Chef Darren Price joined the team at Yellow Billy Restaurant in 2020 for what he thought was a temporary three-month summer job.
Three months became three years, and Price became head chef.
This Sunday, January 28, the Pokolbin restaurant's first Kings Table banquet for the year coincides with Price's last shift at Yellow Billy. And, as sommelier Patrick Hester told Food & Wine, he'll be "going out with a bang".
The Kings Table lunch is a shareable feast preceded by drinks and snacks in the courtyard and an interactive tour of the restaurant's kitchen garden and custom-built fire-pit. There's live music, wine, conversation and laughter, and it's a lot of fun.
Price will be cooking up a storm for the occasion.
"There will be some of my favourite menu items from my time at Yellow Billy as well as dishes that I personally love to eat: bahn mi, calamansi chicken, duck liver pate, sourdough ice-cream sandwiches," he said.
"The menu will be on our social media this week so keep an eye out."
Added Hester: "I always have a pretty interesting mix of Australian and international wines to match, with a keen eye on minimal intervention wines, of course ... think James Edwards Gewurztraminer with mini bahn mi in the courtyard.
"Malvasia Istriana Pet Nat from Italy in the garden bed with freshly picked fig and caramel prosciutto parmesan. Or Sven Joschke La Justina Chardonnay from Adelaide Hills with apricot chicken terrine.
"Toppers Mountain 'Kvevri' Portuguese Blend, 180 days on skins, from the New England area with our homegrown fire-pit-smoked beetroots. You will take a journey with a total of nine wines throughout the banquet."
Yellow Billy Restaurant won its first Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Chef's Hat in 2022 while Price was head chef. In 2023, in addition to retaining its coveted Chef's Hat for the second-year running, Yellow Billy also won a major award: Oceania Cruises Drinks List of the Year.
"There's more to a great wine list than a flashy cellar. The real magic happens when there's personality, consideration and imagination - and sommelier Pat Hester nails the brief," SMH writer Callan Boys said of Yellow Billy's wine list at the time.
Price says he has "many fond memories" of Yellow Billy that he'll take with him to his next venture.
"I started at Yellow Billy with the intention to do three months over the busy summer period and then move to Melbourne. What happened instead was me being blown away by the potential and the idea Sam [Alexander] and Pat had envisioned," he said.
"I ended up staying over three years and feel I achieved everything that I wanted to here. Now is my time to move on to something new while still holding so many cherished memories at Yellow Billy."
I ask Price to share some of those memories.
"There are so many things that I love about Yellow Billy. Meeting Sam and Pat and gaining so much knowledge about food and wine has been a valuable asset for me," he replied.
"The three years I've spent there have been the most enriching years of my career.
"Winning the Chef's Hat and retaining it the following year has been an incredible experience.
"Being a part of a great team who always bring so much to the restaurant has been a great honour for me and I will always remember and appreciate all the people who have been a part of it."
Hester says Price has been "an integral part of the Yellow Billy fabric".
"When Darren came on board we had a vision to achieve a Hat for the restaurant. Well, we have done that plus a lot more," he said.
"Everything that he poured into Yellow Billy has been of the highest level and we are so very grateful to have had him and his time with us."
Hester is looking forward to Sunday's Kings Table banquet, saying it is "the best representation of what Yellow Billy can offer". Since opening in 2018, the restaurant has earned a reputation for excellence on the back of its simple, seasonal, cooking with fire philosophy.
"You get to experience the whole property at a Kings Table event: a snack in the courtyard with a matched beverage, an interactive garden bed tour and a fire-pit talk showcasing some proteins you will be enjoying later on, then a shared banquet for small plates, large plates and sides with afterthoughts to finish, all matched with great wines picked by yours truly," Hester said.
"This is a pretty unique experience.
"Diners in the past have loved the event and the interactive experience involving not only our wonderful food and beverages, but also learning about nose-to-tail dining and our horticulturist processes."
Andrew Murdoch is the onsite horticulturalist for Yellow Billy and Piggs Peake Winery and will be running the interactive garden bed tour on Sunday. Currently in season in his garden - and being used in some form on the menu - are beetroot, pumpkins, zucchinis, squash, radishes, watermelons, asparagus, passionfruit, tomatoes, basil, chives, okra, cucumbers and microgreens, to name a few.
"The garden really is blooming right now! Andrew does a blog on the Yellow Billy and Piggs Peake websites with regard to what is happening in our garden beds," Hester said.
"We have plenty to plan for this year, too. We will announce the three remaining dates for our other seasonal Kings Tables in the following months.
"We will see a switch back to an a la carte menu format in mid to late February to try a fresh approach for our shared-style menu: think one-kilogram rib eye on the bone, whole plate fish, pit-fired lamb shoulders and some innovative snacks. Plus we've got a few tricks up the sleeve for our cafe, The Sty, as well."
Yellow Billy's sous chef Dorothy Aguilar will take on the head chef role left vacant by Price. Hester credits her with "bringing another unique flavour profile to Yellow Billy's food".
