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March gourmet news

CHEWING THE PHAT
Morgan McGlone and Dan Hong have a posse.
Picture, if you will, a plate inspired by the life of rap musician Biggie “Notorious B.I.G.” Smalls: fried chicken on one side, foie gras on the other. The dish, conceived by Lotus’s Dan Hong, is just one part of a very unusual dinner he and fellow Sydney chefs Darren Robertson (Tetsuya’s), Morgan McGlone (Flinders Inn) and Mitch Orr (Sepia) and pâtissier Adriano Zumbo are cooking up at Flinders Inn on 7 March. The group, which bills itself as Taste of Young Sydney (or TOYS), is all about “friends coming together for a creative outlet and looking to push the boundaries of food in Sydney,”says spokeschef McGlone. The dinner is entitled Phat, and runs the gamut of its theme from canapés of lardo ravioli and mini Vietnamese sandwiches, right through to a confectionary version of pork spare ribs by none other than the Zumbo himself. Phat, $170 per person for five courses with wine, Flinders Inn, 1/160 Flinders St, Paddington, NSW, (02) 9331 0208

COOL KOUZINA
Demitri’s Feast honours Greek tradition without being constrained by it – just like the cooler eating houses in Athens’s Gazi ‘hood. Paprika-dusted prawns, for instance, share plate with watermelon, feta, almonds and mint, and come drizzled with wild lemon oil. Owner Jim Karabagias’s mum is responsible for a lot of the sweet stuff, including the excellent almond shortbread. 141 Swan St, Richmond, Vic, (03) 9428 8659

THE PRODUCERS: NICOLAS KALAMATA OLIVES
Kalamata Greeks growing Kalamata olives: who’d have guessed it?
What Nicolas Olive Estate marinated Kalamata olives.
Where Dimboola, Victoria.
Who Angela Nicolas was born in Kalamata to a family of olive-growers. She moved to Australia in the ‘50s and married her Greek-born husband Sam. In the ’70s, they bought an olive grove just outside Dimboola, and a decade later, they retired there to follow a traditional Greek village lifestyle.
How The Kalamata olives are hand-picked in late autumn and brined for a month. They’re washed, soaked in fresh water and stored in vats with extra-virgin olive oil from the estate. The olives are then packed in jars, topped up with more extra-virgin olive oil and flavoured with aromatic herbs grown by Angela herself.
Why The olives are firm, and their Kalamata flavour is full without being overwhelming. What’s really appealing is the use of quality extra-virgin olive oil. Yes, it will cloud up when you keep the jars in the fridge, but in exchange you get the grassy, buttery characteristics of the oil and the flavours of Angela’s lemons, garlic, bay leaves and oregano in every bite. Nicolas Olive Estate marinated Kalamata olives are $8 for 375gm.  1800 636 065 RICHARD CORNISH

TV DINNERS, AUSSIE STYLE
“Stranger things have happened,” says Matthew Evans, food writer and former restaurant critic, of the advent of his appearance on TV, as the star of SBS’s Gourmet Farmer. ”But not to me.” The genesis of the show, and of his new book, The Real Food Companion, came from “meeting all these interesting people and I thought it would be good to show that all this stuff exists in Australia, all these little producers. And they said, ‘That’s really boring,’ and I foolishly said I was also looking for a little farm to move to and do my own stuff, and they thought that was interesting so they came and filmed for a week… took it to SBS, and they thought it was a goer.” Gourmet Farmer is just one part of what is shaping up to be a bumper year in locally produced TV food programming. Following in the wake of the success of MasterChef, we’ll be thrilling to the likes of Poh Ling Yeoh’s Poh’s Kitchen on the ABC, Channel Seven’s My Kitchen Rules, hosted by Sydney chefs Manu Feildel and Pete Evans, and the LifeStyle Channel’s version of the UK show Come Dine With Me Australia with James Valentine hosting. Though he says he was too busy milking the pigs and shearing the chickens to become a true MasterChef aficionado, Evans says he thinks the influx of Australian material can only be a good thing. “We have been sadly dominated by overseas shows for far too long, and I think there is talent in all aspects of food in Australia, whether it’s chefs or writers or telly or whatever, and it doesn’t hurt to see your own culture and places on the box sometimes. If broadcasters want to support that, then that’s a good thing.”

ON THE PASS: PETER CONISTIS, CIVIC DINING
What’s new at the Civic, Peter?
We’re putting together the new menus at the moment. We’ve got Eleni’s downstairs with traditional Greek food based on dishes my mum has always cooked, and upstairs we’re taking the restaurant to another level by redesigning how the space works. There’ll be fine dining, a new wine room and more of a communal feel in the space at the front. We’ll have three different dining options, giving everyone the opportunity to choose to eat where they feel like.
What’s cooking?
One thing I’m playing with is using our woodfired oven to slow-roast different meats and serve them with flavoured modern versions of flatbreads and accompaniments based on Greek street food including gyros – such as roast duck with preserved orange, salt and flatbread, served with bitter orange marmalade. I’m enjoying the whole interactive aspect of the food at the moment – it just gives people a bit more fun when they’re out having a meal.
How do Greeks eat?
Greek food is like an ongoing feast in a sense. The whole nature of sharing and making food as you go along is very Greek and that’s what we’re bringing in at Civic. Another thing we’re doing, as they used to do a long time ago in Greece, is actually preparing things at the table, such as our smoked eggplant dip. The smoked eggplant is going out whole with the condiments and prepared to order at the table, served with hot flatbread. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.
What’s the best thing, for you, about being Greek?
Travelling through Greece with ease – but I’m Greek and Australian so I get the best of both cultures. Civic Dining, Civic Hotel, 388 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW, (02) 8080 7040. MONIQUE LANE

