Domain Review Bayside & Port Phillip - June 21, 2023

MEGAN HESS HER MELBOURNE FAVOURITES

CHEF’S SECRETS INVITING INDIAN FLAVOURS

FASHION

EVA’S SUNDAY X LYNDA GARDENER

CURTIS STONE

Otway Solid Dining Table & Armchairs by Kett

To come home again is sometimes a little fraught, especially if you’ve been away for a long time and gained huge success in the years elapsed. But our cover star this week, famed chef Curtis Stone, takes all that in his stride – or should we say, trot. Yes, the Ascot Vale boy who grew up going to the races is set to bring his highly praised plates to Flemington this year. Dishes from Stone’s LA haunt, Gwen, will be served to the well-heeled (and maybe even the dubiously-heeled) at the Birdcage for the 2023 Cup Carnival. Stone told us he loves his home town just as much as his globe-trotting career. ●

by JEMIMAH CLEGG

BLACK GOLD \ On June 28, be wooed by Truffle Melbourne’s Nigel Wood and a five-course dinner by Guy Grossi at Grossi Florentino. $285 a head. ● sevenrooms.com/experiences/florentino

WORK IT OUT \ Mums rejoice! New fitness studio BUMP Malvern has a creche to keep your little monsters – sorry, angels – occupied while you take time for body and mind. ● bumphealth.com.au/Malvern

THE EDIT

Things we love about Melbourne

OUR COVER \ Curtis Stone

Photographed by Andrea D’Agosto

MORE TO LOVE ONLINE

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FAREWELL, FRIZZ \ Give your hair some help with Mr Smith’s new primer, which is designed to take frizzy to fab by infusing Aussie botanicals into your locks for a healthy shine. ● mr-smith.com.au

RICH TONES \ Snuggle up with Country Road’s new homewares collection. Featuring decorative marble, glazed stoneware and vases in earthy hues, and soft furnishings in luxe textures. ● countryroad.com.au

Compiled

CHEF’S SECRETS

True to India

Helly Raichura is keeping things authentic at Enter Via Laundry.

Words SOFIA LEVIN

Enter Via Laundry is not your average restaurant. It’s an experience. Diners receive the number of the Nicholson Street building in Carlton North upon booking. Entry is not actually via the laundry – as it used to be when chef-owner Helly Raichura began cooking in her Box Hill home in 2018 –but down a rear laneway.

The restaurant has its own living room, where Raichura and her staff welcome diners as if they are hosting a dinner party.

Most of the guests are seated at a dozen-person communal table in the “blue room”, painted by Raichura and decorated with brass Gujarati cookware and a chandelier. There’s space for another eight to 10 on individual tables in the “yellow room”.

Raichura’s menus change every three to four months, with each being a culinary and cultural exploration of an Indian region. This month, the degustation delves into Mughaliya (or Mughlai) cuisine, which dates back as far as the 15th century.

“We cook regional Indian cuisine, applying Indian cooking techniques and spices to local and seasonal produce,” Raichura says. “Our aim is to stay authentic by deep-diving into Indian regional cuisines.

“We heavily research the region and offer a menu that closely reflects its authentic techniques, eating habits and culture.”

Diners can choose a degustation of five courses ($122 a person, Thursday and Sunday) or nine courses ($212 a person, Thursday through Sunday) and are encouraged to eat with their hands. In June, dishes such as bird-bone broth with Jerusalem artichoke and truffle sheermal (flatbread) land on the table with a historical explanation, as does kangaroo pasanda with parsnip, rose, riberries and edible silver.

“This season, our most celebrated dish is parindey mussalam, where we stuff aged duck with chicken, quail and egg, and serve it with a rich cashew and spice sauce, besan (chickpea) bread, pickled baby rainbow carrots and onion,” Raichura says.

The recipe was popular in the royal kitchens of Mughal nawabs in the 17th and 18th centuries. It isn’t clearly documented and took Raichura several attempts to recreate it.

“I feel a pressing responsibility to get my food right, to not dilute it due to popular trends and to stay true to it,” she says. “I feel that it’s not just a dish, but a representation of the region of India, and I want to represent the best of it to Melbourne.”

The greatest compliment Raichura receives is the return of her Indian guests to sample different menus. ●

● entervialaundry.com.au

Pork Sorpotel

Pork sorpotel is a deliciously spicy Goan dish that came to India from Brazil via Portugal. I have managed to get the recipe down to gram-accuracy, which does not happen very often in my kitchen, so I would like to share it. All it needs is bread to dunk with it.

