The Australia Times

BLACK LABEL BY BURGER PROJECT LAUNCHED TODAY – GEORGE STREET, SYDNEY

29 August 202228 May 2018 by Connie Lambeth

Black Label by Burger Project opened today on National Burger Day with a sensational menu…

Black Label by Burger Project opened at 7am today unveiling a much anticipated menu of premium burgers, expansive breakfast items, flavourful salads, and alcoholic milkshakes.

The newest venture by the Burger Project team brings bold flavours and tasty, healthy options, building on an already established foundation of fresh, sustainable produce. Located at Grosvenor Place, Sydney, the restaurant is cool and sleek, with dark timber finishes and chocolate leather furnishings, making it the ultimate burger, breakfast and bar destination.

The Black Label menu showcases seven masterpieces of burger craftsmanship, packed with flavour and quality ingredients. The Black Label burger heroes the menu: a succulent Cape Grim, grass-fed beef and triple smoked bacon pattie, layered with pickled jalapenos, cheese, fresh onions, lettuce and tomato, and drizzled with a Black Label secret sauce. Premium produce features prominently throughout the menu. A buttermilk-brined, free-range chicken burger, known as Henrietta, layers coleslaw, tomato, cheese, pickles, onions and zingy house-made Sriracha mayonnaise, while Native features locally-sourced Paroo Kangaroo and Cape Grim grass-fed beef pattie, lemon myrtle mayonnaise, spiced native quandong and bush tomato sauce.

Black Label - The Henrietta Project — Black Label – The Henrietta Project

Vegans can get their fix with Zeppelin, a moist chickpea and zucchini pattie topped with layers of juicy beetroot, tomato, lettuce, tangy zucchini pickles and house-made tomato relish, all sitting between a gluten-free vegan bun. Waffle-cut chips, onion rings and a range of specialty dips and sauces bring unique sides to the menu.

Black Label - The Zeppelin Vegan Burger — Black Label – The Zeppelin Vegan Burger

Diners can choose between a selection of three bountiful salads, all of which can be protein boosted with poached chicken breast or a chickpea and zucchini pattie. An Asian-inspired noodle salad combines buckwheat noodles, kimchi, shiitake mushrooms and raw vegetables, topped with fragrant coriander, toasted sesame seeds, crispy nori and a splash of gochujang dressing. A superfoods salad mixes green beans, edamame, radicchio, lettuce, red quinoa, almonds, seeds, sprouts and whole grain mustard with apple cider vinegar. A crisp, classic Caesar is also available.

Black Label - Salads — Black Label – Salads

Black Label’s sit-down and takeaway breakfast menu is accompanied by cult Sydney roaster Mecca Coffee, serving house blend, special blend and nitro coffee on tap, a cold, frothy brew infused with nitrogen gas. Coffee is free with any breakfast purchase throughout the opening week, with $1 coffee with a breakfast purchase in June.

Black Label - Breakfast Pastries & Mecca Coffee — Black Label – Breakfast Pastries & Mecca Coffee

Breakfast lovers can kick-start their day with a choice of bircher with seasonal poached fruits, honey and Meredith Valley yoghurt, crunchy toasted granola, or fluffy ricotta hotcakes with maple syrup and butter. Also on offer is a superfoods breakfast bowl: a mixture of barley, quinoa, broccoli, seeds and beans, topped with soft-boiled, free-range eggs. Sonoma’s toasted linseed and sourdough partner up with combinations of soft-boiled, fried and scrambled eggs, as well as avocado and goats cheese smash, grilled mushrooms and house-made baked beans. Those wanting to grab and go can enjoy a gourmet bacon and egg roll filled with Black Label tomato relish, or choose between a selection of Sonoma pastries and muffins.

Black Label - Breakfast Bacon & Egg Roll — Black Label – Breakfast Bacon & Egg Roll

Chocolate peanut butter, salted caramel and strawberries and cream are just a few of the flavours on an ‘adult shakes’ menu, which means they can be mixed with a choice of spirits, including Belvedere, Jack Daniels and Campari, for an added hit. An array of craft beers, including Young Henrys, Stone and Wood, Hope Brewhouse, and Balter are also on the drinks list, as well as negroni, old fashioned and espresso martini cocktails. Guests can also enjoy 11 local wines by the bottle, or two reds and whites by the glass each.

