Peter - its wise to remember that RB&G is a very different beast to the old Rockpool. Perry opened RB&G as an large upmarket steak restaurant in Sydney but kept Rockpool itself as the fine diner. He then expanded the RB&G to Perth and Melbourne casinos.
The menu is based around the grill, the steaks, and (*used to be based) around David Doyle’s (US billionaire) extensive vintage wine collection.
Perry has now sold the Rockpool Group (the restaurants and Burger Project joints) to the Urban Purveyor Group to create Rockpool Dining Group. They now run 60 restaurants under 16 brands including RB&G, Sake, Fratelli Fresh, Burger Project, Bavarian Beer Cafe.
Perry is still with the group opening and running the restaurants (I went to the new Bar Patron last night - it rated pretty average). He does keep one restaurant where I think you will find that old essence of East/West fusion, its his homage to good Cantonese food, and his USP is that no one in Sydney was really doing top quality Cantonese food - I have not been yet but have it on the list.
And as you are in Melbourne try and get into Ryne - old school with a light touch by one of Melbourne’s well regarded food heroes Donovan Cooke (Est Est Est) - give him a call and he may cook his famed pigs trotters as a special order.
- IIRC the partnership feel apart.
