The Chef Series Progressive Dinner @ Collins Square

Nestled within the heart of Melbourne's thriving Collins Street business district is Collins Square Hospitality Group's hub of award winning restaurant brands Chiara, Bar Nacional and Long Shot Café.  To complement the group's iconic restaurants comes Collins Square Catering and the Collins Square Cellar, outstanding hospitality services for discerning inner Melbourne foodies. From your morning coffee fix, to Spanish tapas and VIP sommelier experiences, Collins Square Hospitality Group offers a little something for every foodie.

Gastrology recently enjoyed an intimate 'Progressive Dinner' where we sampled the finest food and beverage from Collins Square Hospitality Group in an intimate dinner hosted by each of the executive and head chefs in their respective venues.

First stop: Canapés @ Collins Square Catering

Compressed watermelon, Yarra Valley feta, aged balsamic, oregano 

Our evening began with canapés in the catering kitchen. Collins Square Catering is Melbourne's most convenient events and catering offering, with a seamless process from ordering through to delivery.

Slow cooked duck 'empanada', blood orange mayonnaise

Our favourite canapé was the Duck empanada. The wonderfully flaky empanadas were filled with melt in your mouth slow cooked duck and served alongside blood orange mayonnaise. Topped with sesame seeds for some added texture, the empanadas were just beautiful.

Second stop: Entree @ Bar Nacional

Bar Nacional pays homage to the most celebrated aspects of Spanish food culture: a lively atmosphere, community, quality ingredients, careful preparation, and the fast-paced variety of flavours and creative combinations achievable with dishes designed especially to share. 

The Bar Nacional menu re-interprets a range of Spanish classics in new and exciting ways, with Head Chef Scott Spence dishing up traditional Carrasco guijuelo Iberian bellota and a creative play on crema catalana.

Smoked ham hock and fennel bomba

The bomba had a wonderfully crisp exterior which combined beautifully with the smoked ham hock which provided salinity to the dish while the creamy fennel ensured that the dish had requisite balance.

Perrito caliente - guindillas, pork crackling

We loved this Spanish take on the hot dog. Sandwiched between buttery brioche buns are juicy chorizo sausages, complete with indulgent sauces and decadent pork crackling. These rolls wantonly disregard the current trend towards healthy eating and, as a result, are abundantly flavoursome.

Third stop: Main @ Chiara

Chiara's menu pays homage to the authentic Italian culinary culture, with a modern Melbourne twist. The restaurant's impressive wine list boasts a decadent selection of Italian wines, champagne, local favourites and rare, aged options alongside aperitivo style cocktails. 

For those looking for an exclusive experience, Chiara's semi-private cellar room offers bespoke dining with personal menus and matched beverages for up to 18 guests.

Braised rabbit saddle, carrot, cardamom, guanciale & rock oysters

A myriad of well-balanced flavours enveloped the rabbit meat which was well cooked, juicy and tender. It was a rich and complex dish that worked superbly.

Fourth stop: Dessert @ Long Shot

Rumoured to be the best cafe West-of-Spencer, the team behind Long Shot understands that Melburnians take their coffee seriously, with expert baristas pouring a morning brew of coffee roasted by St Ali. 

Coconut ice pops, passion fruit curd, baby basil

All sweet treats are made in-house daily by pastry guru Maria Lantelme. 

From left: Brown butter panacotta, Canadian Maple croissant croutons; Caramelised chocolate puff pastry, cherry ice cream, vanilla powder

A local lunch haunt for fresh sandwiches, healthy salads, baked goods and treats to cap off your afternoon cravings, Long Shot has spoils for every palate.

Madeleines & caneles

We loved each of the sweet treats we indulged in. Each were a decadent interpretation of classic French and Italian creations that had been carefully handcrafted.

Find out more about Collins Square here.

Contact CSHG

Collins Square Hospitality Group: http://www.cshg.com.au/

Chiara: http://www.chiara.com.au

Bar Nacional: http://www.barnacional.com.au/

Long Shot: http://www.long-shot.com.au/

Collins Square Cellar: http://www.collinssquare.com.au/cellar/

Collins Square Catering: http://www.collinssquarecatering.com.au/

A Sneak peek... Taste of Melbourne - 13 -16 November 2014 - Albert Park - Saké | Nieuw Amsterdam | Gazi

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Saké, Nieuw Amsterdam and Gazi.

Melbourne’s premier restaurant festival Taste of Melbourne arrives for 2014, once again gracing Pelican Lawn at Albert Park, November 13 – 16. The food and wine celebration sees Melbourne’s favourite restaurants return, as well as new movers and shakers on the dining scene. 