Black Label by Burger Project is located at Grosvenor Place Courtyard, 225 George St, and will be open Monday to Friday, 7am to 10pm, and Saturday 11am to 10pm, with breakfast available every weekday, 7am to 11am.

For more information: burgerproject.com/blacklabel/.

**Information & Images Courtesy of Burger Project/Rockpool Dining Group – Rachel Lebihan

**Photo Credits: Anna Kucera

The Black Label - Signature Burger — Black Label – Signature Burger

Connie Lambeth

The Australia Times News

Editor GOURMET – Food/Wine/Events

theaustraliatimes.com/news

literallyconnie@bigpond.com

connie.lambeth@theaustraliatimes.com.au

Black Label - The Native Burger — Black Label – The Native Burger

READ ON FOR MORE INFO ON BLACK LABEL BY BURGER PROJECT, plus more tasty pics from Anna Kucera

Billy’s Central Opens in the Heart of Melbourne’s CBD

15 September 202226 November 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Melbourne CBD – Billy’s Central New hospitality powerhouse the Billy Group continues its rapid expansion across Melbourne with the opening of its 12th location, Billy’s Central. One of Melbourne’s freshest new cafés, Billy’s Central is opening in perfect time to cater for the influx of shoppers set to infiltrate Melbourne during the busiest retail period … Read more

Australia’s Most Opulent Champagne Lunch!

13 September 202223 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

SYDNEY FOOD & CHAMPAGNE LOVERS… Saké Double Bay offers free-flowing Dom Pérignon at Australia’s most opulent Champagne lunch, from Saturday 26th August. Saké Restaurant & Bar Double Bay is dialling up the decadence with free-flowing Dom Pérignon, where from Saturday, 26 August, guests can indulge in a carefully curated lunch menu ($75pp) every Saturday and … Read more

FEAST ON A MIDDLE EASTERN THEMED MENU AT TRUNKTOWN

13 September 202221 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

New Middle Eastern themed menu launched recently at Melbourne’s Trunk Restaurant & Bar…

Trunk

275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

The new Middle Eastern themed menu at Melbourne’s Trunk Restaurant and Bar is going down a treat with Melbourne food lovers, with founding owner, Nick Kutcher, predicting this ancient cuisine as about to have a renaissance.

“It’s clear Middle Eastern food is picking up momentum in 2017. International chef, Yotam Ottolenghi, visited Australia this year, and there was a lot of interest around his use of Middle Eastern flavours – it really pushed the cuisine into the spotlight. Places like Tulum are further putting the spotlight on Middle Eastern food.”

“Modern day Middle Eastern food is inspired by so many different countries – it’s incredibly diverse and many people might not realise this. Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, and Israel, all play a part in the kaleidoscope of flavours found in Middle Eastern food.”

“It’s been a fascinating cuisine to explore at Trunk Restaurant and Bar. The colourful Persian jewelled rice, served with pistachio crusted chicken is such a pretty dish; it’s definitely one of my favourite additions,” said Kutcher.

Other highlights from the Middle Eastern menu include tuna tartare with sashimi grade tuna, burghul, pomegranate, taramasalata, quail egg, and crisps; Bastilla with confit duck, dates, walnuts, cinnamon, radicchio and beetroot salad; and char grilled octopus with merguez, smoked paprika, potatoes, peppers and walnuts.

For dessert, try the highly Instragrammable Arabian Pavlova, a rosewater meringue piled high with pistachio semifreddo, halva, Turkish delight, and berries.

For a more casual offering, Trunk Diner – located adjacent to Trunk Restaurant – serves American-style breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks 7 days a week from a stand-alone kitchen and bar. Trunk Diner seats 60.

And it’s not all about the food; guests from the restaurant, bar and diner spill out into the CBD’s biggest outdoor beer garden – Trunk Beer Garden – with 14 tap beers, 30 speciality cocktails, and more than 100 different wines on offer.

Kick off the night with an indulgent Espresso Martini, with 5 creations, including the Ferrero Rocher (Frangelico, Wyborowa vodka, cold-drip coffee, choc-hazelnut wafer, chocolate floss) and the Salted Caramel, (house-infused caramel vodka, Kahlua, caramel, cold-drip coffee, chocolate pretzel rim). For a Middle Eastern twist, try the Rose Martini (Melbourne Gin Company gin, grapefruit, lemon, eau de rose, and pistachio crumb).