INGREDIENTS \ THE MARINADE

90g dry red Kashmiri chillies, whole 45g garlic

9g turmeric powder

27g ginger

6g cinnamon, whole

2g cloves

140g onion, diced 150g malt vinegar

6g black mustard seeds

8g cumin seeds

6g black peppercorns, whole THE REST

500g pork belly, without skin or bone

500g pork shoulder, without skin or bone

11g turmeric powder

27.5g salt

11g green chilli, whole 45.8g malt vinegar

1 onion, sliced

METHOD

1. Soak Kashmiri chillies for three hours in warm water.

2. Add all the marinade ingredients to a blender and churn into a smooth paste.

3. Boil a pot of water with the turmeric and salt, then add the pork belly and shoulder. Cook through and reserve the stock.

Remove and cool the meat to room temperature.

4. Dice the meat into small cubes. Set aside.

5. In a pot, add oil. Once hot, add diced onion and caramelise. Add diced pork and caramelise slightly. Now add the marinade, whole green chillies and vinegar. Mix well.

6. Add 1 litre of the pork stock to the meat mixture and season well.

7. Cook for seven to 10 minutes, or until the gravy is thick.

8. Serve with bread and raw onion.

MY MELBOURNE

The fashion illustrator and children’s book author shows us her city.

Words JANE ROCCA

Megan Hess might be best known for her fashion illustrations with top-tier clients like Chanel, Prada and Fendi, but if truth be told, it’s working on books that really ignites her passion. In July, she will release a new series – the Young Queens Collection – via Hardie Grant. Aimed at young children, she’s written and illustrated original fairy tales with heroines who find their true queen inside. Hess lives in Melbourne with her husband and their two children – having moved here 20 years ago – and works from a Port Melbourne studio.

Fave book shop

AVENUE BOOKSTORE, ALBERT PARK

I have been buying from Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park ever since I moved to Melbourne. Sometimes, when I am working on something obscure, I like to head here for inspiration. An example of the magic they weave is when I might ask if they have any books on Middle Eastern architecture, and they will go as far as point to another book that has a page inside dedicated to it. I always walk out with books when I go here. I love British author Lucy Foley for her thrillers, but also seek out a children’s classic I haven’t read. I love coffee-table books and will justify a $100 book about chairs.

● avenuebookstore.com.au

Fave restaurant

ENTRECOTE, PRAHRAN

Entrecote on Greville Street is my favourite restaurant. I love French food, and when I first started on the

Megan Hess

Claris children’s book series – a story about a French mouse – I would go here to find inspiration and polish a rhyme that wasn’t working. Something magical happens when I go here and attempt to write. I like to sit outside with a coffee, omelette and bread. It’s like a good luck charm for me. It’s the closest restaurant we have to Hotel Costes in Paris.

● entrecote.com.au

Fave coffee spot

HEART BAKES, PORT MELBOURNE

My favourite coffee place is a small, unassuming place called Heart Bakes in Port Melbourne. The cupcakes are delicious too. They make those scrolls that are drenched in icing which,

done right, are so evil and the best thing ever. Every morning they have rows of fresh cakes to choose from. I love it for its great coffee, and it’s calm and peaceful.

● heartbakes.com

Fave store

CHAPEL STREET BAZAAR

I love going here. My studio and home are filled with lots of things I collect from here. My disclaimer is it is so visually overwhelming, you can’t go there when you are tired. Don’t go at the end of a day – start your day here! It’s packed with so many things you don’t know where to look. It’s so uniquely Melbourne. I found an amazing vintage Gucci clutch bag

that was next to nothing and incredible homeware items and great fabrics and buttons. It’s for someone who likes a rummage.

● @chapelstreetbazaar

Fave public space

NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA

I have always loved the National Gallery of Victoria. My son, who is now 13, is into art and it’s a favourite for him as well. We see exhibitions together like McQueen, but also go there and have a wander and sit in the courtyard area to sketch and draw. He has his own drawing style compared to mine. It’s something we spend a lot of time doing together.

● ngv.vic.gov.au

Racing home

Curtis Stone is bringing Gwen to the Birdcage for the spring carnival.

Curtis Stone has always loved the races. The Melbourne boy grew up a hop, skip and jump from Flemington Racecourse in Charles Street, Ascot Vale.

He says he went to the races with his mates long before he became a big hospitality name.

Now the Michelin-starred celebrity chef is bringing his famed Los Angeles restaurant, Gwen, to the Birdcage precinct at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival – where local Victorian produce and microseasonality make the difference.

