Live long and prosper at Vulcans

Experience No.032 in Australian Traveller’s 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences Blackheath might be one of the Blue Mountains’ laid-back country communities but there’s nothing small-town about the food at its award-winning restaurant, Vulcan’s.

Chef Phillip Searle has perfected the art of slow cooking, serving blade beef to loyal fans.

Chef Phillip Searle mans the woodfired oven with ease, preparing a paired-back menu that lets flavours shine.

Just four types of entrees, mains and desserts are readied each day in what was once the Blackheath Bakery. Having mentored a younger generation of heavyweights, including Bentley Restaurant & Bar’s Brent Savage and Universal’s Christine Manfield (No. 61 on this list), Searle is revered for his unique approach to food.

Sit beside locals and fellow foodie adventurers and admire Philip’s artworks on the walls before the masterpieces arrive on a plate.

Searle has perfected the art of slow cooking, serving blade beef to loyal fans. He merges European traditions with Asian flavours to produce stunning examples of family-style fare.

Pork shoulder and duck sausage are other popular meats but the infamous chequerboard ice cream is almost everyone’s favourite.

Where: 33 Govetts Leap Rd, Blackheath NSW. (02) 4787 6899.

Did you know: Vulcan’s closes up shop every year from December to March, refusing to budge (or indeed take any new bookings) until opening day in the New Year. At which point the phone must melt.