A private dining option is also available at Trunk’s Rintel Room – an intimate event space hosting up to 60 guests. The Restaurant and Bar, Diner, Beer Garden, or the entire venue can be reserved for events.

Restaurant and Bar: Open every day 12.00pm until late

Trunk Diner and Trunk Beer Garden: Open weekdays 7.30am until late; Weekends 8.00am until late

Trunk

Ph: 03 9663 7994

E: info@trunktown.com.au

W: www.trunktown.com.au

Instagram @trunktown

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Information & Images Courtesy of Trunk/Kate & Co – Hayley Edwards

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Events/Hospitality

Follow us on Instagram @tatgourmetmag

Read on to check out the back story of Trunk…

BEN’S SUPERNATURAL Turns Melbourne’s Fast Food Scene on its Head!

13 September 20222 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

BEN’s Supernatural puts a healthy spin on Melbourne’s fast food offering with the Chapel Street store now open…

Born through founder, Casey George-Jolson’s personal mission to provide her family with good, wholesome and ultimately, delicious food. BEN’S Supernatural offers uncompromising, unprocessed and unbelievably good food – fast.

BEN’S – which stands for Balance, Energy, Nutrition and Sustenance, not only serves nutritionally balanced food, it sets to revolutionise the healthy food offering in Australia. Every menu item developed by Executive Chef David Selex (formerly of Melbourne’s Florentino and London’s Nobu, Vong, The Mews of Mayfair and Kensington Palace) has been approved by Head Nutritionist, Bannie Williams of The Healthy Ingredient.

Led by Selex, the BEN’S team have developed their extensive menus around five key pillars – 1. Whole, Natural and Unprocessed Foods, 2. Nutrient Dense, 3. Balance and Moderation, 4. Transparency and 5. Ethical and Socially Conscious.

From topped English muffins and protein packed vanilla pancakes for breakfast, to pizzas and unique burgers including the Ivan Lentil (spiced lentil patty, hummus, lettuce tomato and herbed yoghurt) for lunch and dinner – now the carb- conscious community can enjoy a range of historically carb-dense dishes, without having to settle on taste or quality.

The Grab-and-Go menu is sure to satisfy those who are little time poor. Breakfast and lunch options are on offer throughout the day including breakfast bowls, salads and ten home-made wrap options including the Cauliflower Rice and Beef (sliced 100% grass fed beef, spiced cauliflower, coconut, chives, red onion and herbed yoghurt).

For the carb-conscious, BEN’S master baker, David Flukes, spent 18 months perfecting the best tasting low-carb burger buns, wraps, pizza bases and English muffins. By choosing BEN’S low-carb burger buns or wraps, on average customers will be consuming 59% less carbs, in comparison to a regular slice of white bread, which contains between 12-15g of carbs.

BEN’S vegan, pescatarian, paleo and gluten-free friends certainly haven’t been forgotten, with an array of alternative options to tickle the tastebuds, including toasted coconut tofu, grilled or herb-crumbed fish and a tasty gluten-free range that may trick patrons into thinking it’s the fully-loaded relative.

BEN’S Supernatural is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week from 7.30am Monday – Friday and 8.30am Saturday & Sunday.

BEN’S Supernatural Fast Food 670 Chapel Street
South Yarra, VIC 3141
03 9826 1106

www.benssupernatural.com | Social: @benssupernatural

Information Courtesy of Ben’s Supernatural/Kayla Baggio – Kate & Co

Images Courtesy of Gareth Sobey Photography

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Read on for Further Information…

New Culinary Hub for Melbourne’s Outer North East

13 September 20221 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Eastridge Entertainment Precinct opens new gateway to the Yarra Valley

Eastridge Entertainment Precinct (EEP) is the first premium culinary hub in the outer-north east area, with the precinct housing three new venues – Carne Grill, The Precinct Bar and The Bosses Boots Café.

Located at the door to the Yarra Valley, the precinct as a whole will act as a gateway to the area, not only for local residents, but for the millions who travel to and from the Yarra Valley annually.

