Ex-Ramsay Chef creates new school British classics for Hooked Fish and Chipper

Raymond Good has been bringing sustainable and healthy options to Melbourne’s fish and chip scene since he opened up his first Hooked on Chapel St in 2006. Now he is bringing the classics.

Neale White of Flinders Lane’s lauded Papa Goose and ex-chef of Gordon Ramsay has teamed up with Good to craft a new winter menu inspired by classic British comfort food. 

The menu now features warming classics such as minted smashed peas, smoked fish croquettes, panko crumbed prawns in a basket (a la quintessential British 70’s pub food; 'scampi in a basket’), and a crowd favourite, fish and scallop pie. 

With the new menu comes a sea-change of sorts with a relaunch as Hooked – Fish & Chipper, a nod to Ray’s British heritage and his uncle Johnny’s ‘chippy’ by the English seaside where Ray spent his summers as a little nipper.

Warm, flavoursome, comforting and delicious - these dishes are ‘new school British classics’ unique to the booming fish and chip scene and unique to Melbourne.

Grilled blue grenadier, rice and salad

Available for both dine in and take away, daily fish specials (e.g. certified-sustainable blue grenadier, snapper, salmon and barramundi) are sourced from the market and cooked fresh to order, while the store’s famous potato chips are hand cut by the kitchen. 

Fish and Scallop Pie 

The hand cut chips were addictively good - beautifully crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The scallop pie was full of flavour and boasted buttery crumbly pastry while the minted pea mash was wonderfully seasoned.

English Sticky Date Pudding 

​T​he sticky date pudding was wonderfully ​light and fluffy​. It was​​ ​an​ exemplary ​​​execution of the classic dessert​. D​ecadently coated in copious amounts of ​rich butterscotch sauce, it was an absolute treat.

What Hooked does, it does well. The new winter menu inspired by classic British comfort food is a welcome addition to loyal punters and fresh foodies.

Locations: Prahran, Fitzroy, Hawthorn

Link: http://www.hookedfishandchipper.com.au/

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Hooked Fish and Chipper.

Saigon Sally

Saigon Sally celebrates authentic family food designed for sharing. A leading player within the contemporary Asian restaurant industry in Melbourne the restaurant delights with its take on classic Vietnamese dishes.

The menu is a clever combination of traditional Vietnamese produce and classical technique, paired with high quality and locally sourced produce.

You got girlfriend Vietnam cocktail - Tanqueray gin, junmai sake, lime, cucmber, mint, jasmine tea

The décor is modern and contemporary, embodying a  vibrant vibe perfect for casual dining with friends over a couple of their delicious cocktails.

Kingfish ceviche - pomelo, green papaya, shallots and chilli on betel leaf

The ceviche was an excellent start to our dinner. Displaying technique and skilful restraint, the kingfish was beautifully presented and accompanied by a citrus-based marinade that cured the kingfish. It was a wonderful mélange of salinity, sweetness and acidity.

Fried chicken ribs - gocuchang, sesame, garlic and siracha mayo

The fried chicken was tender, juicy and distinctly flavoursome. We loved how this crispy bar staple was done impeccably well without compromise.

Seared scallop - green curry, apple and salmon roe

The scallops were beautifully seared and boasted natural sweetness while the decadent mixture of green curry, apple and salmon roe added a lovely salinity to the dish.

From left: Wagyu tartare - young coconut, Vietnamese mint, perilla and puffed rice paper; Banh xeo taco - prawn, pork, coconut, turmeric, bean shoots and spring onions

Bia can chicken - whole roasted chicken, bia Hanoi, hainanese style

The Bia can chicken was divine. The chicken was covered with a beautiful herb rub while the inside was wonderfully moist. We loved that it was exquisitely tender, falling-off-the-bone and encased in salty, herby, crispy skin.

Crispy barramundi - spicy pho, lettuce, clams and lemongrass

An absolute highlight of our visit was the Crispy Barramundi. The quality of the barramundi was exemplary. The skin of the fish was perfectly seared to be very crisp while the flesh was delicate and moist. It was a dish that allowed the natural subtle sweetness of the fish to be enjoyed. The accompanying broth boasted a decadent depth of flavour and was the perfect accompaniment to the fish.

Sticky lamb ribs - mandarin, oyster sauce, fennel and star anise

The sticky lamb ribs were expertly prepared - juicy and succulent from having been slow cooked. The outstanding ribs were slathered with a flavoursome mandarin, oyster sauce, fennel and star anise sauce.

