The Lodge Wadjemup
Boreham Way, Rottnest Island
Ph: (08) 6401 4600
www.thelodgewadjemup.com
An Island Escape at Sunsets
Sunsets Bar & Dining is the latest dining venue to open on Rottnest Island. It is located within The Lodge Wadjemup which has recently upgraded its existing accommodation and added a new modern wing. Wadjemup in Noongar language means ‘place of spirits’ and Sunsets offers a place to sit back, relax and reflect after a busy day exploring beautiful Rottnest Island.
It offers casual dining in a relaxed atmosphere. The venue features comfortable interior seating including a fireplace, and two external alfresco dining areas. The rear alfresco deck area provides expansive views of the Island’s many inland lakes.
The menu can best be described as Mediterranean with some crowd favourites. The drinks menu includes a good selection of tap and bottled beer, popular cocktails and a wine list featuring Australian and International wines.
The first dish we tried was Pink Snapper, Shark Bay Clams, Tuscan Cabbage, Beurre Blanc. The fish is presented skin side up, resting on the cabbage encircled by clams and a beurre blanc sauce. The snapper skin was well caramelised and crispy, while the flesh remained succulent and the clams were tender and sweet. The Tuscan Cabbage was lightly blanched with a good amount of chew factor to offset the softer elements on the plate. The sauce was vibrant, buttery and dill–driven which worked well with the seafood. This dish was matched with a 2023 Deep Woods Estate Single Vineyard Chardonnay (Margaret River). This lightly wooded chardonnay has a green citrus nose with a white peach and nectarine palate finishing with flinty minerality. A great match for seafood with just enough dry acid to cut through the buttery sauce.
The next dish served was Potato Gnocchi, Tiger Prawns, Blue Swimmer Crab, XO Sobrasada. The house-made gnocchi was light and perfectly cooked and the blend of seafood in this dish is outstanding. Generous pieces of tiger prawns that still retain their taste, with tender crab throughout infusing into the sauce which, in turn, is also flavoured with the rich Spanish sobrasada sausage. It is a delicious seafood ragu pasta. Matched with this dish was 2020 Fogarty Family Lowestoft Pinot Noir (Tasmania). The dark red berry, spice and delicate tannins in this well-crafted pinot noir were a great pairing with this savoury seafood dish.
We then tried the Potato Hash, Parmesan Custard, Jamon. The potato hash has a golden crust providing a satisfying crunch while retaining a soft centre. The hash is topped with a rich parmesan custard, jamon crumbs and garlic chives imparting creamy and savoury elements. The Deep Woods chardonnay worked well with this dish.
Our final dish was the Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto, Fremantle Mushrooms. The smoky artichoke is represented in two elements of the dish, as a purée in the perfectly cooked risotto and as thin baked slithers or crisps that add some crunch. A selection of sautéed mushrooms and thyme lend extra earthy herbiness to this tasty dish. The spice and lighter tannins in the pinot noir also paired well with the risotto.
Sitting down with Executive Chef Mathew Powell, he explained that Sunsets’ house specials are their pasta dishes and rotisserie chicken. Their aim is to provide a comfortable, welcoming environment for friends and family to get together. They also cater for conference and function related dining. On weekends, the venue brings a party atmosphere with live music as the sun dips at Sunsets.
By Chris O’Halloran
The Lodge fit-out includes kitchen and bars provided by Caterlink, utilising premium equipment manufactured by Moffat.
