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Foodies week comes to Melbourne
Home to some of the world’s best chefs, the Melbourne food scene is blooming with modern Australian, European and pan-Asian influences to delight foodies on the lookout for something new. To celebrate 2014 Summer Foodies Week, Mitch Hogan visited some of Melbourne’s favourite local dining establishments to sample their wares.
Paladarr
Salona
The chasm between high quality Thai cuisine and the rest is perfectly exhibited by the multi-award winning chefs at Paladarr. Thoroughly deserving of its collection of awards including a prestigious Chef’s Hat from the The Age Good Food Guide and a fixture in the guide every year since 2009, Paladarr quite simply hits the mark every time.
For authentic Greek specialties and an evening out on Richmond’s trendy Swan Street, the overwhelmingly highlyreviewed Salona (with a near unprecedented 91% positive rating) offers the perfect combination of contemporary atmosphere and highquality cuisine. The restaurant is a step into the Greek countryside, complemented by the upstairs bar, ideal for a pre or post-meal cocktail.
Our five-course banquet was perfectly balanced – a complete combination of spicy, salty, sweet and sour. We started with seared prawns, humming with ginger, lemongrass, coriander and a touch of and fish sauce before moving on to the house specialty - Issan minced chicken beautifully balanced with a hint of mint, chili and coriander. It’s hard to recall a better chicken salad – perfectly tender and spicy, without being too spicy – it’s one of those dishes where you can’t help but finish literally every single piece of food from plate. Paladarr’s main courses delivered in spades. A slow home-roasted chicken in traditional green curry with Thai basil and baby eggplant was delicate and balanced, with the perfect amount of heat. The second main course (served at the same time) was succulent seared beef slices in kaprow sauce which had the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The servings were very generous and included a serve of rice each. Those with big appetites will be well satisfied – those without will struggle to finish. To conclude, Paladarr offers refreshing ice cream. Usually $131, this awardwinning five course Thai banquet can be purchased on DEALS.com.au for only $59 for a very limited time.
Salona is offering Epicure readers the chance to enjoy a nine-course degustation menu for two people for only $49 instead of $129, including dessert and wine or beer. When we arrived for our degustation, the food started flowing in earnest. The team at Salona takes pride in their regional Greek dishes and members of the team visit Greece each year to update the menu. Salona sources local and organic produce. We started out with a home-made platter of mixed dips and pita bread. The tzatziki, melitzana (eggplant), tarama and skordalia dips were accompanied perfectly by fluffy, warm pita. Don’t fill up on bread, though. Next we were presented with numerous meze dishes including crisp saganaki croquettes, zucchini and smoked feta kefte, and spanakopita – a spinach, feta and leek filo pie. Each of these little bites were the perfect intro to the meat and seafood dishes to come. Fried calamari was fresh, crisp and golden, and was followed by Cypriot pork belly with a Commandaria dessert wine
glaze, and lamb ribs marinated in an addictive combo of ouzo and honey. The pork belly and lamb were both moist and tender. We managed to squeeze in Salona’s homemade melomakarona ice cream sandwich to top everything off.
The exclusive offer is only available at DEALS.com.au for a limited time (or until sold out).
The Dark Room Born from two photographers’ love of food, the Dark Room is a homage to food as art and the owners’ personal interpretation of the similarities between gastronomy and photography. Characterized by friendly service and a welcoming atmosphere, the Dark Room has been described as ‘cuisine heaven’ by adoring fans, and is top-rated by popular review site, Urbanspoon. For a very limited time, The Dark Room is offering Epicure readers the chance to enjoy a spectacular dining experience meal for two people for only $39 instead of $114. When we visited for dinner, the Dark Room was full with a buzzing crowd and irresistible aromas. Delicate pea and leek fritters were served up piping hot with fresh, melt-inmouth buffalo mozzarella, pine nuts and currants – a perfect, light start on a warm day. The slow-cooked pork belly was tender yet crispy, accompanied by a refreshing cabbage slaw, grapes, apple puree and walnut vinaigrette. This was a beautifully balanced combo of salty and
sweet notes.
