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29 May, 2024

Ayers Rock Resort revamps Indigenous-inspired outdoor experience,Tali Wiru

Ayers Rock Resort’s Indigenous-inspired, chef-hatted restaurant experience, Tali Wiru, has refreshed its menu and now offers new premium wine pairings, after forming a relationship with Australian winemaker, Penfolds.

Tali Wiru, meaning ‘beautiful dune’ in local Pitjantjatjara language, is an exclusive four-hour outdoor dining experience set on a dune-top with sweeping views to Uluṟu, Kata Tjuta and the vast Australian outback.

Limited to just 20 guests per evening and operated seasonally from April to October, the experience showcases authentic native flavours and ancient techniques. Chefs use carefully selected produce from around Australia to create culinary masterpieces and bring the landscape to life.

The new Tali Wiru menu features 99 per cent Australian-sourced ingredients, including lamb from South Australia, chestnuts from Victoria, kangaroo from the Northern Territory and salt bush and quandong from the resort’s own gardens.

“To taste these dishes under the stars in the presence of Uluru is incredibly special,” said says Matt Cameron-Smith, CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, operators of Ayers Rock Resort. “Centuries of Indigenous expertise has gone into creating this exceptional menu, and the flavours are heightened by the ambience of the Australian desert.

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Penfolds to further enhance our new Tali Wiru menu and we can’t wait for our guests to experience this culinary journey for themselves.”

A gastronomic fine dining experience enjoying views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta and the night sky.

A gastronomic fine dining experience enjoying local produce plus views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta and the night sky.

For the first time, all four courses of the table d’hôte dinner have been paired with iconic Penfolds wines by Penfolds Australian ambassador, Zöe Warrington. Wines include Penfolds x Thiénot Champagne Brut Rosé, Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay, Penfolds Cellar Reserve Polish Hill River Riesling, Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon and Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz.

New Tali Wiru wine pairings include Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay with Glacier 51 toothfish and Penfolds Cellar Reserve Viognier with dessert.

The chardonnay’s creamy, nutty complexity rounded out with a mineral finish helps cut through the richness of the fish while the Viognier is Penfolds only dessert-style wine outside of the very famous fortified collection and offers up custard apple, fresh apricot, jasmine florals with a hint of honey and ginger, enhancing the flavours of a desert honey and kakadu plum mousse.

New menu items include: Shark Bay scallops with Bowen mango and salt bush salsa; wild kangaroo loin with caramelised onion and baby herbs; Quaker’s Hill confit duck breast with Riverlands emu pate on lavash crisps, with apple cider pickled red onion; Wild Moreton Bay bugs with muntrie pomegranate glaze, ice plant, native finger lime caviar and lemon myrtle beurre blanc; Wattle seed rolled dorper lamb loin with pepper berry aioli, grilled kipfler potatoes, wilted arugula; Victorian chestnut and celeriac velouté, truffle pearls, enoki tops.

Meanwhile two hero mains have been refreshed and include the Glacier 51 toothfish sourced from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable fishery in the Australian Antarctic. It is served on tossed chanterelles, native warrigal and macadamia gremolata with a davidson plum-blood orange reduction.
The Darling Downs wagyu fillet on grilled asparagus spears, caramelized beetroot chutney, davidson plum-Coonawarra Cabernet jus.

The new Tali Wiru pairings extend the partnership between Ayers Rock Resort and Penfolds, which was elevated with the launch of the ground-breaking Wintjiri Wiru in 2023. Each night the Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner sees more than 1,100 choreographed drones, lasers and projections tell an Aṉangu chapter of the ancient Mala story, complimented by gourmet native fare and select Penfolds wines.

Tali Wiru was recently awarded a 2024 Australian Good Food Guide Chef Hat and Readers’ Choice Award, becoming the highest rated restaurant in the Northern Territory.

As the first stars begin to glow, guests take their seat at the open-air restaurant for a four-course table d’hôte dinner perfectly paired with premium Australian wines and infused with ancient native ingredients. The menu features a modern, creative uses of traditional Indigenous fare sourced fresh from the resort, like quandongs and saltbush.

Other indigenous ingredients featured from around Australia include Akudjura (bush tomatoes), Karkalla (desert succulents), and Wattle Seed, which is traditionally used in desserts and baking.

Amn indigenous chef plates up in the outdoors.

An Indigenous chef plates up in the outdoors.

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