Mike McEnearney takes sourcing local produce very seriously—so seriously, in fact, that at his new restaurant, From Here by Mike, you’ll find a Victoria-shaped heat map on the menu that plots out all the producers he’s working with. The ethos is simple at McEnearney’s new Melbourne restaurant, where the celebrated chef takes a “less is more” approach to everything he does in the kitchen, letting each ingredient speak for itself. Just take the Meredith Dairy soufflé, for example, the hot-ticket dessert that’s already getting Melbourne talking.
You’ll find From Here by Mike in the lobby of the sleek, sustainable and very new 1 Hotel in Docklands, and we reckon it’s a compelling enough reason to jump on the 86.
Which dish best captures the vibe at From Here by Mike?
Ha! It’s liking asking a parent who is their favourite child? Let’s change the angle slightly so I don’t have to show favouritism. I quite often walk around the restaurant during service and engage with tables. The current dishes people are talking about the most are the twice-baked Meredith Dairy goat’s cheese soufflé with rosemary cream and the roasted Remi’s Patch sugarloaf cabbage with fermented mustard seed Café de Paris. It’s funny as these two dishes actually exemplify our ethos. They are super simple, take a less is more approach, and importantly are pure in their intent to champion the key ingredient and it’s producer. Please don’t think we are a vegetarian or vegan restaurant. We never want to be put in a box, we just want to cook great, accessible food that’s only compass is being seasonal and hyperlocal.
How about a drink?
I have written a tight wine list of 120 bottles featuring over 40 different Victorian producers with 12 whites and 12 reds by the glass. My favourite way to start is with a cocktail and a snack. My current pick is called the Queen’s Negroni – a spin on the classic by coconut-washing Gindu gin and incorporating Davidson plum and a strawberry gum leaf infusion.
What if I’m here for a good time, not a long time?
The menu is split into snacks, small things, large things and afters, so it’s easy to choose your point of entry. However, the best way to play is to go for the Feed Me menu and we’ll send you a selection of my favourites across the menu. A couple of quick things to throw down the table with a drink while you’re deciding which direction to take are crispy Jerusalem artichokes from Don Valley served with togarashi mayo, our chicken liver pâté that we make using the livers from the Aurum cockerels on the menu, and the Walker marlin crudo served with Long Paddock fromage frais, capers and sea herbs.
Got anything light and fresh?
Those super-duper Jerusalem artichokes from Helen and Chris in Don Valley are where it’s at, at the moment. We simply roast them in the wood-fired oven until their skin is caramelised and crisp, and the inside is soft and sweet.
What if I like tasty food but don’t eat animals?
Our vegan game is strong! Sourcing from a tonne of hyperlocal artisan producers means our menu is seasonal and ever-evolving. Besides à la carte, there is also a vegan Feed Me menu if you would rather us send the hits. We also do some cracking side dishes. The simplest one that gets all the talk is our wood-fired pumpkin that gets roasted in the wood oven with its skin, seeds and all until it’s deep golden brown with little burnt tips. We really push the colour to lift the sweetness and is even further intensified with a lick of lime and pomegranate molasses. Three ingredients! Simple things are always the best.
Can you tell me more about the ethos behind the menu?
We have four different menus: breakfast, lunch, Sunday roast and dinner. I have long been obsessed with the seasons and working with local producers. I believe that the menu is always a snapshot in time, being dictated by the local, seasonal produce that comes and not by us being stubborn about a dish constantly being on the menu, and thus sourcing out of season ingredients from afar. Carbon footprint and waste is super important to us. We look for second bites of the cherry by pickling and preserving ingredients that would usually be disposed of and furthermore we compost all organic waste. To put this into perspective, we don’t just separate our waste, we actually weigh our waste to understand what goes to landfill. I know this may sound optimistic, however, our goal is 90% diversion from landfill.
We hear you’re calling on a long list of local producers?
The producer always come first in my opinion. By sourcing local, Victorian produce from small artisan producers means the quality is absolute, and we can confidently take a less is more approach to our cooking. I’m all about celebrating the key ingredient, and cooking it with focus and reason, rather than the 10 garnishes that often accompany it in many other establishments. As a sign of respect and commitment, I have compiled a list of the incredible Victorian producers that we are currently featuring across the menus and I’ve marked their position on a map of Victoria which is on the front page of every menu. I’m a visual kind of guy! For me, the most exciting thing is not just supporting these hyperlocal superheroes but also meeting new ones along, the way and constantly growing and evolving around their cornucopia.
Let’s go big. Let’s go crazy. What have you got for me?
The Chef’s Table. I have a table of 12 in front of the kitchen servery. The menu is banquet style – let loose and share.
And to close?
You’ve got to close with a dessert! My favourite is my grandmother’s recipe for rice cream which we are currently serving with poached quince. Its aroma of nutmeg evokes these memories from after Sunday lunch when I was four.
Make a reservation at From here By Mike at 1hotels.com/melbourne/taste/from-here-by-mike and follow @fromhere.melbourne for more.