Opening Night @ Taste of Melbourne 2011!

I was lucky enough to attend the bloggers tour of the opening night of Taste of Melbourne 2011 last night and had a ball! It was a huge night, jam packed with almost more foodie excitement that one can handle in one go…I will do my best to keep it concise.

The Tour

Behind the scenes at Sarti

Our first stop was a visit to Sarti where we were taken behind the scenes into their kitchen to meet the chefs. Here we saw the prepping in full swing for a full night of service. They were platting up their ‘Bresaola di rombo’ celery, beetroot and dried mandarin. Fabian (wearing the hat), one of the chefs insisted we tried the freeze dried mandarin, and his description of “Cheese and bacon ball texture” with a sweet edge was just spot on!

I asked Fabian how they choose dishes for events like Taste of Melbourne, and for them it was all about choosing something visually pleasing, that they could put together without too much stress yet still “send out with love”.

Rekorderling Cider Bar

Our next stop… Cider!!

We were lucky enough to sample their entire range including the new Apple and Blackcurrant flavour. This new addition was sweet, yet had a refreshing dry after taste, almost like soda water. It was clean and delicious. The apple and pear flavours with their subtly and sweetness were still my favourites.

A trip to Italy with San Pellegrino café Society and + 39 Pizzeria

As we made our way upstairs we entered what looked like a café on the streets of Italy. A large old counter housed a pizza oven and chefs at work. There were tables and chairs, chalkboards explaining the menus, wooden crates decorating the walls and more hospitality that you can imagine. It was exactly how the art director explained it to us “A 40’s or 50’s Italian Pizzeria”! Photos from their café society photo competition offered to final year RMIT students also decorated the venue, showing San Pellegrino in café settings from numerous artistic perspectives.

After sipping on our San Pellegrino we were treated to pizza’s from + 39 Pizzeria, winners of Best Pizza in Melbourne two years running! Having to know their secret I asked Remo Micolini (second from the left) just what sets them apart. He told me it’s all in the dough. The key to the perfect dough? Simplicity he tells me. Keep the ingredients to a minimum and give it the perfect time to rise and spin and you will have perfect dough.

As I bit into the Margherita I have to say I was blown away. Simplicity and perfection is exactly what I got! The base was light and crispy and straight from the oven and topped with beautiful cheese, tomato and a few simply basil leaves. Heaven. They deserve the title of Best Pizza in Melbourne in my books.

I was also told that we are to expect a new and exciting venture from the team at +39 Pizzeria very soon. All I know is that it will be called Non Solo Pasta! I can’t wait.

Mojito’s with the team at Sensology

Now it was cocktail time!!

We spent 15 minutes with the boys from Sensology learning step-by-step how to make the perfect Mojito every time. From slicing the limes to measuring the sugar to only muddling 5-6 times…they had a lot of secrets to share!

The final product? Delicious! They were also kind enough to have us all walk away with our own cocktail making kits…cocktail night anyone?

The wonderful Jacques Reymond

This man needs no introduction! Receiving three chef hats from The Age Good Food Guide for many years, his restaurant has become a Melbourne Institution. We had the pleasure to meet Jacques and get to know the man behind the success. When I asked Jacques what he thought it was that sets him apart and keeps him at the top after all these years he said it comes down to passion and loving what you do…”I love to do it” he told me. He also has a great team and family behind him. He also told me that even though he works in the restaurant every day it is open he still enjoys cooking for his family on his one day off.

Jacques cooked two beautiful dishes for the demonstrations. These gorgeous mussels were one of them.

Last Stop…Jindi Cheese

The last stop of the tour was a Masterclass with Jindi Cheese. We were lucky enough to sample their ORT Camembert, the Robin Hood Gold, the Jacksons Track, the Triple Cream White and their Sapphire Blue.

Personally I would highly recommend the Jacksons Track, which was a very soft white creamy cheese that you almost needed a spoon to serve, and their Sapphire Blue which was salty and creamy and not too strong.