It certainly made sense for the married father of two to sign on the dotted line and bring his celebrity touch to one of his favourite pastimes.

“Coming into the Birdcage for the first time in this capacity is a big deal. I am super excited,” says Stone, who was in Melbourne filming as a MasterChef guest judge earlier in the year.

Celebrity chef Curtis Stone will offer a celebration of locally sourced dishes. ANDREA D’AGOSTO

More than 200 VIP guests will dine at Gwen on each of the main race days, while a pop-up bar, Lucky’s, also created by Stone, is set to deliver a new corporate hospitality option for 300 guests a day during the spring racing carnival.

The last time Stone visited he was a guest at the Emirates Marquee on Millionaire’s Row several years ago.

“The races are a formal event; it’s where you go to get dressed up,” he says. “You certainly don’t feel like eating a toasted sandwich on the day – you want the experience to be a lot fancier.

“With that in mind, the menu will be more celebration oriented –produce like crab, crayfish, oysters and caviar. We have great access to this in Australia.

“The spring season brings an abundance of outstanding produce –it’s the time to eat asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb.

“You’ll see a tonne of seasonality around the things we do and the way we cook.”

Event catering has also been a successful business move for the chef, who launched Curtis Stone Events in Australia just before the pandemic.

Now, with weddings in full swing, he has top-notch culinary teams driving his vision in Melbourne to create customised experiences for those on their wedding day.

“We have always had a really clear focus on what we do in hospitality and especially in our restaurants, and now when it comes to events it’s important to be customised,” Stone says. “I don’t want to be known as the seafood guy or the meat guy when it comes to booking a wedding party.

I want to create the perfect event for people where the menu reflects who we are and who they are.”

When Stone opened his event space Grace in Richmond in November 2022, he moved back to Melbourne for three months with his wife Lindsay Price and their two sons, Hudson and Emerson.

It was a chance to be on the ground and see it all come to life.

Now, as the catering partner at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Stone shifts the wedding experience from the heritage-listed gardens to a premium outdoor event space with culinary excellence in the mix.

What’s more, guests can transfer to Grace in Bridge Road to keep the momentum going on their wedding day.

With multi-award-winning restaurants on his plate, Stone still finds time to get back to Australia six times a year. He’s quite used to the routine and says jet lag doesn’t bother him anymore.

When he arrives in Melbourne, he tops up on his staple loves – a bakery

Words JANE ROCCA

for a sausage roll and bayside for fish and chips.

“I am making sausage rolls in the States now, but when I am back in Melbourne that’s the first nostalgic food I like to eat,” he says.

And, of course, one of the first things he does is see his mum.

“She is my first port of call and is usually baking something for me in the oven to welcome me home,” Stone says.

He counted Melbourne’s Tipo 00 and Gimlet as impressive restaurants while in town earlier this year.

“I wandered in and found a spot unoccupied at the bar at Gimlet; I got lucky,” Stone says. “I know everyone raves about Gimlet, but it is good.”

The Coles ambassador says the decision to expand his culinary footprint in Melbourne isn’t merely an afterthought. His brother Luke is also involved.

“Melbourne has so many wonderful things about it, but what I love most is that it is rich in culture,” Stone says. “I always joke with people and say if the weather is chilly here, it means people are inside thinking about culture and planning things.

“Places where the sun always shines means the culture is thinner,” he adds, laughing. “It’s widely

known that Melbourne is the culinary centre of Australia, and chefs rise to that occasion here.

“From bakeries to fine-dining restaurants, from Vietnamese to Italian precincts, there’s much on offer and I am glad I am part of it with Grace on Bridge Road.”

Stone’s father lives in the Macedon Ranges town of Woodend, and you’ll find the chef making a pit stop at the famous Bourkies Bakehouse. “You can’t go wrong with this bakery; it’s pretty famous down there,” he says.

Stone recently announced he will name his new restaurant on the Riviera Maya in Mexico after Woodend, and will source Australian wagyu beef from David Blackmore’s farm in Benalla.

His mother lives in Point Lonsdale, and when he visits, the pair dine at Flouch’s – a local seaside restaurant famous for its duck.

“My home will always be Australia,” Stone says. “I might not be there for a chunk of time but I have a great team working with me to make what we do a bigger expression beyond my name.

“I feel the key to success is having the right team, that’s it’s not just about the main guy.

