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Taste of Melbourne 2008

And what a taste of Melbourne it was: the opportunity to stroll from The Bot to Nobu to Verge to Jacques Reymond to the Stokie, before a cocktail or two at Longrain and then dessert at Interlude, all under one roof, was quite extraordinary. If this past weekend is any guide, Taste is a grand new addition to the food calendar in Australia. The Melbourne event, the first in the country, was held in the airy grandeur of Carlton’s Royal Exhibition building, and it raised the bar for food festivals without question. Business was brisk without being brusque, the rooms nicely filled far from claustrophobia, and did away with the usual boorish plastic-cup-toting, handout-scrambling clichés that can mar these festivities. 

Our Gourmet Traveller chef’s table, hosted by our Melbourne editor and restaurant critic John Lethlean and yours truly, and kitchen demonstrations hosted by our editor Anthea Loucas and food director Emma Knowles were packed from start to finish, and it was great to get up close and personal with so many readers and chefs. The only line longer than the one for the hugely popular GT WINE sessions, presided over by editor Judy Sarris and wine pundit Nick Stock, meanwhile, was the queue for the Botanical’s wagyu beef burger – undoubtedly the hit of the show. Other dishes that had tongues wagging included The Press Club’s souvlaki roll (a preview of George Calombaris’s Hellenic Republic taverna, replete with chips), Interlude’s slow-poached egg in bacon broth, Three, One, Two’s roast quail in vine leaves on cracked wheat, almond and poached lemon salad and Grossi Florentino’s salt cod croquettes with aioli and rocket.

It was great to see the lengths the chefs and restaurateurs went to in decorating their stands, too, from the flowers at Jacques Reymond and the Stokehouse to the musicians at The Press Club and the DJ at Longrain. Carlton locals Three, One, Two pulled out all the stops, with a beautifully arranged approximation of the restaurant replete with art and lighting from Drummond Street. We’d like to thank everyone who came out to have a good time and everyone who worked hard to make it happen. With nothing but positive feedback from punters and chefs alike, it looks like Taste of Melbourne 09 will be huge. Sydney, meanwhile, hosts its first Taste in March at Centennial Park. Should be one hell of a party – we’ll see you there.

WORDS PAT NOURSE

This web exclusive article was posted in August 2008.