Carne Grill, seating up to 240 guests, is the jewel in the precinct crown, where stylish dining meets rambunctious feasting. The premium feasting style menu focuses on the finest local pork, beef, lamb, poultry and seafood, flame and charcoal grilled to perfection. The hero ‘Let Us Create the Feast’ set menus are available for four people or more, from $25 per person, and include carnivore and seafood options. ‘The Big Board’ allows guests to choose from three of 11 main options, and comes with two sauces and hand cut chips. If sharing isn’t your thing, try the pasture fed dry aged rib eye, 1kg T-bone, whole crayfish, or a pasta dish, with sides of course. The wine list is proudly 7/8 Australian, with a third of the varietals sourced from the local Yarra Valley region.

The Precinct Bar is an oasis for drinks, no matter what the time of day, with an extensive list of cocktails, local craft beer, and wine, served with a side of bar snacks for those who are peckish.

At The Bosses Boots Café, open for breakfast and lunch seven days per week, home baked breads are hero, sandwiching gourmet ingredients like miso glazed pork belly, pickled cucumber, shaved carrot, and watercress; and New York deli ciabatta with mortadella, sopressa, smoked ham, cheddar and green pickle. For breakfast think wild mushrooms on brioche, wilted kale, smoked ricotta, and fried eggs. Salads, burgers and grazing platters are also available, plus cold spun juices and smoothies. A rustic picnic pack is also available to grab and go.

Eastridge Entertainment Precinct 1 East Ridge Drive
Chirnside Park VIC 3116

Information & Images Courtesy Eastridge Entertainment Precinct/Carne Grill/Kayla Baggio – Kate & Co

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Follow us on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

READ ON FOR EEP CONTACT DETAILS & FURTHER INFORMATION…

Holy Duck!

13 September 202212 July 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Holy Duck!

by CHEFS GALLERY

Words by Daria Kill-Smith

Images Courtesy of Holy Duck!/Cardinal Spin & Daria Kill-Smith.

Les petits was the theme for the night, beginning in the little lanes of Chippendale – once a grungy centre of Sydney, now a trendy hub for inner city occupants, uni students, and hipsters too hip to eat at home. L’etiole accompanied me on this tasting and she was warned – leave your inner vegan at the door for there will be no room at the table for edible-consciousness – the bounty of the Holy Duck! promised meat, meat, and more meat, and it did not disappoint. Duck, steamed in a dumpling, roasted whole (sans bone if desired), or crisply filling a pancake, joined short-ribbed roast beef and stir fried wagyu, alongside double-cooked, roasted or barbecued pork – which included two types of crispy crackling for the true adventurers. For those preferring the white-meat option, there was the choice of whole spring or Sichuan-style chicken; crustacea in the form of spanner crab, steamed scallops or butterflied king prawns; and two types of fish – steamed orange roughy or fish of the day.

L’etoile and I decided to try our hands at as many taste dishes as we could and started with, what else, duck – encased in light and crispy spring rolls with the shining balance of mushroom and vegetable; that perfectly offset the special entree of the day, deep-fried spanner crab wontons with dipping sauce. We were mindful not to forget the lighter option of steamed scallops, although each of our dishes maintained the healthy food pyramid with the inclusion of micro-greens: alfalfa sprouts with sesame seeds, snow-pea shoots, and zucchini discs with smooth golden garlic and crunchy fried millet! We finished with crispy rice balls heaped with what else – duck – plus rocket, radish and red cabbage salad which was drenched in a sweet dressing; and fiery Sichuan Hot & Numbing Chicken – fat little pieces of wings with hidden heat bombs of Sichuan peppercorns and whole dried chilli. But L’etoile required a non-meat protein and we ordered a serving of Handmade Salt & Pepper Egg & Spinach Tofu – AMAZINGLY smooth and creamy and topped with coriander leaves and fresh chilli – and unanimously voted as the dish of the evening.

Sadly, we missed full platters of barbeque and roasted meats, and were loathe to order a dessert neither of us could finish, but the sight of those dishes being served to fellow diners didn’t need tasting to know the verdict would be none other than delicious. Les petits morsels and a reasonably priced menu – little wonder the Holy Duck! is a popular venue.

**Daria is a Sydney writer with a palate for tempting food and tasty events!

Holy Duck!

The Old Rum Store

2-10 Kensington St

Chippendale NSW 2008

holyduck.com.au

Instagram: @holyduck.au

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Follow us on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Check out more tempting photos from Holy Duck!…

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