“I can’t wait to be back for the racing carnival season; a special time in Melbourne and one I am proud to be part of.” ●

“It’s widely known that Melbourne is the culinary centre of Australia, and chefs rise to that occasion here.”

Bar bites from Curtis Stone’s Gwen restaurant in Los Angeles.

RAY KACHATORIAN

More than the bee’s knees in spelling.

Here at Haileybury we create the perfect environment for our students to chase their dreams — be it in the classroom, on the court and everywhere in between. Meet Mitchell — who balances his time participating in the Prime Minister’s National Spelling Bee, with being the youngest member of Haileybury Hive, our beekeeping society … and we think that’s S-P-L-E-N-D-I-F-E-R-O-U-S.

Sunday Gardener

Afashion collaboration with interior stylist, hotelier and style icon Lynda Gardener has proved fruitful for local label Eva’s Sunday.

The Melbourne label, started by founder and owner Nic MacIsaac eight years ago, ran four retail stores before the pandemic. Her Beechworth boutique continues to perform well, while lockdown saw the closure of the Hawthorn and Fitzroy stores.

Now she’s back on the high street with a corner heritage building on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

“We pivoted online during the pandemic and felt it was time to make a comeback,” MacIsaac says.

Her store is more of a lifestyle destination, where contemporary-inspired garments sit alongside furniture, soft furnishings and fashion accessories.

Gardener might be known for her fabulous interior design and decorating, but also has a unique fashion aesthetic. Iris Arpfel and Susie Cave of fashion label The Vampire’s Wife are two of her style muses.

A regular customer at Eva’s Sunday, she became fast friends with MacIsaac, and the rest is four capsule drops that keep walking out the door.

“We’ve spent the last 18 months working with Lynda Gardener, and it’s been absolutely amazing,” MacIsaac says.

“She was a customer first, and the friendship grew from there. She wears a lot of headscarves, and we talked about doing something along those lines, and it’s led to some great capsules. While she hasn’t worked in the fashion world per se, she is known for her look, and this felt like a natural progression.”

Eva’s Sunday prides itself on a slow fashion ethos where a rustic interior leans into its earthy palette of coats, dresses, pants, tops and more. Gardener likes to mix vintage and new clothing when it comes to her own wardrobe, and when designing for Eva’s Sunday, she knew it was important that garments could be dressed up and down.

“This collection is all about comfort and style, colours and textures that can be worn season after season, and in any season of the year,” Gardener says. “It’s all very timeless. I love that Nic and her team allow me to lead the direction and style of the range as well as the art direction and feel of the shoots. I feel free to express myself in a way that is authentic to who I am.” ●

● evassunday.com.au

LYNDA GARDENER

Style icon Lynda Gardener has teamed up with label Eva’s Sunday.

“This collection is all about comfort and style, colours and textures that can be worn season after season, and in any season of the year.”

LYNDA GARDENER

Words JANE ROCCA

FEATURE HOUSE

BRIGHTON \ 63 BAY STREET

This stunning Victorian home certainly has a place in the living history of Brighton. It is still surrounded by gardens designed by the original owner, a renowned landscape architect, in the 1880s.

Ayshford, set on about 871 square metres of land, is grand and beautiful. It has been meticulously renovated to show off its many period features and majestic rooms with sky-high ceilings, and to accommodate a high level of contemporary amenity.

The entry leads to a hall with an elaborate arch. The formal sitting room is on the left and has a wide bay window and fireplace. This is followed by a bedroom, and there are two more on the right-hand side of the hall.

All these rooms have marble fireplaces and one has a boxbay window to the side garden.

The rear, modern section of the house is all living area –relaxed, spacious and stylish with black-framed doors to the outdoor entertaining zone and the large heritage garden.

The kitchen is at the heart of this area, with a meals area and family area to one side and a living area to the other.

The kitchen is large enough for any amount of entertaining and has excellent storage and premium appliances.

Also on this level is a study, a laundry with external access, and a family bathroom with twin basins, a soaker bath and a shower.

On the first level is the main bedroom suite with a walk-in wardrobe and an en suite with twin showers. There is also another bedroom up here, with a built-in wardrobe and desk, and a walk-in linen cupboard.

Magnolias, roses, jasmine, viburnum and tree ferns are among the plants in the finely designed gardens characterised by curved beds and extravagant spring colour. The house has central heating and cooling, new wool carpets and ample storage. The double carport has automated gates.

