot restaurant in Berrima NSW, where he spent two years honing his paddock to plate ethos, sourcing ingredients directly from the on-site kitchen garden and local artisans. Relocating to Sydney in 2015, Thomas worked at renowned Bentley Restaurant and Bar before joining Pier One’s hatted restaurant, The Gantry, where he worked for over five years. Now, Thomas will join Matt Moran and Aria’s general manager Alex Kirkwood, in continuing Aria’s fine-dining legacy and spearheading the creation of Aria Wine Bar, set to launch later this year.
About Aria
A synergy of many elements, in an unrivalled harbourside location, Aria is one of Australia’s finest restaurants. Bringing together the vision of owners Matt Moran and Bruce Solomon, Aria showcases the best seasonal produce and a world-class wine list in a stunning, art-filled space with sweeping Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge views. Since opening in 1999, Aria has been awarded a total of 35 Good Food Guide chef hats and has held two hats every year since 2013. The restaurant has also accumulated 36 stars in Gourmet Traveller’s Australian Restaurant Guide.
