PAYDIRT ‘POP UP’ RESTAURANT IS ‘PAYDIRT’ FOR DINERS
Former Braidwood eatery ‘Paydirt’ has re-emerged as a ‘pop up’ restaurant working out of
Casanova’s Sourdough Bakery and Cafe in Wallace Street on the first Saturday of every month.
The name of the restaurant is derived from the mining definition; ‘a deposit rich enough in minerals to be worth mining’.
It has been operating for over twelve months.
‘Paydirt’ Cook, Zac Kadri has been a local resident for some fifteen years but has a long work history in the industry. He managed the Wharf Restaurant in Sydney for a number of years before moving to the Braidwood district.
‘Paydirt’ offers a four course set menu with up to ninety percent of ingredients sourced locally. The ‘pop up’ restaurant uses the French tradition of prix fixe, a collection of menu items for a set price and it works well. It offers an element of surprise for the diner and ensures all the ingredients are fresh and the cooking process refined.
The food can best be described as pan asian.
Last Saturday’s menu began with steamed pork, sweetcorn and ginger dumplings. The simplicity of the dish allowed the quality of the local produce to shine and it is a repeat winner with regular diners.
Crispy quail with fresh lime and white pepper followed. The quail was cooked to perfection and was accompanied with a simple salad of cucumber and shredded carrot.
The standout dish for the evening was the seared salmon with wasabi mayonnaise and pickled daikon. The salmon was cooked on high heat for just enough time to sear the outside resulting in a tender serving with ideal accompaniments.
Pork spare ribs in house broth with mixed greens completed the menu. This particular dish took some six hours to prepare and was a welcome finish to a very cold autumn night.
‘Paydirt’ is licensed and wines are available by the glass.
Diners have been travelling from as far as Sydney and from Canberra and the South Coast for the monthly dinners. Most nights have been fully booked.
The restaurant has two sittings; beginning from 5.30pm to 6.00 pm and 8.00pm to 8.30pm.
The cost of the set menu is excellent value at $70 per person.
It is worth the trip up the Clyde Mountain for Eurobodalla locals.
Note: The writer paid for the dining experience.
