Monday, 24 May 2021: Hunter St. Hospitality restaurants are stoking the wood-fired ovens and grills, sharpening the sushi knives, and seasoning the woks ready for Melbourne Good Food Month, with interactive dinners, one-off winter feasts and exclusive offers available in June.
Rosetta Ristorante is tapping into its culinary traditions to bring guests the most Italian of mid-winter feasts on Wednesday 16th June at 6.30pm. The menu charts a delicious culinary journey from Veneto to Toscana, Marche, and Calabria, enriched with warming winter braises, stews and slow-poached dishes from each region, matched with stunning Italian wines. ($199 per person).
Relax into the cosiness of Rosetta’s private dining room and enjoy Brodetto alla Sambenedettese, a fish and seafood stew from Marche; Ciaudedda Lucania – braised artichokes, pancetta, nduja and broad beans from Calabria; Brasato all’amarone, or venison osso bucco with polenta from Veneto; and Castagnaccio, or seasonal chestnut cake with poached pear and mascarpone, inspired by the winter chestnut windfall in Toscana.
Spice Temple is dedicating a delicious banquet menu to the Winter Solstice, or Dōngzhì Festival, on Thursday 17th June at 6.30pm. A multi-course feast is enhanced with the warming fragrances of classic spices and paired with beautiful drinks, promising to warm up winter souls.
The menu begins with snacks, such as Guilin-style sour snake beans, and lighter dishes including shredded bean curd ‘noodles’ with sesame and house-made chilli oil dressing; before moving onto divine pan-fried lamb dumplings, and duck wontons in spiced duck and ginger broth; then progressing to larger dishes such as hot and sour steamed Flathead, red braised Wagyu brisket with Pixian chilli and daikon, and a traditional Hangzhou dish of dong po pork. Tang yuan, traditional glutinous rice balls, with chestnut and black sesame filling bring the sensational feast to a close. ($149 per person).
Saké Hamer Hall chefs will showcase their maguro kaitai mastery – or dexterity at breaking down a whole Southern Bluefin Tuna – at a Head to Tail Bluefin Tuna Experience on Thursday 17th June at 6pm. Guests will watch sushi masters at work and enjoy a five-course menu that showcases this exquisite fish.
The menu begins with old-school-style sashimi featuring the three different parts of tuna – decadent otoro, meaty akami, and chutoro – the perfect blend of both. A tuna tasting plate includes sashimi tacos, spicy tuna crispy rice, and sashimi karashi su miso ae; while luxurious toro tartare is served with caviar, wasabi soy and crispy brioche. The menu also includes maguro katsu – or panko crumbed tuna with truffle mayonnaise and cabbage, and a final course of sensational hand-crafted sushi. ($169 per person).
Rockpool Bar & Grill is showcasing its famous David Blackmore’s Wagyu burger, paired with a glass of beer, or house wine, throughout June. ($20 per person). A quintessential Rockpool Bar & Grill experience, this burger is arguably a contender for one of the world’s best; featuring David Blackmore’s full-blood Wagyu, irresistibly charred from the wood-fired grill. Other ingredients include Zuni pickles, smoky bacon, nutty Gruyere and house-made tomato and chilli relish. Paired with a beer or house wine, it is available in the bar, Tuesday to Sunday, from midday until close throughout June.