The Dark Room’s main courses were a highlight. We chose one dish from the grill and one pasta – both were perfectly composed. The char grilled lamb loin with tempura zucchini flower, roast pumpkin, almond and honey was tender, and when we could get a bit of each component in one bite, the Euro-inspired flavour combos were spot on.
Those looking for a quick trip to Italy will enjoy Dark Room’s selection of pastas. The parmesan gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce and cavolo nero is near perfect, the sauce flavoursome, but not too rich. The addition of kale adds the perfect green note to the meal and keeps things from going overboard. The gnocchi itself was light – nothing too heavy there. We accented the meal with a glass of wine each – a perfect weeknight treat or weekend indulgence. The Dark Room offer is only available on DEALS.com.au for a limited time or until sold out.
Richmond Hill Café and Larder They don’t get much more iconic than the Richmond Hill Café and Larder, located a stone’s throw from the MCG and funky Bridge Road. Besides a fromagerie, a cheese club and a larder vending oils, preserves and cured meats, Richmond Hill has one of the highest rated cafés, that delivers on all of our gastronomic fantasies. For a limited time, the Richmond Hill Café
and Larder is offering Epicure readers the chance to experience lunch for two for $45 instead of $110.
We started out with a mouth-watering charcuterie board to share which was loaded with a selection of local and imported cured meats, homemade country style pork terrine, homemade chicken and port wine parfait, pear and raisin chutney, fig and quince preserve and toasted brioche and sourdough toast. This platter alone makes a nice nibble to accompany a glass of wine and a good chat, but we didn’t stop there. We chose mains off of Richmond Hill’s seasonal menu which includes a range of house-made salads, gourmet sandwiches, burgers and more complete main dishes. The pan seared fillet of ruby snapper, spanner crab and green mango salad with red chili, spring onion and sesame and coriander dressing was our pick – we loved the combination of snapper and crab, and the spicy, light dressing is a summer favourite. The café offers a BLAT on a Five & Dime bagel, which is exciting because it’s our opinion that Five & Dime make the best bagels in Melbourne. Otherwise, consider the Black Angus burger with all the typical fixings on a sourdough bun and opt to add cheese, since Richmond Hill’s cheesemongers are trustworthy. The café has an impressive wine list to match their lunch menu. The Richmond Hill Café and Larder deal is only available for a limited time or until sold out on DEALS.com.au.
DEAL 1
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Paladarr
Salona
The Dark Room
Richmond Hill Café & Larder
paladarr.com.au 7 ROWE STREET, ALPHINGTON
salona.com.au 260 SWAN STREET, RICHMOND
thedarkroom.net.au 147 STATION STREET, FAIRFIELD
rhcl.com.au 48 BRIDGE ROAD, RICHMOND
ONLY $59 for a five course Thai banquet for two (valued at $131)
ONLY $49 for a ninecourse degustation meal for two people, including wine or beer (valued at $129)
ONLY $39 for two including choice of entrée and main each and two glasses of wine (valued at $114)
ONLY $45 for lunch for two including wine (usually $110)
HIGHLIGHTS: Mixed dips including tzatziki, melitzana, tarama and skordalia, pita bread, saganaki croquettes, zucchini and smoked feta kefte, spinach, leek and feta filo pie, fried calamari, Cypriot pork belly, lamb ribs, melomakarona ice cream sandwich, house red and white wines and Greek Vergina beer.
HIGHLIGHTS: Pea and leek fritters with buffalo mozzarella, pine nuts and currants, slow cooked pork belly with cabbage slaw, grapes, apple puree and walnut vinaigrette, chargrilled lamb loin with tempura zucchini flower, roast pumpkin, almond and honey, pappardelle with beef ragu, porcini mushroom, rosemary and pecorino, parmesan gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce and cavolo nero.
