To celebrate their 20-year anniversary, Prahran institution David’s will be hosting a two-part series, kicking off with a birthday party on Wednesday 12th September, and a retrospective degustation on Wednesday 17 October which also previews the next menu direction.

PART ONE: 100kg of Seafood. 100 Bottles of Wine. 100 people.

Celebrate two thriving decades of Shanghainese hospitality with 100kg of wok-fired seafood washed back with 100 bottles of Yering Station wine. The seafood will be flavoured to perfection in their juices and David’s in-house XO sauce, then laid atop a leaf-lined dining table for guests to pull up their sleeves and enjoy communally.

Paying homage to Zhou’s hometown of Zhouzhuang, the party will feature Spring Bay musselsand pipis, Queensland King prawns, soft-shell crab, Pacific Oysters and Moreton Bay bugs,served in a stand-up feast like no other.

Much like the Shanghai riverbends that influence the restaurant’s rustic house interior, drinks will be flowing and served until the last drop is gone. To keep guests on their feet, live music will also be mixed by DJ TeePee all night long.

The event will bring together seafood-lovers, familiar-faced locals and customers past and present. Party-goers can expect drinks in arm’s reach for that obligatory ‘cheers’ in honour of the 20-year milestone.

Help celebrate the occasion as David’s continues to put tradition on the table. Capacity for the stand-up event is 100 people.

Image: Wok-fired soft-shell crab spiced to perfection

PART TWO: Two Decades of Decadence

A special degustation on Wednesday 17th September will honour famous past and present dishes to reflect the restaurant’s new era of dining. Lucky guests will also get to taste new dishes at the nine-course sit-down affair.

The decadent evening will bring to life long-standing family recipes passed down from owner and founder David Zhou’s mother and grandmother, cherished by Prahran locals for over 20 years.

Dishes like the 8-treasure duck wrapped in sticky rice and Long Jing green tea sautéed prawns will re-acquaint guests with reminisced classics. Also featured is the Shanghai sticky pork belly, braised for twelve hours then served with baby chat potatoes, a signature dish which has become a current menu must-have. Items making their culinary debut include a steamed sea perch fillet in a native spinach broth and a classic Chinese dish, Gu Lao Rou chicken, known for its plum and pineapple notes.

Other menu items include the original double boiled duck tonic soup with dates and wolfberries from when David’s first opened, and the Iron Buddha Beef, which is a flash-fried tea-infused beef tossed in garlic, chillies and spring onion, then served on a bed of crisped iron buddha tea leaves – a true menu staple, ordered daily and loved by locals.

Photo 1: Dish of the past: Long Jing green tea sautéed prawns

Photo 2: Current dish: Shanghai sticky pork belly with baby chat potatoes

Photo 3: New dish: Steamed sea perch fillet in a native spinach broth

Guests can enjoy hand-picked matched wines that will enhance the aromas and flavours of the night. Drops from France, Spain’s Rias Baixas, New Zealand’s Waipara region and the Barossa Valley will make the list.

Set to be an intimate dining experience, journey from Shanghai to Melbourne tasting David’s story on a plate in honour of tea-cooked cuisine, and celebrating his humble beginnings selling tea out of barrels all those years ago.

20 Years of David’s Series

PART ONE: 100kg Seafood. 100 Bottles. 100 Guests.
Wednesday 12th September, 7pm til late
$98 per person
Book here: https://bit.ly/2LvJbJS

PART TWO: Two Decades of Decadence
Wednesday 17th October, 7pm – 9pm
Nine-course degustation
$70 per person / $105 with matched wine
Book here: https://bit.ly/2Lhhngj

**Information and Images Courtesy of David’s/Zilla and Brook – Leigh-Anne Ramirez