Let loose in Taste Of Melbourne

From here we were released into the chaos that was opening night of Taste of Melbourne 2011. There were more people there that I would have imagined, literally having to squeeze through crowds to make your way around.

Cocktails from Stokehouse

I was sure to sample the Espresso Martini II from the Stokehouse bar. It was Grand Marnier and White Crème de Cacao topped with hazelnut praline “for a little crunch”. Yum…

Dumplings from St Kahterine’s

I also made my way to St Katherine’s to taste the Turkish Lamb Dumplings, garlic yoghurt, sumac and dried fruit. These were fun and delicious. Tiny steamed dumplings were packed with beautiful lamb and then sprinkled with herbs and sumac and topped with yogurt. They were beautiful.

Rum tasting?

On the hunt for something sweet we walked past the Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum stand and I saw tasting and became very curious. Richard, the bartending proceeded to take us on a tasting of three of their rums. The youngest to be accompanied by dried peach and the oldest dark orange chocolate. Not a huge Rum drinker, I didn’t quite ‘enjoy’ the drinks themselves, but I could most certainly see the differences and it was a very fun experience.

Shocolate

We finally found our sweet fix! The people from Shocolate kindly gave us a tasting of their praline balls, which are literally the size of golf balls! They were divine! Creamy and rich and crunchy.

After buying a number of products we were treated to a taste of their Lemon Grass Macaron. I was blown away. The outside was so soft it melted in your mouth, but still retained that subtle crisp exterior while the inside was lemony and creamy. I bought some Macarons to take home.

All in all it was an amazing night…too much to see in such a limited time, so I recommend going early and taking allllllll the time you can!

For more information on some of the products listed:

Sarti: www.sartirestaurant.com.au/

Rekorderling: www.rekorderlig.com.au/

Sensology: sensology.com.au/

San Pellegrino: www.sanpellegrino.com/

+ 39 Pizzeria: plus39.com.au/

Jacques Reymond: www.jacquesreymond.com.au/

Jindi Cheese: www.jindi.com.au/

Stokehouse: www.stokehouse.com.au/

St Katherine’s: www.stkatherines.com.au/

Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum: www.appletonestate.com/

Shocolate: shocolate.com.au/

 

Pre-show Dinner @ The Long Room, Collins St, Melbourne

The other night my boyfriend and I had tickets to the wonderful acapella group Naturally 7. With the show at 7 30, an early dinner was in order.

Having been to The Long Room once before in a large group, I thought it would be nice to go back for a quite dinner and a few drinks. With both a sushi menu and an extensive tapas menu, it caters to a wide audience.

At first when we arrived at what should be The Long Room, we were again met with an arcade type shopping center front. Remembering to press on, we ventured inside and made our way down the darkened stairs. As we enter we were welcomed into the dark and seductive world that is The Long Room. Huge leather couches, mood lighting and moose heads make you feel like you’re in a mansion from another century. The beautiful wait staff are more than welcoming and add to the time machine experience.

We ordered a bottle of the Moet & Chandon and settled in to our candle lit table.

I ordered the sushi platter for my meal.

There was a huge and varied range of nigiri on the platter and each piece was just as fresh as the next. Just like good sushi should be, it melted in your mouth.

My boyfriend, not as much of a fan of the sushi, ordered a couple of tapas items.He chose the crumbed calamari with aioli.



Then the chicken gyoza’s. The tapas serves were very generous and were presented beautifully in old school metal frying pans.




The Long Room caters for huge groups as well as intimate dinners and does so with style.

I am already looking forward to going back!

For more information:

The Long Room

162 Collins Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

(03) 9663 7226

www.thelongroom.com.au/

A great friday night @ Chocolate Buddha, Melbourne CBD

It was Friday night…what better reason to head into the city for dinner and a few drinks.

The destination was Chocolate Buddha, a Japanese restaurant nestled in the heart of Federation Square. On this particular Friday night Federation Square had been turned into a cinema with faux grass and the movie Julie and Julie projected on the screen. The weather was warm and the atmosphere was lovely!

We headed in the glass doors and were told it would be a 20 minute wait (you can’t make small bookings on a Friday or Saturday night), so happily took our French champagne outside to enjoy the movie.

