de’sendent: decadent dining with farm-fresh fare

Hayter is wearing a branded hoodie bearing the stickman icon that’s become their logo, and possibly even a talisman. Drawn by Hayter’s late brother it was a personal touch that the chef says that he wanted to bring into the new project. The name itself, de’sendent, is a play on both the idea of descendants – bringing what came before into the present – and in true chef style, Hayter’s favourite punk band the Descendants.

Checking his messages as we talk, Hayter is expecting a delivery of western rock lobster from Augusta at the south west tip of the region. Many still know him for his previous restaurant, Arimia which garnered several state-based and national accolades for its sustainable credentials. The off-grid winery restaurant was partly supported by its own market garden, as well as trout raised in the dam, and pigs reared on-site. What Hayter couldn’t grow or raise, he sourced from a network of fishers and farmers. At de’sendent, Hayter and his business partner Ann Spencer, an original owner of Arimia, have brought that ethos with them.

When de’sendent first opened in February 2024 the model was a pared-back approach to dining, with an à la carte menu at the core. Many had grown used to Hayter’s set menus at Arimia and while he initially eschewed that approach, the set menu is back. “I should have perhaps done it from the start,” he says. “But we pivoted, and it’s back to what I know. We’ve maintained three seatings so that nobody gets kicked out. You can sit here for 3 or 4 hours if you really want to, [but just over two is the norm]. It’s allowed us to refine the food even more.”

While the menu is set Hayter says it’s anywhere between ten and twelve courses because there’s “a load of snacks.” Depending on the season scallops may be a starter, oysters, and from there he says “it adds up pretty quickly… I wanted to get away from doing snacks just at the start, so we kind of [pepper] them all the way through.”

Beyond the open kitchen, there’s a constant interaction with chefs as they serve dishes to guests. It’s an opportunity for Hayter and his team to gauge a diner’s knowledge of the region and the ingredients that they’re working with, and if necessary, give a bit more of a backstory to each dish.

The dhufish, endemic to the coast of Western Australia and most notably between Kalbarri and Augusta, is something of an icon for chefs and recreational fishers in the region. “I do love the dhufish,” says Hayter. “It’s just got all the good things about it – no waste and local produce. We dry age it and take pieces off as we go, using the whole fish.” The team at de’sendent roast the heads and frames, making stock that is reduced to create a caramel, and as a base for a beurre blanc style sauce. “It’s a pretty rich and warming dish that really features Western Australia. We add some French fries. Essentially, it’s fish and chips,” he says with a laugh that perhaps says it’s a long way from just fish and chips.

As we talk in mid-June, Hayter tells me that the dhufish is just about to come off the menu, the season for it is over until August or September. With perfect timing its replacement arrives, the western rock lobster delivery from Augusta lugged into the restaurant in closed crates. Hayter lifts the lid and holds up a lobster for all to see, a grin telling you that he really does walk the walk when it comes to ingredients. And, if there’s any measure of freshness, it’s the sudden flapping of the lobster’s tail and body, and the awakening of the others as it’s quickly dropped back into the box.