HIGHLIGHTS: Seared prawns with ginger, lemongrass, coriander, spring onion, lemon juice, and fish sauce, minced chicken salad with coriander, spring onion, mint, chili, lemon juice, fish sauce and ground parched rice, chicken green curry with Thai basil, baby eggplant and seasonal vegetables, seared beef slices in kaprow sauce with Thai basil, ground chili and garlic, ice cream.
Limited time offers go live at 10.00am on Tues 18 February 2014
HOW TO BUY A DEAL? 1. Go to www.deals.com.au 2. Click “BUY” and enter how many offers you would like (gift vouchers also available) and enter your credit card details 3. Receive a voucher straight after purchase and dine until May 2014.
DEAL 4
HIGHLIGHTS: Charcuterie board with a selection of local and imported cured meats, country-style pork terrine, chicken liver and port wine parfait, pear and raisin chutney, fig and quince preserve and toasted brioche and sourdough toast, pan seared fillet of ruby snapper, spanner crab and green mango salad with red chili, spring onion and sesame and coriander dressing, BLAT on a Five & Dime bagel, Black Angus burger with lettuce, tomato, aioli, caramelised onions, beetroot relish, Swiss cheese or Moss Vale blue cheese.
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Home to some of the world’s best chefs, the Sydney food scene is blooming with modern Australian, European and pan-Asian influences to delight foodies on the lookout for something new. To celebrate 2014 Summer Food Week, Mitch Hogan visited some of Sydney’s favourite local dining establishments to sample their wares.
One Six Eight Restaurant & Bar Chef Leigh McDivitt, who cultivated an impressive reputation during his time as head chef at 3 Weeds in Rozelle where he earnt recognition in the SMH Good Food Guide and Gourmet Traveller magazine, has since ventured out on his own to create the fast up-and-coming One Six Eight Restaurant and Bar. Exclusive to readers of Good Food, One Six Eight is offering a stunning four-course gourmet dinner for two for $76 instead of $152. One Six Eight’s Modern Australian menu reflects McDivitt’s commitment to seasonal and organically sourced local produce with the focus on flavour, contrast and texture. McDivitt’s passion in sourcing sustainable ingredients leads to some exceptional dishes. When we visited to test the new spot, we started with the kingfish ceviche with chililime dressing and horseradish ice cream. The homemade duck prosciutto was thinly sliced, and the cured meat was served with smoked octopus, cured duck yolk and salad – delicious.
hot cinnamon doughnuts (with varied fillings) – a nice touch. Dessert was a standout – the sinful Jack Daniels “Tennessee Honey” ice cream with dark chocolate honeycomb and caramel fudge was devilishly sweet, while the passionfruit soufflé with raspberry sorbet and sherbet is a great option for those with a fruit-loving palette.
Mrs. Top French Cuisine It’s easy to see why Mrs. Top has enjoyed a successful thirty years in Sydney. The romantic dining room is welcoming, with guests often seen booking return visits on their way out. Mrs. Top French Cuisine is offering Good Food readers the chance to experience a three-course meal for two with champagne for $59 instead of $121. The restaurant was busy when we arrived, but we were quickly presented with a glass of champagne while perusing Mrs. Top’s regional French menu.
Foodies week comes to Sydney Few do desserts better than the French, and Mrs. Top’s is no exception. The crème brulee was covered in that beautiful, signature melted crust, while the apple tarte was sweet and warm – the perfect ending to our quintessential French moment.
Wharf Teppanyaki There aren’t many better dining experiences than fine Japanese cuisine, and few in Sydney do it better than Wharf Teppanyaki, perfectly located near Darling Harbour. Sydney Morning Herald readers have the chance to to enjoy a summer seafood sensation banquet for $69 (per person) instead of $155 (per person). The first dish to be artfully delivered was the flaming #1 special: crab salad with avocado wrapped in Hiramasa kingfish and flamed on the teppan with the house secret sauce. Next up were kingfish, salmon and tuna sashimi, expertly cut and obviously fresh, followed by a fresh oyster with citrus ponzu, shallots and house made chili sauce.
asparagus and shitake mushroom was another favourite. Be sure to eat a light lunch, as the lobster motoyaki, served flamed with motoyaki sauce and accompanied by baby spinach and bean sprouts was succulent and perfectly prepared.
combinations and were well portioned.