The home is zoned for Brighton Primary School and Elwood College and is close to Brighton’s prestigious independent schools. It is close to shopping, restaurants, the beach and the Bay Trail. ●

BEVERLEY JOHANSON property@domain.com.au

Agent: Marshall White, Matthew Pillios 0408 145 982

Price: $4.9 million-$5.35 million

Expressions of interest: Close 5pm, June 22

FINAL WORD

“LOCATED IN BRIGHTON’S PRIZED LIFESTYLE PRECINCT, THIS BEAUTIFULLY RENOVATED VICTORIAN RESIDENCE IS SURROUNDED BY GLORIOUS GARDENS.” MATTHEW PILLIOS – AGENT

Hover your camera over the code to see Domain listings in Brighton

BRIGHTON EAST \

Luxuriously renovated to make the most of the space and light, this art deco family home has impeccable style. Period features include elaborate and varied art deco ceilings, dado panelling, and an elegant fireplace in the formal sitting room. Dark floorboards and white walls form a sophisticated background throughout the living areas, with carpet in the bedrooms. The living, dining and kitchen area is large, with banks of windows and

glass doors looking out to the solarheated pool, heated outdoor entertaining area and garden. The state-of-the-art kitchen includes granite benchtops, Blum cabinetry, Liebherr fridge and freezer, and Viking oven and cooktop. The house has many extras and is located close to schools, shopping and transport. ●

BEVERLEY JOHANSON

Agent: Belle Property Brighton, Sam Inan 0433 076 999

Price: $3.3 million-$3.5 million Expressions of interest: Close 5pm, June 26

ELWOOD \ 8 FOAM STREET

SOUTH MELBOURNE \

Sharp use of black and white distinguishes the facade of this Victorian terrace house from its attached neighbours. Off an entrance hall dressed with a corbelled archway, the two large bedrooms display layered cornices announcing high ceilings. One flaunts a fireplace. With timber floors, timber skirting boards, timber window frames and timber blinds, the lounge at the core of the single-level floor plan opens to the outdoors. Next up, the

kitchen connects with the fully revamped bathroom, while out the back, the paved, north-facing courtyard (with laneway access) doubles as a car space. Near Albert Park Lake, trams and Clarendon Street shops in a quiet crescent, the serene yet convenient location amplifies the easy allure here. ●

KAY KEIGHERY

Agent: Belle Property Albert Park, Besim Kanacevic 0433 338 757

Price: $1 million-$1.1 million

Auction: 1pm, July 1

Occupying a triangular block with technically three street frontages, this house offers free-standing, single-level accommodation with leafy, outdoor benefits. Edwardian beginnings resonate in the charming weatherboard facade. Stripped back and buffed up, the interior swaps charming for fresh. Enter across the verandah to a central hallway running between three bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry and linked kitchen, dining and living areas. Exit through the living space for a

PRAHRAN \

4 4 5

Aside from the wow factor, the whole set-up here is so family-friendly that offspring might refuse to depart the nest. With five car spaces, an en suite for every bedroom and a media room thrown in, they’ll no doubt come up with logical reasons for lingering longer. In sub-penthouse position in a JCB/Hecker Guthrie complex, the sprawling apartment is basically your mansion in the sky, with almost every space dining out on the

north-oriented, pergola-covered terrace and lawn backyard with a garage-cumstudio. Knotty Baltic pine floors, fresh paintwork and ample internal light flatter the elegant period bones, while proximity to primary and secondary schools, Ormond Road shops and restaurants, Elsternwick Park and the beach secures that enduring, Elwood-specific sway. ●

KAY KEIGHERY

Agent: Chisholm & Gamon, Sam Gamon 0425 702 574

Price: $1.95 million-$2.1 million

Auction: Noon, June 24

dramatic panorama. The open-plan hub on the first level unites with a terrific terrace. Parents are pampered on the second level, comprising a balcony, office, retreat and the main bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and en suite. Walk out to trams, shops, nightlife and the lot. ●

KAY KEIGHERY

Agent: Marshall White, Joanna Nairn 0419 994 664

Price: $4.9 million-$5.39 million

Expressions of interest: Close 5pm, June 21

With breathtaking views and luxurious features, this stunning half-floor penthouse is situated at the top of Hobson's Bay Apartments and was designed to maximize natural light, creating a bright and inviting atmosphere. With three bedrooms including a lavish master suite, this residence offers a truly remarkable living experience from the highest point in Middle Park, with panoramic views of the bay, city skyline, and the picturesque Dandenong Ranges.

belleproperty.com/222P428428

7 Harleston Road, Mount Eliza a b c e f

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