Mary’s Underground is ready to rock and roll with the new subterranean restaurant and live music venue swinging open its doors today. It’ll be the first time owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham – better known as the Mary’s burger boys – have gone full-service, but that doesn’t mean you should expect uptight or stuffy. “Yes, we’ll be skirting around terms like fine-dining, but it’s still going to be a party down here. We’re definitely not taking ourselves too seriously,” says Smyth.
With an over-the-top Euro-Australian menu that includes whole rotisserie duck, lobster à l’Australiene and flaming bombe Alaska, trust us – you won’t be thinking about the burgers upstairs. Diners can expect European haute cuisine with a modern Australian spin. “We’ll be using some classic techniques from Italy, Spain and France, and then adding in some local and native ingredients,” Smyth says.
The kitchen will be kitted out with an imported French rotisserie that will be used to roast free range Maremma duck, as well as whole vegetables like sugarloaf cabbage. “The rotisserie is a really nice way to render the duck fat for deliciously crisp skin while still getting that moisture into the breast,” he says. Each blushing slice will be nestled against pickled persimmon and then served in a light persimmon sauce. “Duck and fruit is a classic pairing and the sweet, tart flavour of the persimmons really help to balance out the rich, flavourful duck.”
The menu will also include a fiddly French tart made from pleated puff pastry stuffed with chestnuts, three kinds of cabbage, bitter greens and an oozy Reblochon cheese “to give it some stink and funk,” says Smyth. “I mean, technically it’s a pithivier, but at it’s core it’s a veg pie.” It’s finished with a cauliflower veloute which is poured into the centre of the dish at the table.
Inspired by lobster à l’Américaine, the Mary’s boys have created their own Australian crustacean dish, which will be served in a lemon myrtle butter sauce with dehydrated bush tomatoes and Tasmanian pepper berries. The decadent dish will also come with a side of chunky duck fat potatoes. “It’s as close to surf and turf as we get,” says Smyth. The lobster will be available to order from the restaurant menu as well as The Clam Bar.
A lot of behind-the-scenes effort goes into creating this king of all pork chops. The free range pork, which is sourced from Tathra Place farm in Wombeyan Caves, is first rubbed with koji, a Japanese fungus used in the fermentation of soybeans, then strung up for five days. “The koji adds this intense umami flavour and nuttiness to the pork,” says Smyth. The chop is cooked over the plancha grill then served with radish butter and sautéed Warrigal greens. “The meat is just so sweet and clean tasting with none of that overt ‘swiny-ness’ you can sometimes get.”
A simple Spanish tortilla, made from Desiree potatoes and eggs, gets a classy upgrade with the addition of Tasmanian sea urchin and blue swimmer crab in an aromatic seafood broth made from slow cooked crab shells. It’s finished with a crown of marine botanicals including beach banana, samphire and sea blite, which deliver a cleanness and freshness to the dish. “It’s got some really punchy flavours to it, but at the same time it’s quite elegant.” Vegetarians will also be able to order a Jerusalem artichoke rendition.
Inspired by the famous thousand-layer cake made by Café de la Paix in Paris, Mary’s Underground have put their own spin on the petite French gateaux. The pastry is made in-house using organic rice flour for depth of flavour and a more intense caramelisation. The layers are pumped with a native rosella and rhubarb compote and crème patissiere kisses. “We would have used alpine strawberries if we lived in France, but we don’t so we went with rosella,” says Smyth. “It’s sweet, simple, pretty and has a nice texture to it.”
Mary’s Underground is located at 7 Macquarie Place, Sydney. Opening hours are Mon – Thu 5pm – 1am and Fri – Sat 5pm – 3am. For more details or to book, head to marysunderground.com.
