Good Food Blooms @ Southgate
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Sat 31 Oct 2015 - Sun 08 Nov 2015
Between
Saturday 31st October and Sunday 8th November 2015, Southgate is offering a dining experience with a twist as part of
Good Food Month – dishes, desserts and specially developed cocktails that all include edible spring flowers. 13 restaurants, offering a range of cuisines, are participating in this special event, where food and drinks are turned into edible art through the inclusion of fresh flowers.
Special menus have been prepared in consultation with edible flower specialist Lauren Richardson of
Flowerdale Farm , and feature a range of sweet, spicy, herbal and delicate seasonal spring flowers.
On
Sunday 1st, Tuesday 3rd (Melbourne Cup Day) and Sunday 8th November, you have the opportunity to experience the
ultimate floral dining event, with restaurants offering 'moveable feast' lunches. This means you can have an entrée at one restaurant, main course at a second, and dessert at a third – the first two courses with matching cocktails – for a set price of $100.
For example, the culinary adventure on 1st November will journey from
Pure South to
ARTUSI to
Hophaus , while on 3rd November, guests will transition from
Miyako to
Red Emperor , finishing at
La Camera . On Sunday 8th November, the feast will move from
Bluetrain to
BearBrass , with dessert at
Tutto Bene .
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to trial a moveable feast and some of the delicious and creative dishes and cocktails on offer. My feast journey took me from the elegant
Miyako for entrée to the classy
Pure South for main course, and finally to the more relaxed
Hophaus for dessert and tea or coffee.
At
Miyako , the entrée was truly a work of art. We dined on Hana Sakari ('flower fully bloomed'), in which sashimi carpaccio was wrapped with asparagus and Persian Gold Petals in translucent rice paper with a marinated Sakura sushi ball. Appealing to the eye, this dish did not disappoint. It was a superb combination of textures and flavours, and new head chef Yosuke Furukawa (formerly Izakaya Den) had the balance just right. The peppery undertones of the Persian Gold Calendula flower cleverly complemented the sweetness of the fish.
The matched cocktail at Miyako was the Rosaceae Drop – a refreshing, fruity combination which included rose tea, peach schnapps, violet ronin and fresh passionfruit, topped with a viola flower.
Progressing to
Pure South Dining , we were served the Mt Gnomon Farm Wessex Saddleback Pork Belly, accompanied with brawn, pureed kohlrabi and viola flowers, and dressed with pork consommé. This was a knockout dish, and I only wish I could cook pork belly as well as this! The flesh was sweet and melt-in-the-mouth tender, with the skin seared to just the right level of crispness. Pork perfection!
For the accompanying cocktail, Pure South selected a 'twist on the New York Sour'. This is a beverage that has an Irish whisky base, with egg white, lemon, apple juice and a splash of pinot noir, topped with a floating viola. While those with sweeter palates might be looking for a spoonful of sugar to add, I felt the drink complemented the sweetness of the pork.
Finally we visited
Hophaus , where we enjoyed a deconstructed cheesecake for dessert. This is a clever combination of fresh and dried raspberries, praline, white chocolate, pistachios – and a sprinkling of fresh violas. Again, it was a well-balanced dish, with the tartness of the raspberries ensuring the palate is not overwhelmed by the sweetness of the white chocolate.
While the moveable feast offer does not include a cocktail with dessert, Hophaus did however provide us with its cocktail to taste. Surely the prettiest cocktail of the three, The Aviator comprises gin, Maraschino and violet liquor, with a violet garnish. This drink was smooth as silk, and my favourite of the three I tasted.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the moveable feast experience. I enjoyed being able to experience three very different restaurants, each with a different style, approach and ambience, but united by the quality of the food on offer and the thought and care that had gone into its preparation. This is a unique culinary experience that I feel is well worth the $100 investment.
If however you'd like to try a floral inspired dish or cocktail for a lower outlay, you can do so between 31st October and 8th November on an a la carte basis at participating restaurants, with the cost ranging between approximately $12 and $38. Participating restaurants are:
Pure South ,
Miyako ,
ARTUSI ,
Hophaus ,
Red Emperor ,
La Camera Southgate ,
Bluetrain ,
BearBrass ,
Tutto Bene ,
P.J. O'Brien's Irish Pub ,
The Deck Restaurant ,
Waterfront , and
Waterslide Bar .
Bookings are essential for the moveable feast lunches. For full menus and bookings,
click here .
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!date 31/10/2015 -- 08/11/2015
%wnmelbourne
162259 - 2023-06-14 20:30:58