Gastrology bloggers were invited to fly #TasteAir with friendly pilot Adam Valentine who took us on a culinary flight around town, tasting some of the dishes that will be on offer this year at the festival. 

First Stop - Saké 

Saké Restaurant and Bar serves up contemporary Japanese cuisine in the revitalised Hammer Hall within the MCA on the Yarra river. 

With a unique menu that features contemporary sushi alongside traditional Japanese dishes, Executive Chef and sushi master Shaun Presland brings Japanese food and culture to life, where diners are treated to dynamic culinary experiences. 

Our visit started with a sushi making masterclass.

Our pilot

Miso cod lettuce cups & prawn dumplings

Saké’s Taste of Melbourne offering is an absolute winner. The miso cod lettuce cups were filled with a beautifully grilled miso-marinated tooth fish with crunchy katafi pastry. Bursting at the seams with umami, the cups were exquisite in taste. The accompanying prawn dumpling was another standout. Coated in a delicate rice noodle skin, the dumplings were moist, well-flavoured and melt-in-your-mouth tender. 

Second Stop - Nieuw Amsterdam

Located at 106-113 Hardware Street in Melbourne, Nieuw Amsterdam is owned and run by Michael Roszbach (former Cookie Manager) and Nick Stanton (former Head Chef, Woods of Windsor). The venue’s name is a throwback to Roszbach’s Dutch heritage, with New York originally named Nieuw Amsterdam when it was first settled by Europeans.

The unique venue is located in a 1880s iron foundry building (originally of hardware merchants) and is said to have named the Hardware Street precinct. Nieuw Amsterdam opened its doors to the public in late December 2013 and specialises in New American style food with a mix of quirky and classic cocktails. 

The menu builds on new interpretations of classic American dishes, such as the chicken waffles with pate, terrine, crispy chicken skin and orange caramel.

Pork trotter and ham hock nuggets burnt onion jam

Chicken waffles pate, terrine, crispy chicken skin, orange caramel

Smokey beef brisket. Kim Chi, BBQ Sauce

We absolutely adored Nieuw Amsterdam’s Taste of Melbourne beef brisket dish. Particularly noteworthy for its fragrant and complex beefy flavours which were enhanced by the tart kim chi and one hell of a bbq sauce. The meat was both soft and delicate.

Berry split White chocolate mousse, Cream cheese sorbet

Their Taste of Melbourne dessert offering was clean, refreshing and fun. We loved the decadent white chocolate that came through on the middle palate and the deliciously refreshing lashings of berries and the decadent yet light cream cheese sorbet. 

Dessert served wtih Salted caramel negroni

Final destination - Gazi

Our delicious dinner concluded on a high note at Gazi. An entirely different side of Greek cuisine, Gazi offers earthy, Athenian ‘Street’ food partnered with exciting and experimental cocktails and spirits.

Left: Cheese - Honey, balsamic Saganaki, lemon

Tiganites patates - Chips, oregano, garlic oil, feta

We shared a few starters. These well formulated dishes of bold and vibrant flavour combinations showcased the culinary potential of Greek cuisine.

Crab Souvlakakia 

Soft shell, mint, coriander, honey, mayo

Gazi’s Taste of Melbourne dish was stunning. The soft shell crab mini souvlaki boasts the legendary George Calombaris pita bread which was the perfect canvas for the beautifully crispy and juicy soft shell crab. The deep fried crustacean pieces were coated in a semi-thick crisp batter that encapsulated firm, sweet flesh. With a touch of fried garlic and a myriad of spices, it was simply superb. It was a dish that was both well thought out and executed.

Now in its 7th year, Taste of Melbourne is firmly established as an annual ‘must attend event’ that celebrates the city’s ever evolving food, wine and dining scene...

www.tasteofmelbourne.com.au

What: Taste of Melbourne 2014

When: Thursday November 13 - Sunday November 16, 2014

Where: Pelican Lawn, Albert Park Lake

Price: Tickets start from $25.00.

Upcoming Event: The Progressive Greek | The best of Greek wines to be uncorked during the month of July

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Douglas Lamb Wines, Longrain, Pei Modern and Gazi.

Food and wine lovers will have the opportunity to taste the finest drops from Greece during the month of July, matched with fine dining, to uncover the truth behind one of the world’s oldest wine-making countries.

