Spring Graze — Gastrology

Location: 97 Chapel Street, Windsor

Phone: 03 9533 8813

Cuisine: Thai, Asian

Overall Impression: 8.5/10

Ayatana celebrates Spring Graze with a delicious five course modern Thai feast prepared with fresh, local Victorian produce sourced from some of Prahran Market's star traders. Also partnering with Oakdene, each course is perfectly matched with one of the winery’s wines.

One of our favourite Thai restaurants in Melbourne, Ayatana serves Modern Thai cuisine with bold and authentic flavour combinations.

1st Course: Hot & sour portobello & flat mushrooms soup

Sourced: Damian Pike - Prahran Market

Matched with: 2010 Oakdene ‘Yvette’ Methode Traditionelle Sparkling

The sweet and sour soup was flavoursome and had the perfect hint of chilli. It was a lovely start to the meal.

2nd Course: Sweet crunchy roasted tamarind bio-dynamic brown rice salad

Sourced: Ripe The Organic Grocer - Prahran Market

Matched with: 2012 Oakdene ‘Jessica’ Sauvignon Blanc

The salad of sweet crunchy roasted tamarind brown rice had an intriguing combination of crushed cashew nuts, green apple, bean shoots, mint, coriander, red onion and crispy noodles. All the dazzlingly fresh ingredients blended harmoniously, resulting in a clean and bright dish with a perfect salt-sour-heat balance.

3rd Course: Caramelised crispy free range berkshire pork belly (Greta Valley free range pork)

Sourced: Gary's Quality Meats - Prahran Market

Matched with: 2012 Oakdene ‘Peta’s’ Pinot Noir

The pork belly was excellent, with a crispy but well-proportioned layer of fat sitting atop a succulent layer of tender, juicy meat. The balance of sweet and salt exhibited great skill.

4th Course: Slow cooked sher wagyu rump massaman curry

Sourced: Neil's Meats - Prahran Market

Matched with: 2010 Oakdene ‘William’ Shiraz

The sher wagyu rump in the masaman curry had been cooked gently, the tender meat falling off the bone and combining wonderfully with the sweet potato pieces and kaffir lime.

5th Course: Salted caramel ice cream sundae, sliced steamed banana, roasted honey macadamia

Sourced: Fritz Gelato - Prahran Market

Matched with: 2013 Oakdene Pinot Grigio

The banana was deliciously soft, gooey and sticky and was infused in a delectable spiced palm sugar caramel. The fritz gelato ice cream was desirably smooth and the toasted honey macadamias plus the salted caramel topped off this killer dessert.

Enjoy a Thai fine dining experience with a modern twist at Ayatana.

The restaurant’s Spring Graze menu will see you on a delectable journey guided by the Thai food compass of 'Hot', 'Sweet', 'Sour', and 'Salty' flavours. The 5 course menu is cleverly designed and incorporates premium produce from Victorian producers (sourced from Prahran Market) delightfully matched with Oakdene wines.

When: Tuesday the 24th of September from 7:30pm to 10:00pm

Where: Ayatana, 97 Chapel Street, Windsor

Phone: (03) 9533 8813

Price: $95.00 per person for 5 courses with matching wines

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Ayatana.

Location: 3/5 Cecil Place, Prahran and 450 Hampton Street, Hampton

Link: http://www.lasvolta.com.au/
Cuisine: Italian
Overall Impression: 8/10

This September, La Svolta welcomes Spring through the marriage of Italian cuisine and authentic flavours with local ingredients with a Spring Graze menu. Gastrology bloggers were privileged to attend a dinner which featured a tasting of each dish on the spring graze menu.

La Svolta is a restaurant with a proud reputation forged over many years of operation. The exposed kitchen at the far end of the dining hall proudly displays both the chefs and the prominent pizza oven, lending to the wonderful atmosphere. The dining room is modern with polished timber finishes and exposed brick walls – the perfect setting for rustic Italian food.

Beef Carpaccio with wild rucola and shaved parmigiano

Simple and delicious. The beef had a beautiful melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Verdure Pastellate mixed seasonal vegetables in a light batter

The tempura vegetables were pleasant. The batter encasing the vegetables was ethereally light and very crisp. Combined with the various dips the dish was a delight to eat.

Risotto Burrata with fresh basil and salsa di pepperoni

The rice in the risotto was puffy and al-dente and had a nice flavour.

Pasta Carciofo homemade pasta with artichoke, guanciale and chilli

Atop the superbly cooked, wonderfully textured pasta were delectably crisp shreds of Guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon prepared with pig's cheeks). The perfectly cooked artichoke and chilli provided freshness.

Background: Agnello Alle Erbe grilled herbed lamb cutlets with artichokes, lime and mint

Foreground: Bistecca grilled porterhouse steak with spring onion mash and madeira sauce

The herbed lamb cutlets, topped with artichokes, lime and mint, was moist and very flavoursome. It was a well made and homely dish that was thoroughly enjoyable.

The succulent steak was well cooked with the adorning strip of fat providing an additional indulgent burst of flavour. The madeira sauce added a delightful savouriness to the steak which enlivened the relatively heavy dish.

After the rollicking ride provided by the savoury courses, the first of our desserts arrived.

Zablione with biscuits and fresh fruit

The biscuits were highlighted by a light and airy, soufflé like, consistency with a subtly sweet flavour while the Zablione was smooth and fragrant. Providing excellent balance to the relatively sweet and heavy items were the beautiful fresh fruits.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with berry compote

The panna cotta was smooth and well-executed. It was a decadent end to a delightful meal.

As they say at La Svolta, mangiare e felicita - eating is happiness, and this Spring celebration was no exception. In a match made in gastronomic heaven, the menu crafted by La Svolta's Valerio Calabro and Pino Russo is absolutely scrumptious and showcases local produce sourced from the Yea farm of friend and fellow restaurateur Carmine Constantini. The meal is also paired with a glass of delicious Di Stasio Wine. We highly recommend you spoil yourself with this afternoon of Italian indulgence.

Details

When: The Spring Graze menu is available on Sunday, September 22nd from 11.30am - 4pm

Where: both La Svolta venues

How: Call (03) 9510 3001 to book.

Price: $30 which includes two courses (entree and main or main and dessert) and a glass of Di Stasio Wine (either Chardonnay or Pinot Noir).