Crisp eggplant. Lamb belly skewers. Duck breast with Peking sauce. You could be forgiven for leaving any of them off your Yarra Valley winery bingo card. But at Re’em, the flagship restaurant at Joey and Helen Estate, the flavours of provincial China are on full, delicious display, plating daily in front of sweeping views of the vines.
Here’s chef Abe Yang with some things he thinks you oughta order at Re’em.
How about a drink?
The 2022 Re’em Cabernet is my favourite wine from Helen and Joey Estate. The sweetness of this variety perfectly complements the style of food we cook here at Re’em. The food nods to the estate’s founders’ heritage, hailing from Zhejiang province in eastern China, so we use a fair few spices here and there, and cabernet helps tone it down.
Equally, we have some excellent cocktails on the menu – my favourite is the Black Truffle Gibson.
Where’s the best spot in the house?
The best spot is the restaurant’s balcony, which has sweeping views of the entire vineyard and the Yarra Valley. It’s especially magical at sunset. We also have some lovely booths along the restaurant, with floor-to-ceiling windows attached to them, which also offer a spectacular look-out across the whole vineyard for when the weather gets a little chillier.
I also like a stroll with a glass of wine, and Re’em has this gorgeous small feature lake with lotus flowers and a fountain.
Got anything light and fresh?
The cured kingfish is probably our most popular dish. It’s cured with lemon and lime for an hour, dressed with coriander and chilli and served alongside endive leaves. I’ve also just put on a new entrée of chargrilled octopus which comes with a confit turnip and something close to my heart – gochujang mayonnaise.
What if I’m here for a good time, not a long time?
We have a short snack menu, which is served at both the restaurant and cellar door. The cumin-glazed lamb belly skewer and shiitake mushroom dumplings with home-made chilli oil dipping sauce are always a crowd-pleaser.
If I like tasty food but don’t eat animals?
The cauliflower dish and crisp eggplant. They both have a hint of chilli, but nothing overpowering. We marinate the cauliflower in chilli paste, tahini, and lemon juice, and grill them whole over our wood fire. It’s served with a vegan beurre blanc and puffed rice seasoned with Sichuan pepper.
The crisp eggplant is our most popular side dish, deep-fried and dressed with a capsicum and doubanjiang sauce.
I’m feeling famished and dangerous. What have you got for me?
It’s not exactly on the menu, but we often do specials of wagyu steak and grilled Chinese broccoli served with jus infused with star anise and cassia.
And to close?
The caramelised pineapple tart with coconut and pandan ice-cream is the favourite so far. This pairs perfectly with our 2022 Late Harvest Merlot Shiraz, a sweet but balanced match.
Now, if only there were somewhere to rest my weary head…
The Alicon suite is the best suite out of the 16 boutique suites we have at Re’em, although they all have spectacular views of the estate and vineyard.
Every room has a large, luxurious bathtub, complete with bespoke wine glass holders, of course. The Alicorn suite’s bathroom is particularly impressive with floor-to-ceiling windows and an immense tub that overlooks the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley; it’s pretty heavenly.
Re’em, 12-14 Spring Ln, Gruyere, open 11am-5pm Sun-Thu and 11am-6pm Fri-Sat, 0452 240 616, helenandjoeyestate.com.au