By Trevor Pepys
Bombetta, Noosa Junction, reviewed by Trevor Pepys
A long, long time ago, two crazy Frenchmen rolled into Noosa, separately but around the same time, and in between skinny-dipping on the sandy beaches of the outer bays and sipping caf¨¦ noirs while they beat the best at chess, they cooked up a storm and turned our taste buds on their heads.
I’m sure you’ll read more about of these fine fellows in issues of the paper to come, but today Trevor wants to reference the culinary legacy of Luc Turschwell, which, in addition to great memories of Luc-flavoured festivities at such establishments as Belmondo’s, Gaston, Caf¨¦ Le Monde and La Sabbia, and the old fellow’s ongoing cooking classes, includes the skills of son Pascal, seen around town for a couple of decades now and until recently at Gaston II and currently at Bombetta in Noosa Junction.
To say the pomme didn’t fall far from the tree (one of Trev’s fave expressions of the moment) is an understatement, for Pascal has long shown a penchant for combining his old man’s savoir faire with a bit of his own je ne sais quoi. (And if you’re finding Trev’s franglaise un peu nause¨¦, I’ll stop it right here.)
While Pascal’s Gaston was a bit like a Parisian bistro without the attitude, Bombetta veers more towards the eclectic/eccentric d¨¦cor of some of Trev’s most-favoured hang-outs. The original Heteroclito on the ocean steps at Guethary in the French Basque country springs to mind, a fabulously loony caf¨¦ and wine bar where Trev would arrive early to grab the most comfortable seat in the house, an old barber’s chair whose sagging springs offered a soothing rectal massage every time he leaned forward to refill his glass.
With the culinary and culturally deprived Fraser Island mates in tow, Trevor and the bride recently grabbed a battered banquette table, safely to one side of the interesting ceiling-drop wine rack, and settled in for a sunset hour dinner. Bombetta styles itself as an “Italian restaurant and bar”, so naturally the accent is on pasta and pizza, but the first nice touch I noticed was a nod to the late, great Noosa restaurateur Edi Brunetti, with a vodka and Frangelico-based cocktail named in his honour. Trev would have gladly raised an Edi in memory of the old rascal, but he was already quaffing a Pete’s Pure Pinot Grigio ($40), so next visit, Ed.
The second thing that Trev noticed at Bombetta is that the wine list is not cheap, possibly a little Hastings Street bracket creep. However, the very good news is that there is a limited but excellent $60 dinner special, just as there used to be at Gaston, which includes two mains and a bottle of wine. So even at Trev’s gargantuan guzzle rate, with an extra bottle of Pete’s Pure, you can eat and drink well for $50 a head, and that’s a steal in Noosa.
Having eaten nothing but flathead for a month, the K’gari mob went big time with the blackboard special of crispy skin barramundi ($39) and the pork fennel seed and caramelized apple bombettas ($34). Mrs K’gari pronounced the barra an “original and delicious combo”, finding the pickled apple accompaniment a rare and wonderful treat. He also enjoyed the pork wrapped in prosciutto, served with tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil salad, although he thought it read better than it ate. Having sampled it while K’gari was on an old man loo break, Trev reckons he’s been on the lizards too long, and wouldn’t know a damn fine skinless sausage if it slapped him. But at least he had the good sense to wash it all down with a good bottle of Twill & Daisy Pinot Noir Shiraz ($40) which Trev also sampled, and gives a thumbs up.
The bride and Trev shared mains off the bargain menu, her an excellent and delicate spaghetti carbonara, him a “Funky Funghi” pizza in which the earthy flavours of the mushies and the truffle oil complemented each other perfectly. For desserts, we all split a tiramisu ($15 and awesome) and an orange and almond torte with mascarpone ($16 and not far behind).
Trev went to the kitchen to thank the host, but Pascal was out delivering. Just like the old bloke, not afraid of hard work.
The verdict: funky and fun, great service and, if you stick to the special menu, one of the best value feeds in town.
Bombetta Italian Bar & Restaurant, 77 Noosa Drive. Open Monday to Saturday 3pm till late. Phone 5343 1778.
