Flavours of Asia @ Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes [28 February 2015]

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Melbourne Racing Club.

Melbourne Racing Club has proudly partnered with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival to bring a colourful Asian street food market to their popular Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes Day on Saturday February 28, 2015.

Coinciding with Chinese New Year celebrations, the Flavours of Asia Market Festival will be one of the first events on the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival calendar. Offering a range of delicacies from across the continent, cooking demonstrations and live entertainment, the newly created market space will serve as the ultimate relaxation zone for racing enthusiasts and foodies alike.

With a tantalising menu featuring the best cuisine that Melbourne’s Asian food scene has to offer, curators for the day include Hammer & Tong, Hoy Pinoy, Wonderbao, Overdosa, Lankan Tucker, Uncle, Gogi and Eat the Chicken.

Gastrology recently enjoyed a sneaky peek of what will be on offer from Hammer & Tong, Hoy Pinoy and Wonderbao.

We began with a range of grilled skewers by Hoy Pinoy. We enjoyed both the Inihaw Na Manok (BBQ Chicken) and the Inihaw Na Baboy (BBQ pork belly). On the whole, the skewers were sufficiently seasoned and flavoursome and boasted the perfect amount of outer charring, having benefited from just the right amount of time on the grill .

Wonderbao, a Melbourne street kitchen featuring authentic Chinese steamed buns and Taiwanese Gua Baos served beautifully made baos. Our favourite bao was the Pork belly Gua Bao. Featuring the tried and true flavour combination of cucumber, carrots and hoisin sauce, it contained a generous piece of good quality, tender pork belly. The wonderbao offerings really hit the mark!

Hammer & Tong's famous Soft shell crab burger was delicious. The soft shell crab burger's lightly toasted buttery brioche buns were the perfect canvas for the beautifully crispy and juicy soft shell crab. The deep fried crustacean pieces were coated in a semi-thick crisp batter that encapsulated firm, sweet flesh. With a touch of fresh coriander and a myriad of spices, it was simply superb. 

Our preview dinner concluded on a sweet high with a stunning little ice cream gua bao by Wonderbao. The brioche-like golden fried baos were filled with luscious sesame seed ice cream and topped with crunchy nuts - YUM.

With Melbourne’s weather at its best in late February, the Flavours of Asia Market Festival will kick off the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in style – quality food in atmospheric alfresco areas and great views of premium sporting and musical entertainment.

What: Sportingbet Blue Diamond Stakes Day – Flavours of Asia Market Festival

When: Saturday 28 February 2015, 12pm – 6pm

Where: Caulfield Racecourse, Gate 22, Station Street, Caulfield

Cost: Adult $20

For more information about Flavours of Asia visit www.mrc.racing.com

Upcoming event: Fromage A Trois [Sunday, 15 March 2015]

Fromage A Trois returns to the beautiful grounds of Werribee Park Mansion on 15 March 2015 with a bigger and better line up than ever seen before.

The day will be filled with many picturesque scenes and foods, and allow a perfect setting for indulging with family and friends. 

Some of Melbourne’s most iconic food haunts and trucks including Trailer Made, White Guy Cooks Thai and Brûlée Cart, as well as local breweries including Two Birds Brewing who will be serving up their delicious ales including bespoke-ales Bantam Ipa and Taco Beer. 

Renowned Cheesemonger Naomi Cristante will be taking to the main stage alongside other professional chefs, to take visitors on a culinary journey, demonstrating how to be versatile with cheese and incorporating it into your every day cooking.

What: Fromage A Trois, Melbourne’s renowned cheese and cider festival

When: Sunday, 15 March 2015 (11am to 5pm)

Where: Werribee Park, K Road, Werribee South

Tickets: Pre-purchased tickets $35 ($40 at the door) includes official tasting glass & event guide. Children 12 and under enter for free. 

Purchase tickets here.

Events: Royal Croquet Club [16 January 2015 - 1 February 2015]

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of the Royal Croquet Club.

The Royal Croquet Club (RCC) is a pop up food, entertainment, sporting & lifestyle festival that runs from Friday, 16 January 2015 to Sunday, 1 February 2015.

RCC is happening on the Lower Level of Birrarung Marr, Melbourne, along the banks of the Yarra River. Ideally located in between Fed Square and Melbourne Park sport precinct.

Boasting a huge line up of Melbourne's best restaurants and food haunts such as D.O.C, Mr Claws, Meatmother, Miss Chu, St.Ali and Gelato Messina, Melburnians will get the opportunity to wine, dine and be entertained by Australia's finest live acts.

We absolutely adored Gelato Messina's frozen "soup" cans of premium ice cream. These are a definite must-have!

Impressive local and international performers include The Kite String Tangle and Norman Jay MBE will also be featured and there will be live tennis action streaming on the big screen (so you don't miss out on the action) and a dedicated croquet pitch, so bring your mallet and have a game! 

The Royal Croquet Club presents an Australia Day line-up that is second to none and is set to soon become a staple on the Melbourne events calendar.

