Napona

The owners say 'napona' means 'his wave' in the language of the Charomu people of the Marianas Islands, which tells you absolutely nothing about this exciting restaurant with its broad alfresco timber deck, and exhilarating menu of breezy, modern Asian and Mediterranean dishes. Young chef Will Swinton worked with Andrew McConnell at Cumulus, and it shows in the serious charcuterie platter loaded with warm, lush pork-cheek terrine, chorizo, serrano ham and cornichons; the crunchy, golden deep-fried school prawns with basil and aioli; and the house-made fettuccine tossed with fresh local fish and shellfish. It's sometimes hard to tell if what you order will be delicate, such as sashimi kingfish served with a slash of pea and wasabi puree, or full-bore satisfying, such as pink lamb rump paired with chickpea salad, goat's curd and dukkah. A fruity trifle of mango, ginger and orange sweetly layered in a glass tumbler is anything but a mere trifle. Eating in the Grove is definitely looking up.