STOCKING THE GREEK LARDER
Our city-by-city guide to the nation’s best Greek providores.
ADELAIDE
Omega Foods (33 Adam St, Hindmarsh, 08 8346 6499) covers the full spectrum of Hellenic fare, with very good olives and feta. Samtass Seafoods (203 Richmond Rd, Richmond, 08 8234 0075; Adelaide Central Market, 08 8211 8600) and Angelakis Bros (Central Market, 08 8400 1370; Burnside Village, Shop 60/447 Portrush Rd, Glenside, 08 8379 6699) are two of Adelaide’s largest and most diverse fishmongers, but some of the best bargains come from Greek fish exporter Theo Parissos & Sons (68 Langham Pl, Port Adelaide, 08 8447 4177).

BRISBANE
At Samios Foods (36 Annerley Rd, Woolloongabba, 07 3391 2169), traditional Greek bread is delivered Tuesdays and Fridays, and you can order in fresh rabbit if you want to whip up a kouneli stifado. Delta Continental (49 Vulture St, West End, 07 3844 1473) is a pocket-sized wholesaler stuffed to the ceiling with Middle Eastern and Italian staples as well as Hellenic specialties such as frozen sheftalies. Mega Continental Foods (17 Duncan St, West End, 07 3844 2822) will tempt your sweet tooth with a range of ready-made pastries such as baklava and galaktoboureko.

MELBOURNE
Elli’s International Deli (417 Sydney Rd, Coburg, 03 9354 2056) is crammed with everything from olive oil to filo, with a good range of feta and haloumi. Queen Vic Deli (Shop 36-38, Dairy Hall, Queen Victoria Market, 03 9328 3645), known to locals as Faye’s Deli, is a compact Hellenic treasure chest – its pickled octopus is among Melbourne’s best. Colossus Supermarket (6 Stutt Ave, Doncaster, 03 9857 9971) stocks everything from Greek biscuits to house-made taramasalata and has a counter that displays its variety of olives to beautiful effect.

PERTH
While Kakulas Brothers (183 William St, Northbridge, 08 9328 5285) was a hub for the Perth Greek community in the ’30s, the grocer’s current broad focus means Aegean staples share floor space with groceries from Asia and the Middle East. It’s a similar affair south of the river at Kakulas Sisters (29-31 Market St, Fremantle, 08 9430 4445).

SYDNEY
While Norton Street Grocer (Shop 1027, Westfield Bondi Junction, 02 9386 5800; Norton Plaza, 51 Norton St, Leichhardt, 02 9572 7511) is more Italian than Greek, it stocks all the Mediterranean mainstays – including just about everything in the photograph above. Earlwood Wines (285 Homer St, Earlwood, 02 9559 5673) is an institution stocking far more than the grape. Far more, in fact, than simply food and wine – whether it’s a souvla for spitting your lamb or a trussing needle to sew up its abdominal cavity, this is your one-stop shop. Sam the Butcher (279-285 Crown St, Surry Hills, 02 9357 5544; 129 Bondi Rd, Bondi, 02 9389 1420) might not advertise its Greek flavour, but the sheftalies and souvlakia tell all: Sam Diasinos comes from generations of butchers from the island of Symi.

TASTE NO PRISONERS
Eating to win at Taste of Sydney.
“So many chefs, so little give in the waistband of these shorts.” With so substantial a cornucopia of eats on display at this month’s Taste of Sydney festival, it would be easy to become a little overwhelmed and succumb to a sort of snack-related Stendhal Syndrome. But fear not, gentle reader – we’re veterans of all the Tastes held in Australia to date, and we’re here to help. You’ve got the basics covered: going to the sessions early, going at lunchtime on the Friday or the evening session on Saturday to beat the crowds, not wearing linen, packing wet-wipes. Beyond that, it’s simply a matter of plotting a course. Generally speaking, lots of the smaller dishes equals a more fun day out than fewer larger numbers. So hit the Jonah’s stand early for Alba white truffle popcorn, do a few of Assiette’s oysters with Vietnamese dressing, maybe some Flying Fish tuna with pork crackling and grapefruit and Berowra’s Vichyssoise with sugar-cured salmon. Use the more portable food, such as the unmissable suckling pig panino from Pilu, Bennelong’s sublime crab sandwiches and Buon Ricordo’s seriously meaty fagottini, to balance a glass of wine or a beer, and then kick things into the next gear. Here’s the challenge: is it the Moran family spitted lamb from Aria (yes), Four in Hand’s pork belly with pickled vegetables (yes), Balzac’s saddle of suckling pig (yes) or Danks Street’s beef ribs smoked in watermelon (hell yes)? Dessert is easy: Marque’s Sauternes custard with caramel, hands-down. Which leaves only Bird Cow Fish’s beef cheek pie and Justin North’s wagyu burger, the two most sought-after tastes of Taste. Either get in early for these crowd-pleasers, or resort to cash bribes. Do I hear twenty bucks? Taste of Sydney, Centennial Park, 11-14 March. PAT NOURSE

