Hospitality Editor Narrell Tabone catches up with the chefs at three of Huskisson’s most beloved kitchens to find out what’s cooking, at Sandbar, Wild Ginger and the bistro at Huskisson Hotel.
Sandbar Brings Back Favourites and New Winter Warmers
There’s something satisfying about a menu that moves with the seasons without losing its sense of place. Sandbar Restaurant’s latest line-up does just that, welcoming back a few crowd favourites here in Jervis Bay alongside some thoughtful new dishes that speak to the heart of winter.
We spoke to head chef Jason Wilkinson about what’s new for diners.
Right now, the team’s making the most of fresh blue eye cod, caught just off the shelf outside the Bay. It’s a beautiful local catch that barely needs touching.
As always, Sandbar is continuing their ongoing love affair with the seaweed-based range from Dr Pia Winberg and the team at PhycoHealth based in the Huskisson industrial zone, incorporating ingredients that bring texture, flavour and a touch of something unexpected to the plate.
The baked scallops with Phukka crust have more than earned their spot on the menu for over a year now, they’ve become a signature dish. The crunch of the crust, the spice, the sweetness of the scallops – it’s a dish that rarely leaves a plate unfinished.
One of the newer additions that’s a favourite for Jason as well as with the locals is their red wine beef cheek with fresh rigatoni. Rich and slow-cooked, the beef is sticky and tender, with handmade rigatoni from Flame Tree Foods in Thirroul doing an excellent job of soaking up all that flavour-packed sauce.
We asked Jason what’s been driving his creativity in the kitchen lately.
“At the moment I’m really inspired by some old Stefano Manfredi books,” he says. “His use of second-class cuts like beef cheek, and the way he transforms what would normally be kitchen waste into a base for stock or sauce – that’s been a key focus for us this winter.”
He admits he went a while without reaching for a cookbook. “But recently I’ve really enjoyed diving back into the ones I read as a young chef. There’s something grounding about that.”
And for dessert? The beloved butterscotch pudding is back for the colder months. Served warm with vanilla bean ice cream, made in-house and enthusiastically taste tested by the kitchen team, of course. We think this dish makes you want to linger just a little longer, especially over an evening cocktail or a fresh brewed coffee.
With local produce, a few welcome returns, and some deeply satisfying new ideas, Sandbar’s current menu captures exactly what we want from winter dining: comfort food, a night out away from the kitchen and good hospitality service in a cosy air-conditioned restaurant.
Huskisson Hotel On the Grill
There’s plenty on the menu to sink your teeth into at the Huskisson Hotel this month, and Executive Chef Anthony has been busy behind the scenes bringing new energy to the pub bistro bar menu.
We caught up with him to chat about what’s fresh off the grill, what’s warm and sweet on the dessert list and what you can expect at their upcoming Bottomless Brunch on Sunday 10 August. Spoiler alert: sliders and Long Island Iced Teas are definitely on the table.
First up meat lovers, take note. The grill menu now features a standout addition: a 300g Coorong Black Sirloin, priced at $51. This premium cut comes from the Coorong Coast in South Australia, where Black Angus cattle are grain-fed for 100 days at Wanderribby Feedlot, producing beautifully marbled, full-flavoured steak. It’s a bold, no-nonsense pub classic done properly and it’s already turning heads.
Those with a sweet tooth haven’t been forgotten either. Two winter-perfect desserts have joined the line-up at $15 each. There’s a warm Apple & Rhubarb Crumble paired with a scoop of vanilla gelato from local legends Gelato Buoy, and a decadent bread and butter pudding made with Sonoma sourdough baguettes, served with vanilla crème anglaise and topped with blueberries infused with Chambord syrup, made from that iconic French black raspberry liqueur. Dessert doesn’t get much cosier or more indulgent than that.
And then there’s Bottomless Brunch. Mark Sunday 10 August in your diary, because the Husky Pub is pulling out all the stops. For two full hours, you’ll enjoy unlimited Long Island Iced Teas served tall, strong and ice-cold in signature glasses. It’s a punchy mix of vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, fresh lemon and cola, poured fresh and flowing non-stop to your table.
All that tea requires something to soak it up and diners are in luck. Alongside the drinks comes a DIY slider station with bottomless options: think pulled beef with American cheese and pickles, smoked salmon with red onion and cream cheese, and for a vegetarian fix, crispy/fluffy falafel with hummus and pico de gallo. There will be roasted peanuts in the shell on arrival to start things off and keep things crunchy.
Whether you’re in for a long lunch, a flavour-packed dinner, or a slow Sunday session with a side of sliders and cocktails, Huskisson Hotel’s latest offerings are well worth the visit.
old is New again at ‘The Ginge’
At another local favourite, Wild Ginger, there’s a taste of something familiar, made new.
Every so often, a dish comes together not through planning and this is exactly how the latest additions to Wild Ginger’s specials menu came to be.
Head Chef Alex Morvai, 14 years behind the kitchen that creates outstanding Asian fusion meals, shares that it started with a craving, a quiet moment in the chaos of service where someone asked, “What if we could take something nostalgic and make it irresistible?”
The prawn toast and beef croquettes were born from that question.
These morsels are more than just new dishes, they’re the result of curiosity, collaboration and a bit of cross-cultural fun. The croquettes, brought to life by Wild Ginger’s Spanish chef Aleix Carb, who has been with the team since 2024, blend European tradition with the bold, vibrant flavours that define the restaurant’s approach. The prawn toast nods to a classic many of us grew up with, but it’s been sharpened, freshened and confidently brought into the now.
Alex says these dishes aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, they’re just here to remind us how good familiarity can be, when made with thought and a bit of creative spark. They’ll be rotating through the specials for a short time, so it’s worth checking what’s on when you visit.
The prawn toast is $10 each. The beef croquettes are $19.50 for a serve of four. Ask your server when you’re in next for one of their specials, they are perfect to share and we wouldn’t be surprised if you go back for seconds.