In barely no time at all we were inside, welcomed by the more than accommodating staff. The atmosphere here is vibrant and busy. The tables are small and communal and provide quite a different dining experience. On top of this food comes out when it’s ready regardless of others in your party.

The menu offers four sections. There is the sushi and sashimi section, a small/entrée section and then a soup and noodle section followed by a rice section. Mains prices don’t go above $25 making it quite affordable.

We decided to go for the soft shell crab inside out sushi rolls, vegetable Gyoza’s, teriyaki chicken skewers, marinated fried chicken pieces with wasabi mayonnaise, spinach salad and Edaname. It was a feast of small dishes!

As a first timer on soft shell crab I was pleasantly surprised, the light crisp of the batter and the shell together was perfect against the fresh cucumber and rice. It was a fun and delicious alternative to fresh seafood sushi. While the fried chicken pieces were just what you would expect from fried chicken, the wasabi mayonnaise was delicious and really packed a punch.

The chicken skewers and the Gyoza’s however were the standouts. The gyoza’s were cooked til just tender and the filling had a beautiful subtle flavour. The Asian flavours were complimented well by the sour dipping sauce that was served on the side. The chicken skewers, marinated in teriyaki sauce were cooked to perfection, and the sauce that accompanied it was amazing.

Everything we ordered averaged $10 each making it both a fun and affordable evening. Chocolate Buddha has always been one of my favourite Japanese restaurants and my most recent visit won’t be changing that at all.

I would definitely recommend Chocolate Buddha to Japanese lovers everywhere!

For more information:

Chocolate Buddha

2 Swanston Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

(03) 9654 5688

www.chocolatebuddha.com.au/

 

 

Boozy late night dinner @ Shanghai Dumpling, China Town, Melbourne

When a girlfriend of mine suggested a girl’s night out starting with BYO and dumplings at Shanghai Dumpling, I had a feeling the night was going to be a good one. Being gluten free for the last two years I had missed out on most that this place had to offer and was excited to try it all.

Running a little late, and getting off the tram at the wrong stop I lost my bearings a little and ended up slightly lost in Chinatown. On a Saturday night at 7 45 it was literally sensory overload. People were everywhere, walking in front of the one-way traffic running into each other left right and centre. The chaos only continued when I finally found Tattersall’s lane and headed to my desired destination. When I reached the queue (that’s right people literally line up for this place) I quickly ducked past the man in charge, as I knew my friends had already secured a table upstairs.

Finally a reached my table, already filled with dumplings, bottles of wine and plastic camping cups. I was greeted with a “We had to order otherwise they wouldn’t let us stay here”…with a $12 all you can eat menu, I wasn’t concerned. I asked what we were having and got a lot of umm’s, not sure’s and these ones are really good! So I decided to go head first into my first all you can eat dumpling experience.

The dumplings really are the main attraction here. They are delicious, morish and literally endless! They included Fried beef dumplings, fried port dumplings, steamed spinach dumplings, steamed pumpkin dumplings, steamed pork dumplings, steamed prawn and spinach, sweet fried dumplings and my personal favorite the seared mushroom dumplings. There was an array of sauces, without labels in sauce bottles around the table, which were an excellent addition to all varieties of dumplings.

The all you can eat banquet includes more than just dumplings, you also get fried rice, spring rolls, noodles and the most amazing Asian greens I’ve ever eaten. They were doused in oyster sauce and oil and were delicious!

To make the point clear…it is literally all you can eat for just $12 dollars. The waiters come around every now and then with a simple question of “More food?”.

Of course you can order off the menu here with 10 packs of the mushroom and spinach dumplings setting you back $6.80 and 15 pork dumplings coming to a grand total of $5.80.

I don’t recommend this place if your looking for class, or fine dinning, but if your looking for cheap, fun, yummy dumplings and don’t really mind which one you eat next, I recommend this place as the start to a good night on the town.

For more information:

Camy Shanghai Dumpling
(03) 9663 8555

23 Tattersalls Ln
Melbourne, 3000