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Trevor Pepys reviews Herbert, Noosa Junction
To be perfectly honest, Trev has been putting off this visit for at least six months, waiting for the Herbert team to come to their senses and feed the man meat!
Or at least a fillet of fish, or just a few slices of ceviche perhaps, alongside the charred cabbage and the roasted broccoli. Not that there’s anything wrong with a hearty plate of veggies, of course, but as far as Trev is concerned, particularly so if there’s a crispy-winged baked snapper or a sticky lamb chop snuggling up to them.
But clearly Trev doesn’t get the point. It’s uber-trendy to eat only, or almost only, plant-based food (which, for the uncool, is the food formerly known as veggies). Indeed, consider the following from the Herbert website: “Experimenting with foraged ingredients and seasonal produce sourced from local farms, Herbert will exceed expectations whether you are vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or flexitarian.”
So there’s a fancy name for all shades of non-meat eaters, and Trev was relieved to find that he might just make the grade as a “flexitarian”, if we stretch the rules a bit to cover his propensity for meat and two veg at least once a day. And yes, flexi-thingy is a word. Trev looked it up: a person who has a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally eats meat or fish.
Trev found all of this nonsense just a little bit – how shall we put it politely? – wanky, and probing deeper he noted that the wine list didn’t include prices – another trap for young players. So not to put too fine a point on it, Trev was dreading the day he would have to attack a charred cabbage in the name of journalism. But lo and behold, the other day he scanned the Herbert online menu and saw to his very great relief the addition of a Smoked Wagyu Brisket. He made a reservation immediately, in case it was a mistake or the work of a rogue carnivorous menu writer and would soon disappear.
And so it was, still with some slight trepidation, that Trev and the missus made their way along the increasingly delightful eat street of Arcadia Walk just before sunset to snare our early sitting at Herbert. I watched the restaurant taking shape many months ago and could see that it had some stylish elements, but I could never have guessed that the completed indoor/outdoor space would be such a stunner – comfortably under-stated in earthy, plant-based colours with just a splash of colourful art, intimate yet not crowded, even as the Friday night flexitarians filled the place up. Yes, okay, it looks cool. But would it stand the taste test?
We were shown to our table by charming co-owner Leon Johnston, who, alongside Alex Mckechnie, has conceptualised Herbert not only to personal taste but to fill a perceived gap in the Noosa offering, and, judging by the number of diners and their reaction to what they were eating, they seem to have got it right.
Trev ordered a bottle of 2021 Pinot Gris from The Other Wine Co ($60) and saw immediately why Herbert keeps its wine prices a secret until you get there. On the other hand, this excellent fruity and spicy Adelaide Hills quaffer from Shaw and Smith’s alternative label retails for around $25-28, so no real gauge there. We sipped while we perused the menu which took all of a nano-second because Trev had already decided that our flexi sensibilities would lead us straight to the solitary meat and fish offerings.
If this seems odd at a plant-based restaurant, know, dear reader, that Trev did it for you, to prove that Herbert can cater to most tastes. But there was one hitch. The kingfish ceviche had disappeared from the menu. Leon explained that this was based on Herbert’s philosophy of preference for local suppliers, so a fish from faraway waters had been replaced by a Mooloolaba king prawn – literally. Fortunately, the Prawn Sanga ($18), thoughtfully cut in half for sharing, and teamed with avocado, chilli, lemon myrtle, spicy bisque aioli and brioche, was delicious.
Next we shared the Smoked Wagyu Brisket ($39), with chimichurri, Moroccan carrot jam, charred onion, and horseradish crème. Brilliant. Meat cooked to perfection, accompaniments full of zesty flavour.
The verdict: A bit pricey by Junction standards but Herbert is interesting, inventive and fun. Trev takes it all back. They’re not wankers but they certainly seemed to have pulled it off.
Herbert, 1 Arcadia Street, Noosa Junction. Phone: 0460 858 060.