Teage Ezard teams up with winery on Yarra Valley restaurant project
Teage Ezard returns to his European training for his wine-inspired menu, Roslyn Grundy reports.
Forget galangal, kaffir lime and chilli. For his new restaurant project, chef Teage Ezard is setting aside the Asian ingredients that have helped define his cooking and will instead lean heavily on his European training.
Work began last week on Ezard at Levantine Hill, a 100-seat restaurant and cellar door in Coldstream that's being called the most ambitious project in the Yarra Valley since Domaine Chandon opened in 1986.
Designed by Karl Fender of Fender Katsalidis Architects, it is part of a multi-million dollar plan for the 18-month-old Levantine Hill wine label, which began with planting 23 hectares of premium grapes and which may eventually encompass luxury accommodation beside the Yarra River.
The gently curved space will include three barrel-shaped private tasting booths, a bar, retail outlet, a terrace overlooking the vines and a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The food will be recognisably "Ezard-esque", says the chef, but will be designed to complement Levantine Hill winemaker Paul Bridgeman's labours and showcase Yarra Valley produce.
Ezard at Levantine Hill is expected to open in July 2015.
Roslyn Grundy is Good Food's deputy editor and the former editor of The Age Good Food Guide.