By Trevor Pepys
Trevor Pepys reviews Iggy Sun, Noosa Junction
Knowing that Trevor eats and drinks professionally, the good mates from down the road usually invite him and the missus to their splendidly appointed townhouse for a superb repast, knowing that away from his daily mission to investigate affordable food options for needy Noosans, Trevor can relax, unwind, stop talking about himself in the third person and possibly even pass wind at the table.
But they are too kind, and on this occasion Trevor insisted that we sally forth and break bread at a public establishment. The text came back immediately: “Have you tried Iggy Sun at the Junction yet? He (Marcus) was chef at Hand of Fatima in Peregian, Persian-inspired and a master of subtle spices.”
Subtle isn’t very Trev, it must be said, but I liked the description of a basic family-run hole in the wall caf serving Middle Eastern delights at decent prices, and BYO to boot. Not that Trev’s travelled widely in the Arab world, although he’s done his time in the souks and riads of Marrakech, and his palate came of age in the Cleveland Street Lebs Cafs, but Iggy sounded worthy of a go.
There being only three tables, Iggy does a couple of dinner sessions, and we arrived for the second, meaning that apart from the hipster watering holes, the Junction was pretty much dead for the night. But the crew at Iggy Sun was anything but spent, full of bonhomie and fast to find a bucket for the wine and to start explaining the menu, which, it must be said, took time.
Mathematics was never Trev’s strong suit, and he had enjoyed a few healthy slugs before venturing out, so it took a while to understand that at a set menu of five share plates per couple, four people get to eat everything they’ve got. So if you disregard the menu and just say, bring me the lot, you’ll be doing yourself a favour.
Anyway, there were no Persian rugs at Iggy Sun that Trev could see, and the circuitous trip around the building to the dunny was a hazard of construction work on an apparently troublesome roof, so in terms of venue character, the place rated a near-perfect score. Trev’s rustic restaurant rule #14 – if the stairs give way as you climb them, and it looks like the roof might cave in, you are in for a culinary treat.
Cutting to the chase, the five share plate deal ($40 per person) starts with a bread, bean and caramelised onion starter, then offers a choice over three share-sized courses. We skipped the artichoke tarte tatin in the first for the Moroccan veal and the tuna kibbeh with tahine, both delicious. We sipped an impertinent Algerian rose through this course – no we didn’t, there’s no such thing, we drank our Provencal BYO.
Next it was the harissa roast sirloin strips with wild mushroom and Israeli (covering both bases) couscous, and an ocean trout moussaka with eggplant. In this, the sirloin starred, the fish a little bland. But the vegetarian offerings in the next section, a baked ricotta with salad and baked potato and fried fetta with creamy leek, lifted the game once more. My friend and neighbour was right, you might be in a shopfront that needs work, but the style, flavour and subtlety of several of Iggy’s dishes was engaging, and unlike I’ve had in Noosa since Luc Turschwell started reinventing his mumma’s Algiers cooking.
Finally, a chocolate and cranberry cookie and washed rind, caramelised oat crumb and pistachio dessert to finish. Trev doesn’t normally list every element for brevity’s sake, but there was a reassuring hint of all of the above in these two complementary and excellent sweets.
Iggy has a basic wine list and a fair deal on wine by the glass at $8 each for three or $9 for two. Given the fact that the corkage is $10 per person rather than bottle, you might want to factor that in, unless the boss is paying.
The verdict: Disregard the confusing menu construction, the construction works and the whole look of the place, and go with your gut. This is great tucker, simple ethnic dishes done well, and with flavoursome combinations.
Iggy Sun, 32A Sunshine Beach Rd, Noosa Junction. Phone 0478 627317 for bookings.
