Thomas Corner Eatery

Kick-start: The charcoal grilled octopus – a flourish of flavour and colour.

Cooling backdrop: The fern wall.

This casually smart newcomer is hitting all the right notes in Noosa. Margie Fraser writes.

The menu at Thomas Corner Eatery promises honest and intelligent food with no frills, froths or fancy garnishes. It doesn't lie. Chef-owner David Rayner's newest baby on the Noosaville riverfront strip channels all the cruisy informality of a beach holiday. If you appreciated David's earlier work at nearby River House (now River Cottage), you won't be disappointed here.

Being in Noosa, where establishments can sometimes verge on the too-posh to feel properly sand-side, we wonder if our footwear (of rubber thongs) will be considered a little gauche.

We shouldn't have worried. The wait staff, in crisp black shorts or jeans, white shirts and bright turquoise aprons, accept our scruffy post-surf appearance without as much as a raised eyebrow, and offer us the run of the restaurant.

As its name suggests, Thomas Corner Eatery sits on the corner of Thomas St and the main riverside boulevard of Gympie Tce. At noon on Sunday the whole place is hopping. The sparkling river is equally alive with colourful spinnakers in full billow. Given the outlook, we naturally opt for the dress circle position of a shaded deck raised a few steps above the corner. Bare concrete tables are set with fresh herbs in terracotta pots and clusters of folded cloth napkins harbouring cutlery sit in wait.

Venturing upstairs and inside later, we find other appealing spots, each with its own distinct charm - a private table tucked away in a corner of the veranda has banquettes along its sides and a lovely lush wall of ferns and creepers. Another outdoor room sports chic bar tables and stools, while inside a refectory-style timber table is located to catch the action in the open kitchen.

Dinners and Sunday lunches offer the same menu. Brunch is served daily to noon. On other days lunch incorporates the zesty starters menu, with the addition of sandwiches and quiche. But today is the sabbath and we're going all out with the full choice of starters, as well as the offals/pasta/slow roasted course and a hefty range of grills, sides and accompaniments.

My Moreton Bay bug comes with juicy chunks of watermelon and rockmelon, whole mint leaves, lemon flake (sea salt crystals coloured and flavoured with citrus that explode delightfully on the tongue) and droplets of limoncello. It's an honest, tangy dish that relies on the freshness of its components and does it well.

The charcoal grilled octopus across the table is a more punchy combination in terms of flavour and colour. Large sections of tentacle leave nothing to the imagination, and bed down with roasted chilli tomatoes, olives and Bangalow pork sausage. It's a powerful, gutsy dish.

Kumeu River (NZ) chardonnay and pinot noir comes by the glass from a comprehensive and interesting list. It arrives in beakers, the sort found in chemistry labs, with the requisite measurements clearly marked along the side.

Maybe it's because wine by the glass here is sold in three different measures: 150ml, 250ml and 500ml. David picked up the idea in New York. I appreciate the nod to style, but am a bit of a stickler for seeing the bottle at the table.

Mains from the grill arrive sans embellishments - the yellowtail kingfish is superbly succulent, and provides a good excuse to order a side of hot buttered chat potatoes.

We waver between adding the caper and cornichon mayonnaise or soy, citrus green shallot and ginger dressing, but in the end the main protein event is perfect without. My strips of slow-roasted wagyu are arranged on the plate in big luscious curls, topped with aromatic horseradish, warm potato crisps and fresh shaved relish. Tiny mizuna leaves add delicacy.

We haven't left room for dessert but do manage a platter of local cheeses. Oh, and just a little lime curd-filled madeleine also finds its way to the table alongside a glass of Louisa sticky from Bendigo.

Thomas Corner hits just the right note in this laid-back playground of sybarites and surfers.

taste's new reviewer, Margie Fraser, specialises in writing about food, art, architecture, design and travel. She is the Brisbane editor of Vogue Living, Houses and Artichoke magazines and is a regular restaurant reviewer for The Courier-Mail Queensland Food & Wine Guide.

The food: 15/20
The staff: 8/10
The drink: 3/5
The X-factor: 3/5
The value: 8/10

The total out of 50 - 37

Address: 1/201 Gympie Tce, Noosaville; ph 07 5470 2224
Food: Modern Australian
Drink: Licensed
Hours: 10.30am-close; seven days
Chef: David Rayner
Owners: David Rayner and Belinda Frew
Wheelchair access: Yes, including toilet facilities
Price guide: Entrees: $18-$22; Mains: $28-$31; Desserts: $13

Snapshot: Emphasis on high-quality, fresh produce presented in a relaxed, informal way to match the beach and holiday setting.

Information in this article is correct as of 21 December 2010.

Taste.com.au - The Courier-Mail - December 2010, Page 9

Margie Fraser

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