A night with Atul Kochhar and Anne Peacock

Review of Atul Kochhar @ The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

By "The Don"

Any review of a chef or restaurant that hinges on a single visit should be treated as exactly that: A snap shot of one visit in a less than ideal circumstance.

This is especially true at a 'one off' event for a renowned chef during a food and wine festival - this is the third or forth time that I have attended a food and wine festival event for a renowned overseas chef and been left underwhelmed.

This could be for a number of reasons:
- It may be because of me (The Phantom Menace effect - the situation where you are so prepared to be blown off your feet that anything less is seen as a failure).
- It may be because of the chef (The Lost In Translation effect - where they really don't give a shit in a foreign land).
- It may be the Crown Casino effect (everything at Crown is crappier than the sum of it's parts (it's a lot like betting - you give them $1 and they give you back 83 cents).

Perhaps these were all contributors to a less than satisfying evening with Chef Atul Kochhar at Breezes.

The evining was hosted by Anne Peacock - why any one would care about this is beyond me. She was maried to a failed politician once and a successful horse breader once. If you like to read the society pages about who was seen at what event, please stop reading now - your custom is not welcome here.

I was joined by three friends at the event - which was promoted as and opportunity to have dinner prepared by the "King of London’s Indian Restaurant Scene" and marketed as the chefs feature event at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

The are numerous great dining experiences that I have had the privilege of enjoying. Most of the highlights have come to about as a result of a decision to take dining more seriously (this was done with a group of great friends about 18 months ago).

What has become more and more evident over this time is the difference between 'the great' and 'the good' (difficult to define but easy to identify).

Great chefs and great restaurants offer an epiphany - they are the difference between solid pleasing food and exquisite superlative cuisine. It is the art in food.

For example: C'est Bon in Port Melbourne is a lovely restaurant - but there is a chasm of difference between it and Vue de monde. And it was this lack of a chasm of difference that was the biggest fault in the Kochhar dinner.

There are some solid Indian restaurants in Melbourne (Spirit of India, Bhoj, Bedis to name 3 OK places), and the Kochhar dinner offered no significant difference between what is on offer at these and dozens of other quality local Indian venues.

However this is the attraction when names are put up in lights. I make no apologies for expecting refinement and exquisite food from a Michelin Stared Chef: this is the transaction that was being offered during The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

Perhaps watching too much food on TV I expect that chefs of such regard to watch every plate like a hawk. Even in a foreign land, with foreign staff in an unfamiliar kitchen and in a banquet like environment - I still expect that these same standards apply.

Many of the dishes were either inspired by or directly from the menu from Benares, Kochhars restaurant.

There were a number of failings that are still etched in my memory:

The Grilled Lobster Tail with Goan Style Sauce was an inspired idea poorly executed - I can understand the challenge of serving such a delicate dish, while still giving it some texture through pan frying. Unfortunately this left us with a seriously over cooked lobster tail.  We commented on this to the waitress and unfortunately she said "Yes a lot of people have said that" - but then nothing else.

The Lamb with Gold Leaf was cooked superbly, and was accompanied with a beautiful chickpea dish.  However the wilted gold leaf and lack of lustre on the dish was evidence of a meal that was plated up far too long before serving.

The timing at the end of the night was mysterious.  I am not sure if the vegetables were meant to be delivered 10 minutes after the main course, but it appeared to be badly timed.  More bizarrely just before the vegetables were delivered we were presented with a large wooden board of focaccia - I am still confused as to why focaccia was brought to the table at all - let alone long after main course was delivered.

However the major failing was a dining experience that lacked any consistent theme and balance. When eating any fixed menu I place my trust in the chefs hands to provide both a narrative and balance.  Hence the generous Chicken Tikka Pie, coming after a delicate entree and followed by two big peaces of protein left me feeling more than bloated - to then have this finished by a large bred and butter pudding was more than I could handle and far more starch than most could consume in an evening.  The two women at our table were unable to have any desert because of seriously overloaded bellies.

Lucky we didn't fill up on focaccia.

Without doubt the highlight of the evening was the matched wines from Heemskerk (Chardonnay, Riesling and two Pinot Noir's) presented by Winemaker Anna Pooley.

I am not too sure how one sums up such a night - but I think I have had enough of featured chefs at the Food and Wine Festival. For the price ($190 a head - all inclusive) there are perhaps two dozen bloody great restaurants in Melbourne. I would gain far more eating at these establishments annually and I think these would provide a finer dining experience than that on offer from the fly-in-fly-out super chef.


Postscript

I sent my coments to Chef Kochhar and he gave the following feedback:

I am truly sorry for your poor experience. Your feedback is very valid and I appreciate you sharing it with me.

