
The tan is fading, memories getting blurrier and the anticipation for the next holiday grows...another 8 weeks away!
Weather in Melbourne has been up and down and on one of the beautifully sunny days, love was in the air!
Saturday lunchtime wasn't a popular service and the place was relatively quiet. So much so that ex contestant Callum Haan went round the tables several times! We also saw this year's runner up Lynton work up a sweat in the kitchen.
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TO START
Brasserie Bread with Pepe Saya butter
The Tomislav Immunity Challenge in Series 4, asked the contestants to create a dish with either bread or butter. Kylie won the Immunity Pin with her bread dish, but we think this butter is equally delicious.
FIRST
MasterChef Garden
In Series 5, we saw an incredible Medieval Feast Challenge. This dish is inspired by the garden centerpiece the contestants prepared in a medieval great hall. Please feel free to dig in with your hands.
SECOND
Organic Smoky Bay Oysters with Thai dressing
Let’s reminisce with this Series 1 inspired dish – Julie’s oysters with a Thai dressing.
OR
Master Stock poached chicken, eggplant cream, white radish, soy & ginger
In the final week of MasterChef: The Professionals the chefs were put through their paces with a master stock poached chicken Pressure Test. Rhys won on the day with his delicate balance of flavour and texture.
THIRD
Roasted Northern Rivers pork loin, crackling, apple, caraway & bacon jus
The Series 5 Barossa boot camp saw the contestants visit MasterChef favourite Maggie Beer on her home soil. Her melt-in-the-mouth roast pork MasterClass is the inspiration for our dish, and features her favourite ingredient, verjuice.
OR
Baked Tasmanian Petuna Atlantic salmon, Snowy River sea herbs, scallop, zucchini & tomato
The very first episode of MasterChef: The Professionals saw the contestants facing both Marco Pierre White and a 3-course service challenge. Cassie came out in front, and the baked fish that tested them is the inspiration for this dish.
FOURTH
“Strawberries & Cream” – whipped orange blossom crème fraiche & olive oil biscuits
Julie wowed the judges in Series 1 with her strawberry tart with crème fraiche filling. This delicate balance of sweet, tangy and fruity fragrance is inspired by our original MasterChef winner’s dish and Lipton Forest Fruits tea.
OR
Zokoko black forest cadeau with cherry Gelato Messina
A fiendishly freezing challenge saw the contestants in Series 5 recreate Nick Palumbo’s Gelato Messina masterpiece, Black Forest Gelato Cake. Here is our version for your shivering delight.
TO FINISH
Vegemite Caramel Chocolate Cup
In Series 4, Julia faced an Invention Test with the wicked combination of Vegemite and chocolate. Her Vegemite ganache features in this must-try mouthful.
We tried one of each when there was a choice and the sommelier was very obliging and poured us both measures of wine for both dishes. Stand out dishes for me were the salmon and the pork.
It was a very pleasant lunch - long, lazy and boozy. Needless to say not much else happened the rest of the day!

We had had Sunday lunch with the Mortons recently and they arrived on their matching bicycles!

This Sunday we had a cultured afternoon at the theatre watching a UK production of "Brief Encouter". We enjoyed lunch beforehand and the whole event was in the lovely company of Carrie and Bianca.