David Tsirekas Dinner @ Hellenic Republic Kew

26 Cotham Rd, Kew ph  (03)  9207 7477

I was very fortunate to be invited to the special David Tsirekas event a Hellenic Republic Kew a few weeks back.  The Hellenic Republic restaurants are a favourite of mine, since I love the inventive twists to Greek food they come up with, and they are a very kid-friendly group of eateries in general.  

The room was packed to the rafters with guests.  After everyone was seated, a curtain pulled back to reveal an open kitchen, where George Calombaris, David Tsirekas, Travis McAuley (executive chef, Hellenic Republic), Arron Lynch (head chef Hellenic Republic) and Alex Xinis (head chef, Hellenic Kew) worked their magic preparing dishes under the fascinated eyes of their captive dinning audience.  

David (of Perama and Xanthi) from Sydney is a friend of George Calombaris and their easy camaraderie was sweet and clearly reflected their respect for each other's skills, and the opportunity to hear David's tales of his experiences was both heartwarming and fascinating. 

I was expecting a 4 course dinner, but in fact it was a 4 part dinner with 13 different dishes, each one created by one of the chefs.  The dishes were wonderful fusion dishes merging Greek origins with interesting new elements, some with surprising combinations, some with a touch of whimsy, but all with great thought and amazing execution.

Mezethes

We started with David's Tarama churros, latholemono, a savoury churro, a fabulous Greek take on the Spanish "donut".

The Smoked bone marrow, beetroot, feta, horseradish by George was probably my favourite dish of the night.  I love marrow, but this dish took it to the next level with its amazing flavour as well as it's pretty-as-a-picture presentation.  The chefs joked about the amount of work it took to clean and prepare the marrow and bones, and I am sure it's absolutely no joke!

The Ouzo cured ocean trout, Jerusalem artichoke, cucumber by Arron Lynch  was another beautifully presented dish.  I don't love ouzo but what it does for the trout is pretty awesome.

The Sheftalies, tahini yoghurt, caper leaves by Travis was more of what I usually expect of Greek food.  The meat was perfectly cooked and the yoghurt gave it the tang that elevated this dish to sensational.

The kefalograviera saganaki by Alex Xinis was a wonderful version of the traditional dish.  I love, love, love those caramelised grapes!

Psari

We watched the chefs dish up the Seafood kokoretsi, skordalia by David Tsirekas with fascination.  In essence a seafood filled roll with a crispy pastry, the crunchy outer shell contrasted wonderfully with the delicious and luscious seafood it encapsulated.

George Calombaris' Tartare of tuna with all its frills, prawn crackers was a fun dish clearly coming from the cheeky side of the chef.  The individual components of the tartare was served up separately with a bag of prawn crackers, and once mixed you eat it in the cracker.  It got all the guests at our table talking and giggling like kids.

I loved Alex Xinis' Melitzanosalata - I love eggplant in general, and the dish really showcased the fabulous versatility in texture and tastes you get get with the humble eggplant.

Kreatika

Each of the dishes were shared by 4 of us at the table, but by this stage I was honestly wondering how I would be able to finish all the food that were to come.  The duck and quince by David Tsirekas made it easy for me to "exercise"..... my ability to stretch my stomach to accommodate more food!  The sweet and tangy sauce perfectly balanced the duck meat that had been cooked to perfection.

The wagyu tongue and flat iron kalamaki by Tavis McAuley was grilled nicely and full of flavour, not your average meat on a skewer!

And then came Arron Lynch's Lahanosalata.  I am a big kid and I never liked Brussels sprouts, but these were so delicious that I have been ordering sprouts more and more when I go out (next step is learning how to cook it so that it's THIS flavoursome!)  The salad could easily be eaten as a meal itself.

Glyka

No meal is complete without sweets for me!  David's Touloumba, warm rosewater custard, honeyed walnuts was a traditional and comforting dessert with a lovely custard....

....whilst the "Magnamopolous" - Greek yoghurt ice cream, caramelia, mastic, fruit was another one of George's marvellously fun creations, a tilt of the hat to Australia's favourite Magnum, with a slap of Greek pride and a wonderful tangy twist with the use of frozen yoghurt and fruit.