I am not going to blame anyone for these shortcomings. All I will say that I was in a challenging environment and made a menu that could suit according to the means I had.

I am very sorry that you couldn't enjoy the way you would have liked to. I do hope that you will visit us in London, UK sometime and I will make up to you for these shortcomings.

Big weekend of baking

By "The Don"

A big week ahead for the Melbourne Food and Wine Blog

As mentioned on Twitter I'll be reviewing the Bourke St Bakery Book in a few weeks. But in preperation I made their croissants and Bears Claws on the weekend - bloody delicious, but also a bloody hard recipe.

Also baked their semi-sourdough - a great success.

Saturday Night is wine club night (a larger group of 16 will be doing a little wine tasting).

But the real treat of the week will be trying Potted Tongue (as made by one of the - yet to be named - gang of 4) - The review of that recipe/experience will be on audio here over next weekend. I think I'll match it with a Dunkel.

And when I get off my backside I'll be writing a blog about our dinner for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival - it wasn't great, but more on that later.

"Quick Byte" - Mini-Review of Ragazzi, Middle Park

Review By - "The Barre Baroness"

 

165 Mills St
Middle Park

(03) 9686 6777

Ragazzi in Middle Park has been a mainstayer of the Middle/Albert Park restaurant scene for a number of years. They have confidently straddled the fine line between the more refined family restaurant and casual, relaxed Italian bistro. It is comfortably cosy and has enough bustle to create atmosphere without drowning out conversation.

The candle-lit outdoor tables create a romantic atmosphere for the late diners who want to avoid the family throng. It's the kind of place where the well-healed take the well-behaved kids out for a casual dinner. Other local venues offering a similar menu, but with a little less refinement include Don Dinos and Basilico - both on Victoria Ave.
Sunday night was spent with three other parents and four (fairly) well-behaved kids. Overall impression - food was solid as always - yummy wood fired pizzas, on a great crust. The kids devoured their margarita (with ham). Hubby had a small gourmet pizza (great ingredients but way too much cheese) and friends shared a large prosciutto (their request to add some spicy sopressa was accommodated - with raised eyebrows!).

My chicken salad was well dressed and generous. The chicken was beautifully charred, but perhaps a tad overdone.

The drop in service standards was a major disappointment. It wasn't particularly busy and yet the menus weren't cleared, drinks were delayed and the adult meals arrived a good 25 minutes after the kids' pizza.

Overall, a good solid restaurant that will stay on the 'sometimes food' list.

Sweet Lemon Thai

Reviewed by - "The Don"

29 York Street,

South Melbourne

ph. (03) 9078 8527

Sweet Lemon Thai (SLT) isn't the most recent restaurant I have eaten at - and nor is it the best - but it does represent everything that I want my part of this food blog to be about.

It's the kind of place that you imagine is being run by a couple who have decided to open a restaurant and give it a go, with nothing more than energy, love and great food.

This is one of those restaurants where success has nothing to do with architecture and realestate and everything to do with passion:

Here is why it is a diamond in the rough:

• The location (in the middle of the brothel/industrial area of South Melbourne)
• The service (friendly, unpolished, honest, delightful)
• The size (16 inside, 12 outside)
• Other than a postcode SLT shares nothing with Lamaros or The Point - except beautiful food in a wonderful environment.

So far on three visits I have tried around 2/3 of the menu - and as yet I haven't come across anything other than great food. Highlights include a Jungle Curry (Ginger / Wild Peppercorn - real quality but not for the faint of heart) and Grilled Chicken (with a sublime and yet subtle mix of pepper and lemon grass).

However the out and out star of the show is Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad) - maybe it's because this is done so badly elsewhere (read soggy old papaya and weak spice) that this Som Tum yells out beautiful fresh crisp flavours.

Flavours leaping of the plate don't just happen - SLT proudly boast that all of their curry pastes are made in house and it shows.

The wine list is simple and perfunctory - but kudos for a small selection specially priced SE Asian beers that changes on a regular basis (Changi and Tiger for $5.50 last week).

The service is also representative of the general vibe of SLT - with less than 30 seats the front of house appeared to be run by one person (who appears to actually care that we are enjoying our evening)- and the kitchen is staffed by 2 - hence timing can be at the mercy of other tables needs - but if this is going to get your goat then you are in the wrong place.

More than anything SLT represents what I love about eating out - finding that diamond in the rough - discovering some great flavours produced by passionate people who care about what they are doing.

They deserve every success and if writing this blog means more custom then so be it - but the restaurant game should reward people that produce beautiful; accessible; flavoursome food.