spoon

Recent Recipes

Nuffnang Food Blogger Event: Collins Kitchen at The Grand Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne

34

Category : , ,

 I'm going to give a warning just like I did before my post on the Taste Festival of Melbourne.
Before reading; please put your seat in the upright position, grab a drink/sandwich/over priced pringles and enjoy reading all about the delicious night I had.

The date was Tuesday 23rd February 2010 AD.
Nuffnang had invited about 20 food bloggers to an exclusive dinner at Collins Kitchen, which is part of the Grand Hyatt hotel in Melbourne. I had never been inside the hotel before, let alone the dining area; but I was pleased to learn it had recently been renovated from the food court that it used to be.

Early birds met in the main lobby of the hotel, then proceeded to the RU-CO bar just off the main dining area whilst we waited for everyone to arrive. There was an extensive wine list which seemed to go on for pages. Knowing nothing much about wine and wanting to line my stomach with food before drinking, I just opted for sparkling mineral water.

We were then all seated over 2 long tables in the dining area with Nuffnang hosts David and Sarah; as well as Marketing Communications Manager of the Grand Hyatt, Lucy. We then met executive chef, Jason Camillo, who proceeded to give us a full tour of the open kitchen.

Collins Kitchen consists of 5 different cooking stations; grill, wok, sushi, deli and patisserie (guess which one is my favorite!).It is based on the Mezza9 restaurant at the Hyatt in Singapore which runs on the same concept. Their stations are a little different: western grill & rotisserie, sushi and sashimi bar, yakitori grill, the steam basket, the European deli, Thai deli and crustacean bar, the patisserie, the martini and cigar bar and a gourmet boutique.

I'm sure the kitchen staff were expecting us, but I'm not sure they were expecting 20 people with cameras snapping away like the Queen was in town. They remained cool and were probably glad when we were out of there.

We started at the sushi station where we could see the sushi chef freshly grating Tasmanian wasabi for our dinner. Slabs of fresh fish look so tempting through the glass cabinet as we are told that the kitchen really promotes local produce. It's only the first station and we are all already drooling and wanting to sink our teeth into some sushi.
 
We then move through to deli section. I was at the back of the group snapping away whilst Jason was talking about the deli, so I can't really tell you too much about it. I do know that they use Otway free range bacon though. The deli set up was very impressive though, I'm pretty sure anyone who appreciates deli goods would be happy to move in.

Behind the sushi bar is a wall of fridges with clear doors allowing you to see even more produce. Jason explains that for breakfast, guests and help themselves to yoghurt and bircher muesli that is in the fridges; giving hotel guests a feeling as if they were at home, helping themselves. Breakfast sounds fantastic at the Collins Kitchen, with fresh eggs cooked to order, as well as dim sum.

We move through to the wok station, where we see industrial grade burners that sounds like an airplane when the chef takes his wok off the heat. We see the massive steamers for steaming dumplings and whole fish, as well as the smaller holding bays for steamed food. We also see fresh chilli sauces that have been freshly prepared.

The final station in the main kitchen area is the grill. It's about now I notice how sleek and clean the kitchen is, and how much effort it must take to maintain the shininess of all the metal surfaces. It made me just want to put my fingers all over it! We see the oven which is half wood and half gas, and are told we will be having a foccacia that is baked in said oven. There is a nice range of grill plates on display, I would loved to have seen them cooking on them if I wasn't so busy stuffing my face at the table.

Between the wok and grill stations you see the Asian roasted meats hanging. Succulent roast ducks hang about, waiting to get in my belly. The crackling on the roast pork looks like it will provide good crunch, but we don't find out till later if it will or not.

The last station which is situated just outside the main kitchen area is the patisserie; my favorite section! We see the pastry chef stirring a sauce on the induction cook top. The cook top is so sleek I wouldn't have noticed she was cooking on it if it hadn't have been pointed out to me. There is a lovely range of ice-creams and gelatii on displays, as well as tempting slices and boxes of truffles mocking us as we stand around. High tea is on offer every day, and scones are freshly baked in the oven that is in the patisserie station. Lucy tells us the smell is just amazing as it wafts throughout the area.