Tira-mi-sally - macaron, Vietnamese coffee, parfait, condensed milk and peanut brittle

Cheekily described as a ‘Tira-mi-sally’, Saigon Sally’s rendition of this classic dessert was a wonderful surprise. Combining the flavour profile of a classic tiramisu, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Dame blanche - bounty chocolate meringue shell, coconut ice cream, coconut cremeux and molten chocolate

Pleasing to both the eyes and palate, this dessert of bounty chocolate meringue shell, coconut ice cream, coconut cremeux and molten chocolate was playful and delicious. The mellow, milkiness of the coconut ice cream and coconut cremeux paired exceptionally well with the dark molten chocolate.

Hidden in the backstreets of Windsor, Saigon Sally presents a journey of flavours: from light to rich, sweet to sour; within a very charming environment.

Location: 2 Duke Street, Prahran, Melbourne

Phone: 03 9939 5181

Link: http://www.saigonsally.com.au/

Cuisine: Vietnamese, Asian

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Saigon Sally.

Mangiare e felicita @ La Svolta

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of La Svolta.

La Svolta draws on traditional Italian food culture by celebrating the joy of sharing locally-sourced, fresh produce together with family and friends.

The restaurant was bustling on the Saturday night of our visit. With long, shared tables, platters of delicious offerings and some lovely Italian wine, La Svolta is the ideal venue for families and friends to come together and enjoy some true Italian hospitality. 

Alongside their legendary wood-fired oven pizza, the menu features traditional favourites as well as inspired interpretations of the classics. 

Bufala di Parma mozzarella di bufala with prosciutto di Parma

The bufala mozzarella and prosciutto were a stunning start to our meal. The Bufala di Parma mozzarella was feather-light and delicate but yet rich and full of flavour. The prosciutto on the other hand possessed a richness that had been further enhanced by the flavours of the intense curing salt mix.

Boscaiola Pizza - S. Marzano tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, sausage & mixed mushrooms

Of course any visit to La Svolta would not be complete without one of their amazing pizzas. The Boscaiola pizza was flawless. This tomato and mozzarella based pizza was embellished with a light sprinkling of parmesan cheese and strewn with Italian sausages and plump, earthy mushrooms – a classic combination. The amalgamation of flavours were superb.

Tagliatelle ai Gamberi homemade tagliatelle with sautéed tiger prawns, garlic, chilli & broccoli

As expected of any good Italian restaurant La Svolta produces quality pasta dishes. The Tagliatelle ai Gamberi was no exception. Al dente tagliatelle paired with freshly sautéed prawns complex and rich flavours which were contrasted by a desirable chilli kick. 

Seafood lasagne

Layers of home-made pasta, seafood, béchamel, parmigiano and mozzarella were a delight. Our waitress for the evening it to us as “a delicious dish” and we could not have agreed more.

Panacotta; Tiramisu

La Svolta’s rendition of a pannacotta was texturally perfect. The pannacotta was silky smooth - just barely holding its shape, it was quivering on the plate. The tiramisu was similarly well made, with its flavour heavily dominated by the constituent alcoholic component.  Both were simple traditional desserts that were well executed and thoroughly enjoyable.

Transport yourself to a cobbled Naples laneway, the picturesque Tuscan countryside or to a delightful seaside town with one satisfying visit to La Svolta.

Location: 450 Hampton Street, Hampton

Phone: 03 9521 8990

Link: http://www.lasvolta.com.au/

Cuisine: Italian

Hobba's autumn menu launch

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of Hobba.

Boasting a vibrant industrial space, Hobba is an impressive operation in Prahran which delivers honest, locally produced food with big flavour.

Autumn is upon us and Hobba have pulled together an invitingly new and warm menu to bring us into the season. Gastrology were invited along to a first tasting of this autumn menu.

The driving force behind Hobba’s food and drink offerings is head chef, Rhys Hunter. Starting his career early at Giuseppe Arnaldo and Sons in Melbourne and moving onto North Bondi Italian in

Sydney, both by the Iceburgs Group, Rhys has gained an impressive resume. 

With over a decade of cooking experience under his belt, this young chef has taken a fresh and exciting approach with his dishes at Hobba. 

Hobba’s Vietnamese ‘Banh mi’

Hobba’s rendition of the Vietnamese pork banh mi was the highlight of our evening. The sweet and buttery brioche buns crunchy bread roll was shimmered with pâté and filled with generous serves of marinated cooked pork loin, topped with Asian greens, fresh chilli and the most delectable pork crackling crumb. It was both fresh and very tasty.

Pan seared snapper 

served with cauliflower puree, potato gratin, asparagus and heirloom beets and purple cauliflower 

While the flavours of the dish were simple, the quality of the snapper was exemplary. The skin of the fish was perfectly seared to be very crisp while the flesh was delicate and moist. It was a wonderfully simple dish that allowed the natural subtle sweetness of the fish to be enjoyed.

