Multimillion-dollar renovations were overseen by Farago Han Studio, behind Darlinghurst’s boozer-meets-bistro, The Waratah. The public bar has shuffled upstairs, offering a sheltered rooftop with a pleasingly earthy palette and plenty of nooks for appreciating Chiem’s skill (the floral martini-ish Benny Blanco is a standout).

The restaurant occupies street level, a warmly-lit space punctuated by tactile modern art. The whole thing is a textural experience, from the heft of Portuguese-made cutlery to rough-hewn oak tables and slinky joinery. It’s a fitting prelude to the menu, where Gerrard has been given free reign on plates that edge into fine-dining territory at prices just north of what you’d pay at the most pedestrian nearby pubs.

Snacks start off strong, persimmon crescents nestled in a rich liver mousse on a crisp wafer of chicken skin, sprinkled with Davidson plum powder. A smoked eel dip is surprisingly delicate, with a still life of crudite including crisp zucchini flowers and peppery witlof. While restraint is all the rage in many contemporary bistros, Gerrard has gone the other way. It’s obvious that the chef is having a ball, and it’s a joy to eat.

Gerrard has brought WA with him in the signature Manjimup marron. The crustacean sits astride a brothy sweet corn risotto; a chilli oil drizzle and crunchy ice plant completing an indulgent entree that Hemmings says “perfectly represents what we do”.

Representative too, perhaps, is the fried rice. Combining unorthodox toasty brown rice, romesco aioli and pickled Newcastle Greens biquinho chillies with hunks of banana prawn and char siu pork, it tastes like the socarrat on a well-cooked paella. The Pilbara-reared Pardoo wagyu, doused in a truffle-laced mushroom sabayon, makes us curious to try the Pardoo sandwich on Gerrard’s bar menu. Even the baby gem lettuce reveals hidden depths, with chilled pomelo jewels.

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