Tony Tan Unlimited

What can I say… Tony Tan has so grown on me that I look forward to every cooking class that I have with him. So far, I have taken two classes with my sister at Tony Tan: the Asian Fusion and the Spices Workshops.

The Asian Fusion class was more like a dinner party where Tony demonstrated the recipes, we watched, made notes and drank wine.. lots and lots of Brown Brothers wine. No we didn’t get drunk but some of the other crew got loud. Getting drunk at these events is really not recommended as it really makes the guest chefs angry as they feel it’s disrespectful. So pace.

The Spices Workshop was an intense 5 hour hands-on workshop where you basically accept the role of assistant or sous chefs for Tony: grinding, chopping, mixing spices. We also learned to de-bone our own spatchcocks / baby chicken with success. Although you kind of felt that you were thrown in the deep end in the beginning with that one… He does it in maybe 5 to 10 minutes. We did it at best in 20.

We also learned how to tie our apron the professional way – straps in the front so that you can fold a tea towel through it for easy access. We worked a lot with knifes in the class and was told the right way of carrying it to minimise accidents is to carry the knife flat against your thigh. Always say “Behind” when you’re walking around in the kitchen. In Asia, we call out “boiling water” in Chinese.

Tony is an endearing character, full of anecdotes and cooking know-how. He told us great chefs must have both technique and passion for food… He felt that some of the great chefs in Melbourne have the technique but not necessary the passion or the pure understanding of food…

Oh yes the food that we made, it was very delicious and unbelievable as I never thought I could cook like that… It’s all in the technique and recipe. The spark… I believe that it does come from the passion for food…


Tony Tan’s Unlimited Cooking School
(03) 9827 7347

*2009 schedule out now!

Tuesday Nights Wine & Dine

This Tuesday was the first class of our Introduction to Wine course at The Wine Society. This course goes for four weeks either on Tuesdays or Wednesdays each month. The course is quite popular, as we found out last night!

There were 18 people in the class with varying levels of wine knowledge and we had to introduce ourselves at the beginning of the class and express what our goals were from this course. My lovely husband told everyone that he was doing the class in order to keep domestic bliss and harmony, in other words, I made him take the course with me. The whole class got a good laugh from it while I turned beetroot. So I introduced myself after him as "Hi, I'm the Wife".

For me, I'm doing the class because I am fascinated with how people describe and judge wines. Sometimes, I am confused by what the waiters say when they are describing a recommended wine to me. I just nod and say "Sounds good".

The first class was an intense two hours testing 7 wines - 3 whites and 4 reds with labels covered. The instructor encouraged us to keep an open mind about what types of wine we like. For example, I've always thought that I didn't like Shiraz, but I was pleasantly surprised when I actually enjoyed the two Shiraz we tasted. Lucky for me, M and I actually liked the cheaper one.

Here are my "L-Plate" tasting notes:

1. The Wine Society Tasmanian Riesling 2006 - Pale straw colour suggesting youth. Dried paw paw and mango on the nose. On the palate dry, tangy, with notes of graphfruit and unripened kumquat, with a little apple after taste. Good length.

2. Giesen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006 - Straw colour, fresh cut grass and capsicum on the nose with strong citrus fruit aromas, intense, tangy lemon on the palate and pretty good length. (I liked this one)

3. Tarra Warra Estate Chardonnay 2004 - Straw colour, dried blackcurrant, fresh citrus fruits, vanilla and hazelnut aromas with smokey, caramelised durian flavours with a hint of bitterness.

4. Smith and Hooper Wrattonbully Merlot 2004 - Ruby red core and rim. Earthy charcoal aromas with spices and oak. On the palate, tastes of nutmeg, dried sultanas and oak. (I liked this one)

5. Rymill Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 - Dark red concentrated core with bright red rim. Strawberry jam, vitamin pills, cedar and pencil shavings aromas with spicy and dried blackcurrant notes.

6. Ingoldby Shiraz 2004 - Purple red core and lighter rims. Fruity plum, berries and woody overtones with a hint of pepper. (I liked this one)

7. Wolf Blass Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004 - Rich purple red colour. Aromas of ripe blackcurrant, mocha, dark chocolate, with a hint of oak and pepper. On the palate, peppery and spicy. Good length.

The course has so far taught me that you can describe the wine well without liking it but at the same time the more you can describe the wine that you drink the more able you are to distinguish what is it about a particular wine that you like. I'm also starting to know what to taste for in wines which allows me to appreciate the variety more, and have been brave enough to try even the spicy shiraz with my dining experiences.

After drinking the rest of M's Ingoldby Shiraz, we staggered to the nearby Hanabishi to have a late dinner. I haven't been to Hanabishi for awhile and the meal jolted happy memories. As always each dish was excellent, except for the Teriyaki wagyu which was overcooked and tough. Their entree is always a juicy meat ball in its little bowl of sauce. Then we had the Sashimi Main (which tends to be smaller in quantity than other Japanese restaurants), Natural Oysters Four Flavours, Scrampi Special Tempura, Deep-Fried Soft Shell Crab with Asparagus Tempura, Bamboo Leave Salt-Baked Barrumandi, Teriyaki Wagyu and Wafu Salad with Salmon Skin. Every dish was impeccably decorated with seasonal foliage such as hazelnut branches and bamboo canes. This attention to detail really makes the experience all the more special.

I'm looking forward to the remainder Tuesdays, hmmm where should we eat!

Hanabishi Japanese Restaurant

187 King Street

Melbourne
03 9670 1167

Ratings

Food: Impeccable Traditional Japanese Fine Dining

Top Dish: Best Soft-Shell Crab (so far :) )

Atmosphere: Elegant and Modern

Service: Seemless service

Booking: Recommended

Wedding Season 2007

Our weekends recently seem to be filled with activities to do with other people’s weddings. Apart from celebrations, it’s always nice to catch up with old friends and getting to know new people at these events. But one of my pet grieves is be preached at at church ceremonies… The Ministers always have a way of sneaking in a sermon or two.

The Wedding Season started off in February for us this year, with a lime and white themed modern wedding at Zinc – Federation Square. Then M went off to Singapore for the second wedding of the couple and came back with a cold…Since then there has been three engagements announced, including my sister’s.

Saturday late afternoon, the season continued with a cocktail making course at The Botanical as part of a girlfriend’s Hen’s Night. With loose guidance and written instructions, we made Bellinis, Cosmopolitans, and Mojitos. Practice makes perfect.. lucky we had canapes! It was a lot of fun, and I would recommend it for any girls’ get-together.

While we praised the oysters to our instructor, we were informed that The Botanical has an annual event called the Oyster Frenzy during Oyster Season in May. I had a look at The Botanical’s website and it’s on 28^th May this year. You pay a cover charge of $65 and it’s all you can drink for three hours and all you can eat oysters from 6:30 to 9:30pm in the Main Bar area. There is only 200 tickets… so get your hands on them quick!

The weekend ended with a warm and emotional ceremony for another couple at St John’s Church in Heidelberg followed by a Teal & Damask Rose wedding at The Dining Room, Flemington Race Course. As part of a trio, they had Persian pink fairy floss on a spoon of violet crumble ice cream for dessert. That was SO delicious, I think I will go and get some!

In between the ceremony and the reception, we conveniently popped into Leo’s to do our groceries. Don’t get to go to Leo’s very often because of their locations (Kew and Heidelberg), so every time we do it’s a treat.

I’m really excited about this week’s wedding. It’s going to be in the Dandenong Ranges… Something out of the ordinary.