Wild mushrooms

Woodear, enoki and oyster mushrooms, served with sherry jus, green chives and a slow poached egg (65 degrees Celsius)

A perfectly poached (at 65 degrees) egg was accompanied by a generous serve of exceedingly plump mushrooms, a top a slice of crunchy grilled bread. 

Chili con carne

Served with 10-hour confit brisket and goats cheese croquette. Topped with a slow poached egg (65 degree Celsius) and shaved dark chocolate. 

Alfa Feast

Southern style slow cooked pulled pork served with fried eggs, fresh alfalfa salad and pear cider reduction hollandaise. 

The feature component of this respectable assembly of breakfast items was the Southern style slow cooked pulled pork. Imparting a unique flavour from the use of southern spices, it was beautifully tender, and was slathered in a beautiful BBQ sauce. The alfalfa was a great addition which brought a lovely freshness to the dish. 

Hotcakes

Fluffy with some real "height", the hotcakes was adorned with seasonal berries, whipped mascarpone, honeycomb, vanilla bean and house-made maple syrup. A simple breakfast favourite that amalgamates the best things in life. 

We took home a little gift from Hobba to enjoy the next day... 

Classic brownie

The classic brownie was perhaps one of the best we have ever tried. Possessing the perfect exterior crunchy layer with a dense cakey layer to follow before a perfectly gooey interior.  It was captivating!

Hobba’s new menu caters for all tastebuds. Whether you’re after clean superfoods, something healthy but a little cheeky or simply downright dirty to cure that hangover, Hobba has you sorted.

Location: 428 Malvern Road  Prahran

Phone: 03 9510 8336

Link: http://www.hobba.com.au/

Cuisine: Breakfast, International, Modern Australian

New Autumn menu @ La Svolta

Gastrology bloggers dined courtesy of La Svolta

At La Svolta the mantra is “mangiare e felicita”, meaning eating is happiness. This family kitchen and authentic Italian pizzeria and trattoria brings a touch of Italy to Melbourne.

Comprising 2 locations in  Prahran and Hampton La Svolta has won hearts and awards. 

The La Svolta team is led by Valerio Calabro and Giuseppe ‘Pino’ Russo, Italian natives, best friends and home cooks with a passion for authentic Italian fare. Opening the restaurant was a defining moment in their lives, hence the name ‘La Svolta’ which translates to ‘turning point’. 

Caprese fresh tomato salad with mozzarella di Bufala, EVO, fresh basil & oregano

At La Svolta each and every meal is prepared with love, with dishes inspired by family recipes and techniques, passed down from the teams’ Mammas and Nonnas, Pappas and Nonnos. The award winning menu also plays homage to all corners of ‘The Boot’ and the passionate people that make La Svolta possible. 

Tartufata Pizza

The pizzas at La Svolta are outstanding. It is no surprise that La Svolta holds an Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) Accreditation awarded by the official association in Naples, which specifies that their pizza is prepared per the specific guidelines. 

To receive accreditation pizza must be prepared in a woodfire oven, the temperature must be over 400 degrees and cooked for 60-90 seconds. This accreditation certifies that La Svolta's pizzas are prepared according to these specific guidelines, making them one of only a handful in Melbourne preparing authentic Italian pizzas.

The Tartufata pizza was picture perfect in appearance and outstanding in taste. Aromatic truffle cream, dollops of  Fior di latte mozzarella and beautiful hot Italian sausages finished with shaved parmigiano created a delightful fusion of flavours that would keep any pizza purist happy. Encircled with a puffy crisp crust, this pizza was superb. 

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina homemade potato gnocchi baked in the woodfire oven

The gnocchi was divine and obviously made with love. As with all good gnocchi, it was soft and pillow-like, providing an ideal canvas for the intense flavour of basil napoli sauce, fior di latte mozzarella & Grana Padano cheese. 

Tournedos of swordfish and zucchine with sautéed silverbeet

The quality of the swordfish was exemplary. The flesh was delicate and moist. It was a fresh dish that allowed the natural subtle sweetness of the fish to be enjoyed.

From left: Tiramisu; Sirigino al ciociolato fondente

Our desserts were each wonderfully traditional and well-executed. It was a decadent end to a delightful meal. 

La Svolta is a celebration of food, culture and family. This vibrant trattoria offers guests a real Italian experience complete with a ‘Ciao Bella’ to everyone who walks through the doors.

Location: 3/5 Cecil Place, Prahran 

Phone: 03 9510 3001

Link: http://www.lasvolta.com.au/

Cuisine: Italian