Dates: 16 Jan 2015 - 1 Feb 2015

Address: Birrarung Marr, Birrarung Marr, Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Web: royalcroquetclub.com.au/melbourne/

Cost: Free entry

Great Australian Beer Festival Media Dinner @ Jasper Hotel

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of the Great Australian Beer Festival.

Gastrology recently attended the 2015 Great Australian Beer Festival media dinner where the Geelong-based 2015 Great Australian Beer Festival was brought to the Melbourne CBD for an evening of craft beer and cider at Jasper Hotel.

The evening profiled the multi-faceted craft beer festival – and allowed us the opportunity to meet some of Victoria’s best craft brewers, as well as sample a variety of the food available from the festival’s Tastes of the Region dining area – which puts an emphasis on showcasing local restaurants and Melbourne’s best food trucks.

We enjoyed a range of cider and beer tastings, as well as a three course meal and stand up tapas, from two different Geelong restaurants that are catering the festival, plus Jasper Hotel.

Black salt & szechuan pepper soft shell crab with paw paw & asian herb salad by Black Salt Restaurant

Matched with: Prickly Moses Forbidden fruit cider

Our dinner began with the simple, yet ever so enticing, soft shell crab. The deep fried crustacean pieces were coated in a semi-thick crisp batter that encapsulated firm, sweet flesh. The accompanying salad of crunchy bean sprouts an fresh greens blended harmoniously with the crab, resulting in a clean and bright dish with a perfect salt-sour balance. The Forbidden fruit cider was a lovely match as it echoed the freshness of the salad and it's dry finish on the palate cut through the tanginess of the salad.

Pale Ale Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs with Potato Fondant and Greens by Jasper Hotel

Matched with: Brewcult Supa Fly Rye IPA

The Beef Short Ribs were delicious. Superbly cooked, the meat was very succulent. Its delicate ‘melt in your mouth’texture was sensational. The flavours were subtle and earthy. We loved matching this course with the Brewcult Supa Fly Rye IPA which was very aromatic and boasted a rich malt kick which matched the luxurious pale ale jus lavished upon the ribs.

Banana. Crystal Malt, Chocolate Stout and Vanilla by Vue Grand Hotel

Matched with: Prickly Moses Otway Stout 

The dinner ended on a high with a decadent and absolutely stunning dessert. We found the  Prickly Moses Otway Stout the perfect match for this dessert as it cut through the richness of the chocolate and malt with its roasted, dry finish while complementing the sweet bananas and vanilla with its toffee and caramel notes. It was a commendable end to the evening.

The 2015 Great Australian Beer Festival is Victoria’s premier celebration of craft beer and cider with over 200 Australian brews available to taste throughout the day on Saturday February 21, 2015. The idea is to drink, eat, socialise and be merry with plenty of opportunity to kick back and taste incredible beers, enjoy live music and roaming entertainment, attend free beer seminars, take part in keg-rolling and other colourful competitions and discover surprising happenings around every turn.

Find out more about the 2015 Great Australian Beer Festival here.

Upcoming Event: Great Australian Beer Festival [Saturday, 21 February 2015]

The Great Australian Beer Festival (GABF) returns to the Geelong Racecourse on Saturday February 21, 2015 with a Tastes of the Region dining area – showcasing some of Geelong’s best restaurants and Melbourne’s on trend gourmet food trucks. 

Brewers and beer lovers make the annual pilgrimage to Geelong - only an hour’s drive from the Melbourne CBD - to Victoria’s premier celebration of craft beers and ciders in Australia’s biggest alfresco craft beer garden, as well as to enjoy some excellent grub. 

And what food items are best to eat alongside these fantastic beers and ciders? Black Salt – a modern Australian Restaurant in Geelong recommends a heavier style beer to go with their Pulled Pork Rolls, while a pale ale would be more appropriate for their oysters and calamari.

Other restaurants getting involved from in and around Geelong include Vue Grand Queenscliff, – which will be serving its famed hot dogs to the masses – Odyssey Tavern and Brewery, Sunnys Pizza and Mazamigo Mexican – a mash up of cultural food to match  the 200 plus Australian brews available on festival day. 

Food trucks include Greek Street Food, Simply Vegan, Ooodlelishious, Timboon Icecream, Squid Inc and Tasty Gozleme. 

Among the artisan utopia of boutique beers and ciders, the cultural mash up of flavours, the beer seminars and festival stalls, roaming performers will take delight in entertaining the masses. Three stages will be home to the sounds of worldly music, from the reggae and calypso tunes of Nicky Bomba & Friends, to a variety of indie from The Pierce Brothers plus jazz, funk, folk, blue grass and country.

Drink, eat, socialise and be merry with plenty of opportunity to kick back and enjoy a range of craft beer, cider and great food.

Families are also catered for with a designated Kid’s Zone as well as interactive activities and roaming entertainers. 

What: The most colourful beer festival you’re ever likely to attend 

When: 11am to 7pm Saturday, 21 February 2015

Where: Geelong Racecourse

Costs: Starts at $39.50 + bf. Direct shuttles run from South Geelong Station to get you safely to and from the event.