ACCOR NEWS: FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Porter House Hotel is part of Accor’s MGallery Hotel Collection, a group of distinctive boutique hotels, each with a unique story to tell. The hotel has been created out of a building commissioned in 1876 by Hugh Dixson, Australia’s leading tobacco manufacturer and a notable philanthropist and horticulturist. After starting its life as Dixson & Sons tobacco factory and warehouse, it became a retail shopfront for the artisan furnishings of WW Campbell & Co and famous leather merchant George Johnson & Sons.

The Porter House Hotel – MGallery is designed by award-winning architect Angelo Candelapas of Candelapas Associates, who has seamlessly connected the historic Porter House building with the ultramodern tower developed around the original building.

“The new-build hotel pays homage to The Porter House’s heritage and Sydney’s bustling Victorian commercial era with a modern take on old designs such as contemporary curved windows that reference the original building’s iconic brick archways,” comments Lindsay Leeser, SVP Development & Franchise for Accor Pacific.

Located on Castlereagh Street, the luxury hotel offers 122 rooms and suites, which occupy the first 10 floors of a 36-storey mixed-use tower. A residential component comprising 131 apartments, with private entry via Bathurst Street, sits above the new MGallery hotel, while a multilevel food and bar destination has been created within the restored 1870s heritage-listed building itself.

“Mixed use buildings are very popular, providing residents and guests with elevated hospitality experiences and access to incredible amenities. The hotel has three dining and drinking destinations of The Porter House - Henry’s Bread and Wine, Dixson & Sons and Spice Trader – and they will set higher dining standards for the city. The Porter House building hasn’t been used in its entirety for many decades, so we wanted to provide Sydneysiders and visitors to our city with an opportunity to explore and connect with this timeless building through these new dining experiences.”

Rich in warmth and character, Dixson & Sons, named after The Porter House’s founding merchant family, occupies the first floor of the building. The Dixson & Sons menu, developed by Porter House Executive Chef Emrys Jones, features Asian influences and Australian native ingredients alongside predominantly New South Wales produce, resulting in a contemporary interpretation of a traditional brasserie. We ask Emrys about his inspiration and process.

Given the legacy and history of Porter House, I was inspired to take classic dishes and look at them differently, in a creative way. Much of the produce will spend time on the hibachi grill before it lands on the plate, and you’ll see a clear nod to Asian influences throughout the menu. I like the juxtaposition of pairing Asian flavours with classic dishes to create something that is still relatable but clearly unique. Our globe artichoke barigoule is a prime example of a real classic dish that we’ve changed up by using some cloudy bay vongole (clams) and black garlic vinegar for impact.

The dishes are imaginative, yet still approachable and reflect our sustainable approach to produce. We’ve spent many weeks prior to launch building our sustainable practices and now that our doors are open and we’re beginning to generate waste, we’re in a great position to evolve and expand how we integrate waste elements back into the menu. We’re focused on finding ways to extend the life of produce and use it in its entirety, where we can. You’ll find the outer leaves from the roasted cabbage in Dixson & Sons being used in the sauerkraut that goes into the Reuben sandwich at Henry’s Bread and Wine, or being used to create vinegars that will feature in menus down the line.

The flavours of native ingredients fascinate me. They pack so much intense flavour and that’s really fun to work with. Seasonal produce is the clear hero of the menu, but I wanted to leave space for Australian native ingredients to shine through as well as pay homage to Australia’sculinary heritage. For example, in a traditional dish where I’d typically use lime, I try to use Australian desert limes to evoke a similar yet different taste. We are working with a wonderful Indigenous company called Something Wild which specialises in foraging native ingredients. They prioritise regrowth and regeneration, and harvest only what is available and sustainable. Buying from the right people is so important.

It’s nice to show great technique, but great produce needs to do the talking. Our menu will always reflect what is in season right now. Seasonality is the inspiration for how I design my dishes, and impacts when I look to change and update my menus.

It probably has to be the beef tartare blended with a house-made infusion of soy, bonito and nori (for a hit of smokiness). It’s something I’ve been dreaming up for a while, and I’ve watched it evolve to what it is now. It’s delicious.

We are unpretentious and want people to relax and have fun with it. We present good, simple food that is best enjoyed with great company and have lots of sharing plates and dishes to make this easier.

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