By Trevor Pepys
Beach House Peter Kuruvita, Sofitel Noosa
Look, to be honest, Trevor has usually given celebrity chef restaurants a wide berth for two reasons: money and hype. The former he doesn’t have, the latter he can’t stand, unless it pertains to his good self, in which case all is forgiven.
But, dear gluttons and gourmands, there have been notable exceptions. Once, some years ago, he did an unlikely walk-up at Rick Stein’s ridiculously over-rated fish caf in Padstow, Cornwall, and was stunned to see a note on the wall that said: “Trevor Pepys always has a table in this restaurant- RS.” As it turned out, the West Country is full of Pepys’s and this one didn’t match the description (probably of a magistrate), but the front of house took pity and allowed me a window table so I could admire the ocean view while choking on the over-cooked haddock.
Then there was the two-hour wait at Jamie Oliver’s “15” in London, by which time Trev and most of his party had to be carried from bar to table. More recently though, Trevor has been pleased to see super chefs acting like real people. First, when we could still fly places, he ran into Neil Perry cooking and serving delicious meatballs in a corner of the Sydney domestic Qantas Club. Then he almost ran over Peter Kuruvita – the Sri Lankan super chef behind Flying Fish in Sydney and Fiji, not to mention a dozen cook books and TV shows – sneaking a few waves on a longboard at First Point.
So, when the youngest, Trevorina, announced she and a mate were off to one of Kuruvita’s special value Sunday lunch Five Pot Curries, dad decided he’d bury his celeb chef prejudices and invite himself along. When this plan was rejected, he then decided he’d gate-crash, knowing that with his irresistible charm, all would soon be forgiven.
Trevor has always been a huge fan of everything Sri Lankan, but particularly the cuisine, dashing by tuk-tuk from hotel to fine dining establishments all over the country, from Colombo’s estimable Cricket Club Caf¨¦ to down-to-earth Mama’s Rooftop in the Galle Fort. And, just days before the luncheon, his appetite had been whetted by a sensational home-cooked beef curry, prepared and served by a Sri Lankan gentleman of impeccable manners and outstanding culinary skill. Bring on Sunday lunch!
Alas and alack, a shocking hangover coupled with a vicious attack of gout saw Trevor bedridden on the appointed day, so Trevorina picks up the story: “To be honest (you see, the apple fell not far from the tree), while the street level parts of the Beach House are light and airy, the restaurant part seemed a little cramped and lacking in ambience, a bit like a canteen. As we sat down at our table, we were thinking, this better be good! And it was, really good.
“Five small pots of curry served all at once with a range of condiments including raita and tamarind chutney. My favourite was a cucumber curry in coconut sauce, my friend raved about the sweetlip. But everything was delicious and authentic, except perhaps the chicken curry, which wasn’t to our tastes. And the dessert of curds and treacle was a perfect finish.”
Trevorina also noted that it was good to see Mr K himself slaving away in the kitchen on a balmy Sunday arvo when he could have been catching a wave.
The verdict: Make no mistake, at $49 a head, the Kuruvita Five Pot Curry Sunday lunch is exceptional value, and is currently only offered until the end of the month. Just beware, the wine list starts in the high fifties and moves north quickly. But there are reasonable choices by the glass. Trevorina and friend opted for an arak concoction to transport themselves to the ambience of a real beach hut in Arugam Bay, and apparently that worked.
Noosa Beach House Restaurant Peter Kuruvita, 16 Hastings Street, Noosa Heads. Phone 5449 4754.
