You know that Tasting Australia is in town when it’s difficult to get a reservation. If a restaurant isn’t booked out, it might not be worth going to. That, or it’s on the wrong side of town, struggling to attract patrons to walk further than a city mile.

Located in Norwood, arkhé is outside of that boundary, but firmly in the orbit of the festival. Eighteen months after it opened, this fired-up hotspot is still going strong. It hardly needs a heavily promoted event to fill its tables, but on this packed-out Tuesday night industry types and chefs from near and far are spilling out of the dining space into the bar seating area, all of them waiting to try the lauded snacks of Jake Kellie and his team, working hard over the flames and coals of arkhé’s central furnace.

We’ve risked a walk-in, which would usually land us in the seated bar area, where cocktails and snacks reign supreme. However, through some minor miracle – or, more likely, the organised efforts of an excellent hospitality team – we snag a table in prime position. A step away from the action at the dining bench, but close enough to still feel the heat from the kitchen.

Cool relief comes in the form of a Champagne, carefully selected from one of the best sparkling lists in town, and then onto Chablis – a favourite of resident sommelier Bhatia Dheeraj, and, coincidently, of mine.

The feeling here can best be described as electric, which is funny, because they have none of that in the sleek timber-topped space. Appliances are banned in the arkhé kitchen, where everything from snacks to desserts are prepared using traditional techniques, fire, and plenty of well-practised skill. Despite the back-to-basics approach here, there is nothing rudimentary about the dishes about to be delivered.

Our first bite isn’t flame-grilled, but barely smoked, so it essentially remains raw. Wrapped in individual betel leaves, compact piles of delicately sliced scallop have a light citrus flavour, and slivers of fresh chilli and pickled ginger impart their distinct spice. There’s an herbaceous end to this delightful mouthful.

A street-style snack is taken to the next level with arkhe’s skewers. Photo: Duy Huynh

Next comes a signature snack, which has been on the menu since day one. It’s basic-looking bite-sized brûléed tart. Between impossibly thin, crisp pastry and the burnt sugar top is a savoury sweet parfait, melted between the warm layers. You’ll remember this bite beyond mains, and question whether perhaps it should also be dessert (here’s a tip: it absolutely can be).

Onto the marrow, sliced lengthways and roasted until gelatinous, then piled with what the menu calls a shallot salad. An odd descriptor for something that is perhaps more akin to a salsa verde; with herbs and capers and shallots, it provides freshness to this otherwise heavy, fatty, and often-discarded morsel – scooped out and spread onto more of that toast. Yum.

The marrow is served with a shallot salad for a dash of freshness. Photo: Duy Huynh

Never one to go past Goolwa pipis, I’ve tried plenty of versions since they were promoted from fishing bait to the main ingredient, with Asian flavours like XO sauce or creamy Italian versions typically reigning supreme. But here, it’s the seasoning and the soup these molluscs are soaking in that hits a new note. French-Indian fusion should be thanked for this smoky, aromatic and slightly sweet sensation that infuses a smoked bacon broth with an impossible number of layers of flavour. This is another dish going back to the kitchen cleaner than before they plated.

Goolwa pipis, arkhé style. Photo: Duy Huynh

Despite it being at least six months since my last visit, there are mains on the menu I’ve seen before. The Dairyman pork, Mayura Station rump and Black Angus beef almost always feature, alongside the signature splayed southern rock lobster with garlic butter that patrons (and Instagram) seem to love so much. These are proteins that Kellie and his team always get right – call it trial by fire – and solid relationships with some of SA’s best producers mean he always gets the best cuts.

And for dessert… freshly baked madeleines with passionfruit curd. Photo: Duy Huynh

But tonight, I lean into something new, and it does take a noticeably long time to make its way out of the kitchen. But when it lands, I can understand why. The fatty layer beneath the skin encasing two individual duck breasts is perfectly rendered, a technique that requires many flashes in and out of the pan. Unlike others that rely on strong heat to get your standard crisped skin, this is more delicate, almost soft in texture. Each bite has layers of texture and some sensational flavour. An accompanying quince paste is whipped, looking more like some kind of mustard, or perhaps even sorbet. This fruity quenelle deserves to be in a dish of its own, but for now it’s the perfect partner to duck.

When arkhé first opened there was only one dessert on the menu, and it clearly took a while to get this grill master on board with the sweet. But now, options. Rum baba (just say yes), freshly baked madeleines with passionfruit curd (oh my gosh), and s’mores that will have you wanting exactly that – or perhaps, some more of those parfait tarts.

arkhé

127 The Parade, Norwood
arkhe.com.au
8330 3300

Open

Tuesday – Thursday, 5pm-11pm
Friday – Sunday, 12-1.30pm and 6-11pm