RESTAURANT NEWS
VICTORIA
Ladro owners Sean Kierce and Ingrid Langtry have joined forces with restaurateur Frank van Haandel to open a south-side version of their much lauded pizzeria. The new Ladro, on the site of the Candy Bar in Greville Street, Prahran, will seat 120 people with a menu that sticks closely to the Gertrude Street original’s script. Kew’s favourite Japanese restaurant, Ocha, has moved to Hawthorn, into larger premises in the former Beehive Hotel, also home to Michael Lambie’s new-style pub, Barkers Wine Bar & Bistro. Ocha’s new premises are more than twice the size of the original, which should go some way to relieving the constant crush that epitomised the Kew experience.

Hallah mixes exposed-brick, moodily lit slickness with some of the finest Korean food in town. Upstairs it's all about the barbecue, but downstairs you'll find good versions of classic bulgogi, plus the fiery charms of superheated dragon chicken and the chewy goodness of spicy marsh snails. Hallah, 268 Victoria St, North Melbourne, (03) 9329 4293

When Hu Tong opened in the city last year, it became a firm favourite of Melbourne's dumpling-lovers. Now there's a south-of-the-river outlet where addicts can get their fix of xiao long bao, at the ground level of the Cullen Hotel in Prahran. Peking duck and dumplings are the focus and there's a small gem of a wine list favouring well-priced Old World aromatics. Hu Tong Dumpling Bar, 162 Commercial Rd, Prahran, (03) 9098 1188

Collingwood's Baden Powell Hotel has been spruced up and is now a clean-lined, timber-floored, airy kind of pub with Chesterfield couches, local microbrew beers on tap and a menu of generously proportioned Italian food. Of particular note is the pizza, thin crusted and topped sparingly with great combinations such as tomato, snapper, clams and capers. Baden Powell Hotel, 61-65 Victoria Pde, Collingwood, (03) 9486 0811

NEW SOUTH WALES
The northside revolution continues: Berowra Waters Inn’s Dietmar Sawyere is about to open Ad Lib bistro on the old Tables site on the Pacific Highway in Pymble, while in Neutral Bay, the former Rattlesnake Grill premises will soon be home to a branch of Glebe Point Diner. The new restaurant will have both a bar and a grill as a focus. May is the tentative word on the opening.

The owners of Chairman Mao, one of Sydney’s best Hunanese restaurants, took January off to visit China with a view to bringing back a swag of new dishes. These dishes will be filtering into the specials selection right about now, so if a little smoke and chilli spice is to your taste, now’s the time to get down to Anzac Parade. Chairman Mao, 189 Anzac Pde, Kensington, (02) 9697 9189

Our favourite contender for sandwich of 2010? Thus far, it’s all about the pulled pork on ciabatta with pickled carrot, radish, aïoli, and apple and tomato chutney at Crown Street newcomer Fouratefive. They also do a burger of note, a Spanish free-range chicken pie, and some of the tempting hand-made pastries are from none other than Adriano Zumbo. What’s not to like? Fouratefive, 485 Crown St, Surry Hills, (02) 9698 6485

Izakaya Kasumi is pretty kooky even by the typically loopy standards of most Japanese low-key eateries. Lunch, apart from the cheapness of the $5.50 special, is pretty tame, but at dinner you can go a little chopstick crazy and try your hand at everything from somen noodles in a waterslide to cook-your-own monjayaki Tokyo-style “pancakes”. Izakaya Kasumi, 12/2-8 Dixon St, Haymarket, (02) 9283 6678

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
The owners of Assaggio Ristorante have opened Assaggio Café on Newton Road in the Italian migrant heartland of Campbelltown. It’s a very big space, but the café does have table service and modest prices throughout its wide range of pasta dishes and pizza, a a focus on fresh ingredients and a deliberate, careful hand at work in the kitchen.

QUEENSLAND
It’s the kind of kouzina you probably last experienced in the Greek Islands, but at West End’s Little Greek Taverna you’ll have to forgo the ocean setting. The Parmaklis family hails from Florina, which is famous for its peppers, but apart from the spicy feta dip and some mildish specimens alongside a very moreish horiatiki salata there’s nothing to get your temperature soaring. What you will find is low-key home cooking and prices to make you smile.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
The Greenhouse is a new Perth CBD diner where sustainability and locally sourced tucker combine to delicious effect. Running the kitchen is prodigious youngster Matt Stone – formerly of Star Anise and Pata Negra – who’s walking the talk and making his own yoghurt, milling his own wheat and growing his own herbs. Green thumbs up all ‘round.