I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, until I remembered the 1991 movie Defending Your Life, written and directed by Albert Brooks (who also stars alongside Meryl Streep).
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who → put → Streep
The story takes place in a spa-like purgatory where the recently deceased must stand trial to decide whether they’re evolved enough to move on to the next plane of existence.
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they → take → existence
There are two running gags in Defending Your Life: one is that everyone must spend their time in this purgatory wearing matching white robes; the other is that all the food is delicious, and calorie-free.
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food → be → robes
While sitting at Thyme among the other customers, all of us dressed in matching white robes and eating food that, at least in some senses, has the hallmarks of virtue without the drabness of traditional health food, I felt as though I’d been transported to that otherworldly fantasy land. One
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I → sit → land
in which the pleasure of eating might somehow be freed from our usual concerns about sartorial expression or overindulgence.
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pleasure → eat → expression
Alba, opened in 2022, has positioned itself as the luxury bathing option in comparison to Peninsula Hot Springs, which sit just across the road in the peninsula’s hinterland.
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which → open → hinterland
Part of that luxury is defined by Thyme, a full-service restaurant with a cocktail program and wine list and food that can take you from breakfast through dinner.
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that → define → dinner
Originally, Thyme’s menu was written by consulting chef Karen Martini and executed by head chef Mario Di Natale, but both recently parted ways with Alba and Thyme.
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both → write → Alba
New head chef Michael Demagistris is still cooking some of Martini’s recipes, but the menu is evolving.
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menu → cook → recipes
Demagistris was most recently the chef at Max’s Restaurant in Red Hill, and has also worked at Polperro Winery and Sorrento Golf Club.
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Demagistris → work → Winery
There are a number of influences on this menu: it’s kind of Asian fusion-y and kind of Australian, but the thing that interests me the most is its contemporary take on the idea of spa food.
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that → be → food
What do you want to eat and drink in a setting that is supposed to be, at its core, an exercise in wellness and self-care?
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that → want → wellness
Thyme seeks to provide a modern answer.
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Thyme → seek → answer
It was a wonderful thing to arrive for an early lunch, swan around the hot springs for a few hours, then return to Thyme for a cheese plate and dessert.
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It → arrive → plate
(As an aside, spa food has a long and fascinating history, which includes many dubious ideas about eating, relaxation and health, and involves many infamous weirdos including the Kellogg brothers, who created their eponymous cereal products in part to keep patients at their spa/sanatorium from giving in to sexual urges.
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who → have → urges
With a few exceptions, the unifying quality of Thyme’s menu is a certain lightness, even in dishes like bolognese, in which the Sichuan-style sauce is made from tofu and shiitake mushrooms and the noodles are wide, flat rye udon.
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noodles → make → tofu
It’s one of the smartest and most satisfying vegan dishes I’ve had in yonks, surprising in all the best ways.
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I → ’ → ways
More predictable perhaps is a grain bowl, in this case red rice topped with tataki ocean trout, kohlrabi kimchi, avocado and a soft egg.
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bowl → top → trout
But this too managed to feel opulent rather than ascetic, the lushness of the fish and other components making for the perfect light-ish lunch that won’t make you feel leaden when you go and lounge in hot mineral water.
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you → manage → water
I was particularly taken with a dish a few weeks back that appears to have gone from the menu, but I think it’s still worth mentioning because it shows the kind of cleverness at play here.
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it → take → play
Seared scallops were paired with custard-like silken tofu, then garnished with crisp okra and a sweet corn sauce.
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scallops → sear → okra
It felt healthy, but tasted like pure sunshine and sweet ocean.
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It → feel → sunshine
Many of the cocktails take the same approach: light and fresh and herb-forward, although you can also get a very good espresso martini if the sauna has you lagging.
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you → take → martini
The wine list is 100 per cent local with the exception of one bottle (a champagne), and more thought has gone into it than simply picking nearby vineyards – it’s a lovely overview of some of the peninsula’s best producers.
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it → go → producers
Not everything is health conscious, as evidenced by an extremely rich braised beef short-rib, and a fantastic dark chocolate mousse with chilli-caramel sauce and sesame brittle.
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everything → evidence → sauce
It was a wonderful thing to arrive for an early lunch, swan around the hot springs for a few hours, then return to Thyme for a cheese plate and dessert before driving home.
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It → arrive → plate
Alba is significantly more expensive than the hot springs across the road (though towels and robes are included in the base price here).
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towels → include → price
That grain bowl costs nearly $50; a delicious but small piece of prawn toast with a single tiger prawn on top is $33.
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piece → cost → top
For a special occasion, an activity with an out-of-town visitor, or just a well-earned act of self-love, Thyme helps to make Alba a true destination.
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Alba → earn → love
Drinks: Breezy cocktails, smart local wine list, nice non-alcoholic and coffee options
Cost: About $175 for two, excluding drinks
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently.
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reviews → exclude → drinks
A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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restaurant → pay → Guide
The Aporia
