Garum

Westin Hotel
Hibernian Place
480 Hay Street, Perth

Ph: (08) 6559 1870
www.garum.com.au
Roman magic arrives in Perth 
Housed in the historic and tastefully renovated Hibernian Hall, the 120 seat-Garum Restaurant has enormously high jarrah ceilings and jarrah floorboards, and gorgeous arched windows, giving patrons a wonderful feeling of space.
The black stone tables are set with real cloth napkins which I love, and I was also charmed by the bentwood chairs.
The Garum derives its name from a Roman fish sauce, made by salting and fermenting fish in small clay vessels, which was used commonly in ancient Roman cooking.
Our introduction to Perth’s own Roman osteria began with the peperoni, goat curd, basil, capers, and grain dish. The peperoni was completely peeled and so smooth and silky; and the goat curd creamy, while the basil added that extra tang, and the puffed walnuts had a crunch which was delightful.
The Crudo (tuna, garum, orange, sorrel, and beetroot) was finely sliced and dissolved in your mouth. As a fan of raw tuna, this dish’s ingredients, especially the pickled beets and the orange sauce with sorrel, are masterfully balanced.
The Quaglia (quail, honey, garum, fennel, currants, and pine nuts) dish really sang. The sauce was delicious and I enjoyed picking up the bones and denuding them.
But the Tonnarelli (pork ragu) was my favourite. The minced pork was in a wonderfully rich paste, and together with the homemade pasta in a tomato-based sauce, this dish is hard to beat.
The Garum is a result of the collaboration between renowned Australian chef Guy Grossi and The Westin Perth which is situated on the corner of Hay and Irwin Streets in Perth CBD’s East End.
The menu, by head chef Mario di Natale, has a focus on ancient Roman techniques paired with modern Roman classics. Mario is surprisingly young for his position as head chef. His parents are both Italian and hail from Sicily.
Mario said he developed his love for food aged 10 when he started helping his father and brother at a pizza shop after school.
Fast forward nine years when Mario began chef training in Melbourne, and was soon working for Guy Grossi at Florentino’s. He ended up at Ombra as head chef, then came to Perth especially to become Garum’s head chef.
If you think the venue and food is sublime, you’ll be wowed by the kitchen which was designed by Moffat. The combination ovens are by Convotherm; the heavy duty cooking equipment is by Waldorf Bold; the production cooking kettles by Metos; and the blast chiller and freezer by Friginox. Design and consultation with Brian Garcia and Carly Jeffrey was in conjunction with leading foodservice consultants Hospitality Total Services and Caterlink who were engaged to coordinate the installation of all the kitchen and bar for the entire facility.
Garum has extensive breakfast, lunch, dinner and bar menus and is open Monday- Friday from 6am to 10pm, and Saturday/Sunday from 6.30am to 11pm. Aperitivo food and drink specials are on offer between 4.30pm and 6pm. Guests can choose either indoor or outdoor dining, and reservations are recommended.
With Guy Grossi’s signature flair and chef Mario’s magic touch, it’s easy to see why Garum is a gastronomic experience like no other.
By Frances Myshell
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