Story: Arylene Westlake
OCEAN FALLS BLVD, MINDARIE MARINA
PHONE: 9400 1111. OPEN 7 DAYS 10.30AM-LATE, LUNCH SERVED FROM 12PM
Sea change Dining by the water’s edge is always easy on the eyes, especially on a bright winter’s afternoon when the water is beaming blue and impossibly still. Although Mindarie Marina is home to early morning dive expeditions and new-money mansions with boat pens, the dining on offer won’t leave a gaping hole in your pocket. Sitting up-front, marked out with imposing concrete planters and lofty heights of timber cladding, the Indian Ocean Brewing Company is a regular Tuesday haunt for locals in search of $10 pizzas and $20 jugs of Pimms. But this time, we’re stretching our wallets on a Sunday for our favourite, prosciutto parmigiano pizza.
Crowd pleaser The crisp-edged, semolina- dusted roman crust is topped with thinly sliced parma ham, mozzarella, baby rocket leaves and chunky shavings of pungent parmesan. It’s more than enough to share, and you soon realise just how generous the chefs are with the toppings. And if you’re not a fan of salty, dry- cured Italian meats, this might change your
opinion. The non-too-subtle flavour of the ham is dominated by a tomato-sauce base and its texture is only enhanced by the crumbly slices of parmesan. Maybe we shouldn’t have started with a bruschetta, but we were determined to scrape that platter clean.
Heady blondes But what is a trip to a brewery-restaurant without dabbling in the menu on tap? The undesignated driver between us sampled the range of original beers with the Indi Tasting Tray, featuring a wheat beer, pilsner, pale ale and the Indi Green – a light amber, low-carb offering for those watching their waistlines. The four tasters were served on a neat acrylic tray, complete with tasting advice for each. The wheat beer was an immediate favourite – the promised vanilla and banana notes coming through delicately with each sip. And with that, with our belts undone and our cheeks sun-kissed, our Sunday lunch was complete as we traipsed out for a much-needed walk alongside the sparkling sea.
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