Dinner at IDES in early Spring started with cucumber ‘boats’ bristling with pickled mustard seeds and ended (some hours later) with rosemary scented kiwifruit.

In between, we tasted a succession of dishes that had us marvelling at the ingenuity of its guiding light, Peter Gunn.

This Kiwi chef (ex-Attica, Royal Mail) opened IDES, his first solo venture, 18 months ago. The cooking and the service took time to settle. But Gunn, a restless experimenter, is now turning fewer dishes over and honing a vocabulary all of his own.

Composition matters. A single oyster is marooned on water splashed pebbles. A grapefruit bowl cradles honey, blood orange and freeze-dried truffle.

But Gunn’s big quest is flavour and he doesn’t need esoteric ingredients to find it. Smoked herring enriches roasted beetroot, black garlic lurks in baked barramundi, and beef short rib – cooked to perfection over 19 hours, is attended by grilled lime, spiced cream cheese and duck-fat carrots.

Gunn’s young brigade deliver the dishes, animating a sleek room upholstered with felt and leather, while sommelier Raffaele Mastrovincenzo is on hand to craft inspired wine pairings.

Most of the time, IDES finds that sweet spot where everything is in balance.

Must eat dish: Beef short rib, spiced cream cheese, carrots, grilled lime
Instagram: @idesmelbourne