Tallwood, Mollymook
Photos by Natalie Hayllar {eat read love}
Clayton Till and Matt Upson bring a fresh approach to South Coast dining with the launch of Tallwood in Mollymook.
Some days you just sit back and think, this is a really good day and I am very lucky! One of those days was spent recently with the lovely team at the new Tallwood restaurant in Mollymook on the NSW South Coast. It was such a pleasure to be invited to join the team for an afternoon tasting of the amazing share menu at Tallwood. As a regular visitor to Mollymook for many years, 'my home away from home', it was so lovely to see so much passion for providing beautiful food on the South Coast, using local ingredients and local talent. Located in the newly constructed shopping complex at Mollymook beach, Tallwood offers a fun, relaxed, contemporary dining experience embracing the culture of sharing food. Drawing on inspiration from their extensive travels to Europe and Asia, owners Matt Upson and Clayton Till (also of Merry Street Kioloa) wanted to ensure that this new restaurant is about more than just the food. The essence of Tallwood is about creating lasting memories with friends and family over a delicious meal, and delicious it was! Owner and Executive Chef Matt Upson has spent 20 years cooking, starting out in South Australia and training under some of the best chefs namely Maggie Beer, Steven Snow, David Reyner to name a few. Matt made his mark at some of Australia's most highly regarded restaurants namely Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island and Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island. Lucky for South Coasters, Matt and his family have more recently returned to the coast to raise their family and begin a new chapter in the restaurant business - first with Merry Street, and now with Tallwood. It was so nice to sit and chat with Matt and Clayton, tasting the beautiful Asian infused share plates and to die for desserts that just kept on rolling in!
Clayton and Matt designed the interior space as well, a free form dining room with a focus on natural organic materials, exposed timber, and a beautiful selection of mismatched decor, and open kitchen and a very nice coffee machine. There is also ever changing local artworks on the wall to purchase. The food tastes as good as it looks, with only the freshest produce used from the surrounding area. Tallwood is somewhere you can pop in to for a quick coffee and cake on the run, or a long shared meal with family and friends. The takeaway coffee window will also open soon and the coffee (from Left Bower) is also excellent. After tasting the fabulous food and spending some time relaxing in this space I have no doubt this will be a huge hit for Mollymook and a South Coast destination in its own right.
A huge thank you Corryn, Clayton and Matt for inviting me for such an amazing meal and conversation. I cannot wait to return!
Follow Tallwood on Facebook too or call (02) 4455 5192 to make a booking.