The entire meal was served with plenty of garlic or steamed rice and red and white miso soup, and finish off the tasting menu with a green tea and Japanese sweet red bean brulee with flaming vanilla liqueur.
Extra Virgin Fine Foods
Picada Former Catalina chefs Vladimir Alemany and Roberto Araneda recently opened hotspot Picada, featuring a classic Spanish-Chileaninfluenced modern Australian cuisine. For a limited time, Picada is offering Sydney Morning Herald readers the chance to indulge in a three-course meal for two for $49 instead of $118. Picada’s menu changes frequently to take advantage of seasonal produce, but when we went entrée choices included classics like cheese empanadas with chimichuri, baked jalapenos with Serrano ham, pan-fried calamari with poached pears and morcilla and more. We opted for the confit chicken wings with pumpkin puree and tomato corn salsa. These chicken wings had crispy skin and tender meat, were complemented by the puree and the salsa added a lighter touch.
To finish, the saffron poached pears with crème anglaise and pear granita were light and sweet and the chocolate tart with strawberries was decadent.
If reviews and crowds are anything to go by, Extra Virgin Fine Foods is poised to become one of Sydney’s most loved tapas restaurants. Extra Virgin Fine Foods is offering Good Food readers a limited time chance to enjoy their nine-course Spanish-fusion degustation for two with sangria for only $49 instead of $120. Our Spanish feast started with a dish of Serrano pico: grissini wrapped in Serrano ham with rosemary salt and olive oil, followed with a bright citrus kingfish ceviche. We moved on to pastel vegetal, a grilled vegetable stack with haloumi – this was a fresh favourite. Next were croquetas with three cheeses and the Spanish classic, patatas bravas.
We started with the scallops with red onion confit and herbal butter (and were tempted by the country-style duck liver pate with homemade pickles and crusty bread and the gratin escargots with garlic, parsley, shallots and cognac butter). The scallops were beautifully cooked, tender and plump, with a generous douse of addictive butter sauce.
Next up was the delicately prepared seafood poke - diced sashimi with poke sauce and alfalfa sprouts, and was followed up by a scallop carpaccio, thin slices of Hokkaido scallop seared with extra virgin olive oil and wasabi dressing. The thinly sliced scallop was melt-in-mouth. A garlic prawn and calamari salad was next up, followed by a yuzu lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate before getting into the last few dishes.
Mrs. Top’s bouillabaisse comes packed with monkfish, salmon, prawns and mussels, all covered in a delicious, steaming broth. Each piece of seafood was fresh and served with crusty homebaked bread .
The highlight was the Alaskan crab leg, a delicacy that was especially flown in for the restaurant. The leg meat was just as sweet as if we consumed it on the boat in Alaska. The king prawn, calamari and salmon with
DEAL 1
DEAL 2
DEAL 3
DEAL 4
DEAL 5
One Six Eight
Mrs. Top French Cuisine
Wharf Teppanyaki
Picada
onesixeightrestaurant.com.au 6/168 KENT STREET, THE ROCKS
mrs-top.com 42 KELLETT WAY, POTTS POINT
Kobejonesteppanyaki.com.au/ wharf-teppanyaki 21 LIME STREET, SYDNEY
Extra Virgin Fine Foods
picada.com.au 55 DARLING STREET, BALMAIN EAST
extravirginfinefoods.com.au 17 ALEXANDER STREET, CROWS NEST
ONLY $76 for a four course dinner for two (valued at $152)
ONLY $59 for a three course meal for two with champagne (valued at $121)
ONLY $69 for an 11course teppanyaki meal (valued at $155)
ONLY $49 for a threecourse meal for two (usually $118)
HIGHLIGHTS: Flaming #1 special with crab salad with avocado wrapped in Hiramasa kingfish and flamed on the teppan, salmon, kingfish and tuna sashimi, akuma oyster with citrus ponzu, shallots and house made chili sauce, seafood poke with sashimi, poke sauce and alfalfa sprouts, scallop carpaccio with extra virgin olive oil and wasabi dressing, garlic prawn and calamari salad, yuzu lemon sorbet, Alaskan crab leg, grilled seafood with asparagus and shitake mushroom, lobster motoyaki, flaming anko green tea and red bean brulee.
