YARRI

It was K and my first wedding anniversary on the weekend. This time last year, we tied the knot and had a special lunch with close family and friends in Melbourne. Now, we were down south (or out west depending on your co-ordinates) and had been gifted a dinner out on the town. We made our way to the other end of the Cape, driving from Redgate to Dunsborough for a meal at Yarri.

Yarri is the latest venture from acclaimed local chef Aaron Carr. I was very fond of his tenure at Vasse Felix, which for reasons of nostalgia, proximity and quality remains a favourite place for a winery lunch. I was interested to see what he was up to here behind a suburban shopping car park. Would it live up to his reputation? Was it doing something new or was the engagement with Indigenous provenance simply a marketing tactic that did not extend beyond a name on the menu? Was it yummy?

Without a booking, we got there early and the friendly staff were kind enough to accommodate us at the bar. The interior is modern Australia from a coastal orientation – there are industrial accents in the lights and the leather banquettes, but the light rammed earth lets one know that one is saltwater country (in case you forgot to look at the peppermints just out of view or taste the breeze as you walk in). The subtle shades of green add to the ambience and the relaxed atmosphere is punctuated by funky tunes (Parliament, James Brown, Tina Turner). If they wanted to be consistent, it might have worked with Men At Work, Midnight Oil, Yothu Yindi on the radio. Needless to say, the mash up is pleasant enough rather than strictly formal.

We order a rose from Snake and Herring, relax into our seats and order some bar snacks. There are no time limits given we are at the bar. We are celebrating, let’s take some time to settle in – the corn and red capsicum croquettes are delightful even if they do not set the world on fire; and the snack mix is decent. Things really get going, when we get our second carafe and order from the main menu – scallops with Jerusalem artichoke; local marron with saltbush; barramundi with heirloom tomatoes; burnt cabbage with miso. It is all quite delicious – the balance and depth of flavour are good, the combination of textures works well, the servings are generous. But is it worth writing home about?

I think I have answered this question in the very beginning of this piece. As a second effort after Vasse Felix, I can see where it comes from even though I miss Carr’s cooking from that place. Since then, it seems a little less precise or refined despite the similar price. As an expression of this place, it attempts to embrace Indigenous gastronomic traditions, which is popular here from Wildflower to Fervor, and nationally with Attica and Quay, and finds its correlate in Noma and DOM. But, here it seems like an affect, simply a gloss that cashes in on the moment rather than deep knowledge, long engagement and genuine commitment. To my mind, the best chef for that is still Iskov. That matters not only for the politics of food, but also for taste itself. Nowhere else can I highlight this then in their respective marron dishes with the Fervor one being far superior in terms of portion, deliciousness and technique. That is where we come to the last consideration. As a dinner that is yummy, Yarri is great. It is tasty without being mind-blowing and it will be entered fondly into memory because of the occasion.

The true test is whether I would come back again, and to answer that question, I am not so sure. I would return to sit at the bar for a glass of wine and to share a dessert, perhaps after dinner at the Dunsborough Chinese Restaurant just around the corner. The dessert K and I shared was the best dish we had – dulce, passionfruit ice cream, Geraldton wax, pastry. It was sweet and citrusy, creamy and cleansing. It was a high note to end the evening on. Without the gift, we would never have experienced Yarri and I am glad that it is what it is. We will return when the occasion merits it knowing we are in for good service, yummy food and an earnest engagement with its place in the world.