Premier Greek wine importer, Douglas Lamb Wines, is hosting The Progressive Greek – specially designed wine and food matching evenings, across Sydney and Melbourne throughout July.

Third generation wine importer and business owner, David Lamb, delivers an opportunity for diners to taste wines from the northern Amyndeon region and the renowned Kir Yianni winery paired with delicious dishes from some of Australia’s finest restaurants including, Longrain, Pei Modern and Gazi in Melbourne and Alpha and Danjee in Sydney.

Gastrology was invited to join a progressive dinner hosted by Douglas Lamb Wines for a sneak peek into what will be in store for the month-long event, 'Amyndeon Oenos’ (Amyndeon, being a wine region in northern Greece and Oenos, the Greek word for wine). At each venue a different glass of Greek wine was matched to a dish, highlighting the versatility of Greek wines across different cuisines.

First stop: Longrain

Selected items were chosen from Longrain’s extensive menu to showcase the ability of the 2013 Kir Yianni ‘Petra’, Macedonia, Greece to match bold, spicy Asian flavours.

Longrain has distinguished itself by South East Asian cuisine that marries polished Western training with fiery Eastern flavours in an informal and relaxed setting. 

Sashimi of Kingfish, caramelised cashew nut nahm jim, trout roe, micro herbs

Filled eggnet, pork, prawns, peanuts, caramelised coconut, cucumber relish

Larp of prawn with lime and chilli

The Sashimi of Kingfish showcased the delicate texture of the Kingfish. The classically Longrain Filled eggnet was, as always, enjoyable and highlighted by the superbly cooked prawns and the gentle tartness of the cucumber relish.  Similarly, the Larp of prawn with lime and chilli was expertly prepared and had juicy, succulent morsels of prawns interwoven with a multitude of intense flavours. 

The feature wine (2013 Kir Yianni ‘Petra’, Macedonia, Greece) matched the dishes perfectly. A wine with citrus notes and a beautiful freshness, it possessed a crispness that managed to cut through and complement bold South East Asian flavours. 

It was a wonderful first stop with rich, flavoursome food in loud, bustling surrounds.

Second stop: Pei Modern

This time, the dishes were chosen from Pei Modern’s menu to match the 2012 Kir Yianni ‘Paranga’ Macedonia P.G.I. Greece.

Pei Modern is three hatted chef, Mark Best’s first Melbourne venture.

Duck egg, Jerusalem Artichoke & Truffle Sauce

Beans ‘a la Grecque’, Wood Grilled Killara Rise Lamb

The lamb was cooked to perfection while the dish of Duck egg, Jerusalem Artichoke & Truffle Sauce was lovely. The Truffle Sauce and the velvety egg yolk combined to produce an intensely rich and beautiful dish. 

The feature wine (2012 Kir Yianni ‘Paranga’ Macedonia P.G.I. Greece) was a great match. A blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Xinomavro and 25% Syrah, the wine was refreshing. With a merlot background and spicy Syrah notes, the acidity of the wine made it a lovely match for both the rich lamb meat and the velvety duck egg.

Third stop: Gazi

Our delicious dinner concluded on a high note at Gazi. An entirely different side of Greek cuisine, Gazi offers earthy, Athenian ‘Street’ food partnered with exciting and experimental cocktails and spirits.

‘Acropolis Now’ Strawberry mousse, coffee & mastic

‘Acropolis Now’ was a strawberry centric dessert which provided a different mix of pleasant flavours. We loved the velvety smooth consistency of the “cake” which served with Greek coffee soil with refreshing hints of pine forest flavour from mastic.

The 2012 Kir Yianni ‘Akakies’ Brut Rose was our favourite match of the night. It was a playful number with complimentary strawberry aromas and bright acidity which cut through the sweetness of the dessert in a delicious fashion. 

What

Progressive Greek - A self-guided tour complete with detailed tasting notes 

When

Each restaurant will be pouring a different a Kir Yianni wine from Amyndeon for the month of July. Each wine will be matched to a small dish. 

Participating restaurants: 

Longrain Melbourne  Wine: 2013 Kir Yianni ‘Petra’
Recommended dish: Prawn salad with mint, chilli, lime and roasted rice.   

Pei Modern Wine: 2012 Kir Yianni ‘Paranga’
Recommended dish: Duck Egg, Jerusalem Artichoke & Truffle (entrée) or the Beans a la Grec, Killara Rise Lamb (main).  

Gazi
Wine: 2012 Kir Yianni ‘Akakies Brut Rose’
Recommended dish: “Acropolis Now” strawberry mousse with coffee and mastic.