Southbank hasn’t just scored Australia’s first incarnation of the AC Hotel by Marriott, but also a new 70-seater restaurant, Sorolla, which takes its cues from San Sebastian, Seville and Barcelona. Sister venue Bar Triana is serious about cocktails and runs a tapas menu that includes an interpretation of the iconic Peter Rowland chicken sandwich: soft milk brioche toasted bun, poached chicken, herbs and paprika.

Devised by the Peter Rowland Group, the culinary direction of these seventh-floor venues is in the hands of chef Ryan Flaherty. A three-year stint working in Spain in his formative years has left its mark on the chef, who has carried influences, flavours and techniques with him.

“A lot of those memories started popping up when I was writing the menu, along with meeting suppliers, building my kitchen team and other staff within the hotel,” says Flaherty.

“I have always believed menus are living, breathing entities that take reflection and shape from the people, seasons, design of the space and local surrounds. For our first one,

I think we are off to a nice, humble and tasty start.”

Flaherty’s menu includes a contemporary take on a Madrid-style Lombarda a la Madrileña, with slow-cooked sugar-loaf cabbage in miso and Mount Zero olive oil which is then pressed, grilled and served with a carrot sauce and roasted macadamias.

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“Grilling cabbage has always brought out beautiful, sweet flavours for me, and this combination, with a bit of trial and error, fell our way,” Flaherty says. “It’s a beautiful combination.”

How does baby squid crusted in semolina, pepper and flour sound? Fried for a short time to retain the tenderness and flavour of the squid, it’s then tossed in a mix of Aleppo pepper, sumac and sweet paprika. Served with lemon and a mayonnaise spiked with guindilla peppers, it’s Spanish in origin but also inspired by Flaherty’s love of the flavour of great quality salt and pepper squid. “When not overcooked, it’s amazing,” he says. “So I was looking forward to doing my version when we were testing menu ideas. The mix of the semolina texture and the sumac, Aleppo and sweet paprika seasoning is an absolute flavour ride.”

And if the combination of city views and the chance of a staycation wasn’t sweet enough, Flaherty has dug further into his Spanish food memories with a Crema Catalana, made from a caramelised egg mix that’s blended and then reset, infused with orange zest and vanilla. “A chef I worked with a few years ago showed me this technique,” Flaherty says. “ I think it’s a lovely blend of classic and modern, with hearty Spanish roots.”

Gin-based cocktails are set to be a signature at Bar Triana. It’s home to 28 boutique gin varieties, from an olive leaf gin from local distiller Four Pillars to Monkey 47 from Berlin.

Signature cocktail La Bandera is devised to mimic a Spanish flag, with peach notes and fresh raspberry, using Patient Wolf Gin distilled just minutes away. A European wine focus sees native Spanish varieties like Albarino taking centre stage, while Cava perhaps steals the show Champagne, at half the price.

Sorolla
7/201 Normanby Rd, Southbank
9121 0000
Tue-Thu 6pm-9.30pm, Fri-Sat 6pm–10pm
peterrowland.com.au/venue/sorolla/

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