The dinner costs diners $95 per head for the night, and even though I was there by invitation, we all agreed that for that amount of high quality food and free flowing drinks and ouzo, the meal was definitely value for money.  My kidlets love George's cook book for kids and I bought a signed copy to surprise them in the morning.  They ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the photos of the food I had and I had to promise to bring them back soon for another meal, and of course they were jealous of my photo with George, haha.

Filming for Masterchef had just concluded and we were all amazed at the amount of energy George has, as he had a packed international schedule on top of organising this top notch dinner.  I will have to organise to come with Hubby the next time as I have no doubt he would enjoy a similar great night out. 

Disclaimer : Eat.Play.Shop. attended the David Tsirekas dinner by invitation of Made Establishment and Hellenic Kew.  Opinions are my own.

Eat. @ Ba'get

132 Russell Street, Melbourne CBD 3000 

I love the fantastic array of food that we get to experience living in Melbourne.   Po'boys, bibimbap, tonkatsu, quesadillas are nowadays as common place as dim sims and souvalaki's were in the 80's.  Kids nowadays have so many interesting choices and I'm always happy to see my kids try foods from different cultures and learn to appreciate the healthier options that are offered.  (Macaron Monster still impresses me when she chooses sushi over Maccas when given the choice!)  Banh Mi are surely one of the first "fusion foods", having been created as a street food during the time of French occupation of Vietnam, and have long been around thanks to Melbourne's thriving Vietnamese Community.

Banh Mi has been a favourite food of mine since my Mum bought one for us as an after school snack when I was in primary school.  I was a pretty picky eater, yet the combination of crispy baguette, sharp pickles, variety of hams and even pate (!) somehow just worked so well together, even to my less than discerning young taste buds!    

I was invited to a banh mi masterclass to experience the traditional banh mi that will be available in the newly established Ba'get this week, and was treated to a really interesting "guided tour" on how good banh mi are made.  It is obvious Duy and his family, the lovely people behind Ba'get, are passionate about traditional, fresh and healthy food.   Duy told us a bit about his family's background in the food industry.  They have stayed true to the recipe used in the Mekong region of Vietnam, with slight adaptations over the years to perfect the balance of ingredients in their Banh Mi.  

Next up Duy's brother taught us how the baguettes are made and boy, I will never, ever under estimate how much skill one needs to make these baguettes!  To be honest I had never paid much attention to these rolls that are sold at all Vietnamese bakeries.  I'm delighted by the fact that the baguettes here are baked on the premises, and the winning formula for me is that they are being baked EVERY HOUR!  

So we all had a go at making the baguettes.  Here's my less than impressive looking baguette , shaped by yours truly......

And the subsequent outcome.  

I tell you it's much easier to make macarons then to bake the perfect baguette!   Don't worry, the baguettes made by the staff at Ba'get all look great!

Duy then taught us how to make the traditional pickle that goes into the banh mi.  The freshest ingredients made for a refreshing and tart pickle that gives a good banh mi the perfect balance of crunch and sourness to complement the fresh bread and meat.

Then Duy's sister Jenny assembles the fresh ingredients including options for the classic hams, lemongrass pork or chicken, pulled chicken or meat balls.  There's even a vegetarian choice with tofu which I tried for the first time and was surprisingly delicious!

The others also experienced some exotic looking Vietnamese cocktails.  I didn't drink because I was driving, of course! 

Don't worry about my lack of hydration though.  I polished off 2 of these most excellent traditional Vietnamese coffees.  They were strong, not too sweet, and full of kick!  Just the way a good Vietnamese coffee should be!

I also got to try some of the delicious pork ball skewers.  There will also be pork puffs, sesame donuts and a selection of pastries available as part of the menu.  Banh Mi inspired vermicelli bowls will be offered as a gluten free alternative.

Overall I think the baked-on-the-hour fresh baguettes and the emphasis on fresh quality ingredients will distinguish Ba'get as a more than worthy lunch (and even dinner) option for discerning Melbourne city-goers.  Ba'get officially opens on Friday 28th March (that's tomorrow!) and they are offering free banh mi to their facebook likers, so get in quick to try it out!

Disclaimer : I attended the Banh Mi masterclass at Ba'get courtesy of Ba'get and Hothouse Media.  Opinions are my own.