HIGHLIGHTS: Cheese empanadas with chimichuri, baked jalapenos with jamon Serrano, pan-fried chorizo, confit chicken wings with pumpkin puree and tomato corn salsa, pan-fried calamari with poached pears and morcilla, pan-fried swordfish with garlic puree, olive salsa, roasted cherry tomatoes and asparagus, char-grilled Riverine MBS2 sirloin with caramelised onion puree and papa rellena, saffron poached pears with crème anglaise and pear granita, chocolate tart with strawberries.
ONLY $49 for a ninecourse Spanish degustation for two with Sangria (instead of $120)
For mains we opted for a celeriac pearl barley risotto with pickled beetroot, mushrooms and walnuts, and the braised pork neck with Pickpocket Cider cloud, cured pork loin, crispy pig’s ear and lemon balm. Both dishes stood out for their innovative use of ingredients, and the pork neck dish was especially exciting for its diverse meat preparations. Between mains and dessert we were presented an unexpected treat – a plate of
HIGHLIGHTS: Kingfish ceviche with chili-lime dressing and horseradish ice cream, heirloom tomato gazpacho with fennel and orange salad, celeriac pearl barley risotto with pickled beetroot, mushrooms and walnuts, braised pork neck with Pickpocket cloud cider, cured pork loin, crispy pigs ear and lemon balm, passionfruit soufflé with raspberry sorbet and sherbet, Jack Daniels ‘Tennessee Honey’ ice cream with dark chocolate honeycomb and caramel fudge, mango parfait with sumac buckwheat clusters and spiced rum gel, hot cinnamon doughnuts.
HIGHLIGHTS: Duck liver pate with house made pickles and crusty bread, scallops with red onion confit and herbal butter, gratin escargots with parsley, garlic, shallots and cognac butter, duck l’orange, beef bourguignon, bouillabaisse, chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis, crème brulee, tarte tatin.
Limited time offers go live at 10.00am on Tues 18 February 2014
For mains we loved the pan-fried swordfish with garlic puree, olive salsa, roasted cherry tomatoes and asparagus, and the chargrilled Riverine MBS2 sirloin with caramelised onion puree and papa rellena. Both dishes offered exotic flavour
HOW TO BUY A DEAL? 1. Go to www.deals.com.au 2. Click “BUY” and enter how many offers you would like (gift vouchers also available) and enter your credit card details 3. Receive a voucher straight after purchase and dine until May 2014.
Chorizo en sidra translates to chorizo in cider and was served with a cooling and unique apple yogurt – we’ve never seen chorizo prepared this way and it provided a perfect balance between sweet and salty. Next up was a serving of juicy lamb sliders (which seem to be appearing on every menu in Sydney). We finished off with a superb grilled sirloin with garlic potatoes and Spanish salsa verde. As always, no Spanish feast is complete without a serving of churros dipped in velvety chocolate sauce, which were absolutely amazing.
HIGHLIGHTS: Serrano pico–grissini wrapped in Serrano ham with rosemary salt and olive oil, kingfish ceviche, pastel vegetal–a grilled vegetable stack with haloumi, croquetas with three cheeses, patatas bravas, chorizo with cider and apple yogurt, lamb sliders with mint yogurt, grilled sirloin with garlic potatoes and Spanish salsa verde, churros