Lobster Shack Cervantes
37 Catalonia Street, Cervantes
PH: (08) 9652 7010
www.lobstershack.com.au

A Rich Family History

Cervantes, 200km north and a couple of hours drive from Perth is a fishing village. Well, to be fair, it’s rather more than a village now. But back in the early 1960s it was just a collection of shacks, caravans and tents. This was the genesis of Cervantes’ roots as a commercial seafood industry pioneer, famed specifically for its Western Rock Lobster delicacy. Today, the industry has grown to become the home of the most valuable multimillion-dollar single species fishery in Australia, harvesting lobsters primarily for export to markets as far afield as the USA, China and Japan.

However, not all the lobsters are exported. Luckily for us, we get to eat them too. And as seafood never tastes better than when freshly caught, this is where Lobster Shack comes in. As its name implies, ‘The Shack’ traces its roots all the way back to those 1960s pioneer days, when David ‘Dogga’ Thompson began crayfishing on his boat ‘Sea Tips’, the first of many fishing boats to come. Now a substantial family run operation, their export business processes up to 900,000 kilos of lobster in a season. The Shack began life in the late 2000’s as a pop-up window in the factory. The Thompsons admit they never anticipated such rapid success and growth and today the Lobster Shack is a 700-seat venue right beside the ocean. Nautically themed and featuring an aquarium as one might expect, the décor is inviting and
family-friendly, with many large bench tables plus a kids’ playground area. Outside, the view is gorgeous. When we arrived at 10am the morning sunlight was bouncing off the ocean, it was crystal clear and marine turquoise in colour. Simply stunning.

Right, time for some lobster. I start with a ‘greatest hits’ mix of the Shack Seafood Platter and the Cold Seafood Platter – these are The Shack’s ‘destination dishes’, their most popular, the ones that many visitors make it a day trip for and I can see why. These platters have got the lot – grilled rock lobster, Carnarvon king prawns, scallops, pickled octopus, salt and pepper calamari, battered Spanish mackerel and calamari rings, smoked salmon, fried garlic prawns, a bowl of lobster seafood chowder, all on beds of hot fries. All local produce, all delicious.

The lobster meat is tender and firm, absent of any bready texture. It doesn’t need any fancy preparation, because seafood is so often best enjoyed ‘as-is’. Likewise the prawns, scallops and the smoked salmon. The battered mackerel and calamari rings are as high quality as one would expect, and the fried garlic prawns balance the chilli and garlic for most palates, although I can usually go a tad spicier than most. Pickled octopus is a perennial favourite, and this is up there with the best I have tasted.

However, for me, the star supporting players are the salt and pepper calamari and the seafood chowder. The former has a lightness and tangy, zesty delicacy to it that is so often missing from this dish. I would happily order this on its own. Now, lightness is not an adjective that necessarily applies to the seafood chowder, containing as it does generous portions of butter and cream – “Everything that’s not good for you”, laughs manager Nikki Thompson – but it tastes awesome. The chowder base is neither too heavy nor too sweet; rather it’s creamy, rich, savoury and full of lobster meat texture – it gives great ‘umami’. Definitely my new favourite comfort food.

The platter’s deliciousness is paired with a 2021 Deep Woods Ivory Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, a favourite wine find from this trip, as it possesses just the right amount of acidity to act as a palette cleanser without overdoing it.

The next dish up is the Half Rock Lobster Mornay, proving the old culinary adage that there is not much that cannot be improved by slathering melted cheese over it. It’s the same tender and firm lobster meat, now covered in Rose Valley parmesan cheese. What’s not to love?

Freshly Shucked Oysters and Salt and Pepper Octopus Salad are served next alongside – well, if I must – another, larger bowl of the Lobster Seafood Chowder. I am a bit of a sucker for fresh oysters and these are lovely. The trio of toppings – Kilpatrick, breadcrumbs, and cheese and herbs – are tasty, erring to savoury notes over sweet as I prefer, although personally, I would have appreciated one set of oysters to be served au naturel (these are available). The Salt and Pepper Octopus is fried and crunchy in texture and with good flavour, but to my taste buds would benefit from a dollop of the ‘lightness’ that came with the platter’s salt and pepper calamari. The chowder is the chowder again; so good I ate it twice.

The wine pairing on these courses was the excellent 2020 Excuse My French Rosé from Langeudoc, France. While the Thompson’s do endeavour to feature and promote WA and Australian local produce wherever possible, sometimes an import hits just the right spot at just the right price point, which is a fair assessment of this wine. Unlikely to disappoint.

What else? Well, if a beer is what you are after, try their local Lobster Lager with its ‘Living the Dream’ tagline – I don’t doubt it! And a shout out to the managerial and wait staff, all of whom were extremely helpful and courteous.

The Lobster Shack operation features more than just its dining experience, as it has embraced the opportunity to both educate and entertain its guests. Factory tours are available of its adjacent live lobster processing plant, tracing a lobster’s journey from the sorting process to the holding lanes and then the pack-out room. Boat tours (September-April) run out to the nearby Cervantes Islands allowing lucky passengers to get up close with Australian sea lions, one of the world’s rarest seal species; as well as enjoy the unique experience of viewing the other-worldly stark beauty of the Pinnacles Desert from an ocean vantage point. Swimming and snorkelling are encouraged, and stand-up paddleboards are available for hire.

Should you require an overnight stay (highly recommended), the Nambung National Park and its Pinnacles Desert Discovery experience are just 17kms away, and Jurien Bay only 26kms north. The Shack’s nearby sister operation The Lobster Lodge, offers options for deluxe and budget shared accommodation.
However, whether you choose to stay overnight or just make it a day trip, in Cervantes you too are very likely to feel like you are living the dream. As the Thompson’s like to say, enjoy the experience from lobster pot to cooking pot.

By Paul Hindle