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Asian dishes with a native Australian twist, dinner cruising on Sydney Harbour during Vivid, an Arabic Sicilian collaboration, and lunch with an extraordinary artist are some of the amazing experiences on offer for food and wine lovers in the coming weeks. Here are four experiences you won’t want to miss.
Southeast Asian Cuisine With A Distinctly Australian Twist
Melbourne’s Asian-inspired Salted Egg restaurant will pay homage to its Aussie roots at a special dinner on May 19 pairing native ingredients with spirits from Forward Drinking, a Richmond-based not-for-profit, small-batch producer.
Chef Adam Woodfield will present seven dishes for the one-off event, adding samphire to his smoked ocean trout betel leaf with chilli jam nahm jim; lemon myrtle and finger lime caviar to his raw kingfish with green nahm jim; and Davidson plum to his crispy pork, tamarind sauce and nahm pla prik. Guests will be served a micro golden kelp martini and betel leaf canapés on arrival, while one of the courses will feature grilled wagyu beef striploin salad with river mint, matched with a native Australian kakadu plum cocktail.
Forward Drinking’s Macadamia spirit is a lighter, vegan take on a classic cream-based liqueur and will be paired with Salted Egg’s chocolate macadamia praline mousse with calamansi ganache and passionfruit sorbet. Deliciously different.
Salted Egg is on Level 1 of the Quincy Hotel Melbourne precinct. Quincy shares a similar philosophy and works with suppliers like Outback Pride, who oversee a network of native food production sites for remote Aboriginal communities.
Tickets are $129 per person. Book via Open Table.
A Dinner Cruise On Sydney Harbour During Vivid
Captain Cook Cruises has an exciting program of cruises for those wanting to experience the lights of Vivid Sydney between May 27 and June 18. There are numerous options to choose from but it’s hard to go past the Vivid Gold Dinner cruise, which offers six courses over three leisurely hours with premium Penfolds wines including the iconic St Henri.
It costs $195 per person and having experienced the fine food and wine on board previous Captain Cook gourmet cruises, we think it will be money well spent. You can never get tired of sailing on Sydney Harbour and the lights of Vivid are an added treat.
Captain Cook Cruises’ flagship Sydney 2000 vessel has a new Vivid Cocktail Harbour Bar offering a cheese platter and Sydney-inspired cocktails while you look at the spectacular light installations. Dinner cruises start from $59 for a 1½ hour cruise with a 2-course menu.
To book: (02) 9206 1111 or www.captaincook.com.au
An Arabic Sicilian Dinner Steeped In History and Culture
Sicily was an Islamic kingdom for a couple of centuries prior to 1091 and the Arabic influences left their mark on the cuisine. A special dinner hosted by Sydney restaurant, Nour, on May 25 brings together the two cuisines in a unique seven-course degustation menu.
The dinner will be the signature event closing out the month-long Taste of Ṣiqilliya festivities being held at Nour throughout May. Nour chef Gianluca Lonati is known for his fresh and exciting interpretation of Middle Eastern flavours.
His menu throughout May brings Sicilian flavours to the forefront, the festivities named for Ṣiqilliya, as the emirate was known during Arab rule. Teaming up with Sicilian native, Lino Sauro, founder of Olio Kensington Street, Lonati will present a menu of snacks, mezze, pasta, sides, and dessert.
Squid ink, sea urchin and finger lime arancini are among the mezze on the $150pp menu, which also includes swordfish pastirma, yellowfin tuna tartare, and an almond milk couscous dessert, among other dishes. The evening will kick off with a Pomegranate Americano aperitif and finish with a creamy, nutty Caffe Shakerato digestif.
To book: www.noursydney.com
Contemplating Art Over Lunch At Montalto
Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia has an amazing array of experiences in its portfolio, including many very special lunches and dinners. This one is part of a lunchtime series called “Contemplating Art” at Montalto, on the Mornington Peninsula.
Designed to take guests on a journey with extraordinary artists and their works, each event showcases an artist in conversation, exploring the artist’s background, inspiration, techniques and work, over a long lunch in The Restaurant at Montalto.
The first in the series will be on May 12 when Montalto welcomes artist Patricia Piccinini, known for her mutant like-like creatures combining the cute and the grotesque. She will be joined by Danny Lacy, director of the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, who will take guests on a guided walk of the Montalto Sculpture Trail before lunch.
To book: www.ultimatewineryexperiences.com.au
Some great events here, particularly the Arabic Sicilian dinner!