Frank Fawkner of EXP. Restaurant will reimagine 10 of the restaurant’s most iconic dishes for a special anniversary dinner series in September.
Ten years ago, Frank Fawkner made the difficult decision to step away from his role as head chef of Muse – which was the Hunter Valley’s most celebrated restaurant at the time – to strike out on his own.
A decade on, and his own restaurant, EXP., has just been awarded a second hat by Good Food, with Good Food Guide editor David Mathews calling it “the most exciting restaurant in the region”.
To mark the milestone, Fawkner is hosting Ten Years of EXP., a dinner series spread across four nights next month, from Friday, September 19, to Monday, September 22. Each evening will showcase 10 of the restaurant’s most iconic dishes reimagined.
On the Friday evening, Good Food app editor Erina Starkey will host a Q&A with Fawkner to explore the decade-long evolution of EXP. and the vision behind it.
One of the dishes making a comeback will be EXP.’s Ego, which is Fawkner’s version of the Magnum ice-cream. Introduced to the menu in 2018, the frozen dessert was originally made with a wattleseed parfait filling, lemon myrtle caramel and Daintree chocolate shell.
“We’ve done around 10 or 12 versions over the years using similar types of ice-cream or with different layers, or coated in meringue and torched,” Fawkner says.
For the dinner, he’ll be updating it with a truffle-infused cream made using local Kanimbla truffles and macadamia praline.
Longtime diners at EXP. will also recognise Redgate Farm duck, which is sourced from a free-range farm in nearby Seaham. It’s a fixture of the menu, where you can often find it wood-roasted over iron bark or cherry wood, or cured into salami, chorizo, prosciutto and lardo. The duck will be served two ways: a seven-day dry-aged duck breast with black garlic hollandaise, and a duck and pistachio terrine, wrapped in smoked duck “bacon” made from pressed duck legs.
Over dinner, Fawkner will share the story of EXP., from its origins at Oakvale Wines to its pivotal move to Pokolbin Village Estate in 2020, where Fawkner added a chef’s counter and shifted to a tasting menu format.
What hasn’t changed, though, is the restaurant’s commitment to delivering an immersive experience – not just through the food and wine or the service, but through the furniture, handcrafted by a local wood sculptor, and the knives and forks, custom-forged by a local metal artist.
“One in three of our diners will turn over our brass charger plates to see if there’s a signature or brand on the back,” Fawkner says. “There isn’t one.”
Looking ahead, Fawkner would like to phase out all standard cutlery in favour of handmade artisan pieces. He’s also exploring a revamp of the dining room layout, and some new tables and chairs.
Getting the restaurant to where it is today has been a process of constant refinement, he says. “We’ve just been building and building and building, and trying to give people the best experience we can. To be recognised for that now is amazing.”
Ten Years of EXP will be held at EXP. Restaurant at the Pokolbin Village Estate on Friday, September 19, to Monday, September 22, $185 for a six-course menu of 10 dishes. Matched wines are priced at an additional $90 per person, or upgrade to the somm selection for $150. Tickets are available here.
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Erina Starkey – Erina is the Good Food App Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously, Erina held a number of editing roles at delicious.com.au and writing roles at Broadsheet and Concrete Playground.