The menu is a'la carte, but you can watch the chefs prepare your food. I find the idea of this less intimidating as a diner. The chef is not some magical food wizard that you never see, and can't see what he is up to; you can actually see everything being done. No matter where you sit in the dining room, you can see into the kitchen. It's a relaxed atmosphere, you can almost feel like you are at home.
There are also 2 private dining rooms, one is known as the chef's table; where they encourage a share menu which we dined on, serving signature dishes from the seasonal menu, which demonstrates dedication to using only the best local and organic produce.

We then return to our seats in the dining area where are settled with wine and bread. The bread is lovely and fresh. I'm a sucker for warm fresh crusty bread with butter smothered over it. This was a good way to start. BUT best not to fill up on bread as they say!

So what did we eat?
The first part to our night started with a sushi and sashimi platter, antipasto platter and freshly baked foccacia.

Sushi and Sashimi Platter
Tuna, salmon, omelette, eel, prawn, spicy tuna nori rolls, served with Tasmanian wasabi.

The fish was so incredibly fresh and just melted away in your mouth. My end of the table could have happily dined on these platters all night.

Crisp Bread Wafers

Antipasto Platter
Cantaloupe, prosciutto, liverwurst with mini gherkins, deli meats, roasted vegetables, tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella and basil.

The buffalo mozzarella is from Queensland, and it just amazing with the fresh tomato and basil. It was deliciously sweet, yet such simple flavours. This wasn't my first time with liverwurst, I've only had it by our favorite continental butcher though. It looked so good with it's mini gherkin, I just had to have some. It was fantastic. A smooth texture, it went perfectly with crisp bread we were given. How can you go wrong with cantaloupe and prosciutto?

Tomato, Olive and Basil Foccacia

So fresh and doughy, the simple flavours just came alive. I restrained myself and only had one piece.

Second course involved a platter of roast meats from the wok station, fried rice, and asian greens.

Roast Meat Platter
Roast duck, roast pork, soy chicken and char siu.

All meats were cooked perfectly; from the succulent duck, to the crispy crackling of the roast pork.

Fried rice was nice, the rice cooked well; with each grain clearly separate to the other. Nice flavours and went well with the roast meats. Served with the fresh chilli sauces prepared by the wok kitchen, and Asian greens.

Third course was an amazing mixed seafood grill platter, porterhouse steak, broccolini, mashed potatoes and mushrooms.

Mixed Seafood Grill Platter
Scallops, tuna, salmon, Morton Bay bug and prawns.

The scallops were so plump and sweet, probably the best scallops I've ever had. The Morton Bay bug was so sweet and fresh. I didn't get a chance to sample the tuna from South Australia or the salmon, but they sure looked good!

Porterhouse Steak
Grain fed and aged for 30 days on the bone.

The porterhouse was definitely one of my favourites of the night. We did send it back when it first arrived as it was very rare. People who liked it cooked that way took a piece, whilst the rest of us waited for a more slightly cooked slice to return.
It was lovely and smokey; and teamed with the sweet sauce reduction was just amazing. There was also a bernaise sauce which was also delicious.

The mash was so creamy, we tried not to think how much butter was in it. The broccolini was fantastic, not sure about the mushrooms, didn't try them!
 
Last but not least my favorite course; dessert.
An impressive dessert platter arrives and we all go "oooooo!!"

Dessert Platter
Mixed ice-creams and gelatos (strawberry, passionfruit, piastchio and vanilla), rhubarb and strawberry crumble with vanilla cream, peach melba, chocolate fondant with chocolate gelato, chocolate biscotti and a banana millefeulle.

OH.....MY....GAWD!
Just as I thought I couldn't fit more in, I fit in at least a mouthful of everything.

The ice creams were fantastic. The strawberry flavour was my favorite with an intense strawberry taste.
The crumble was perfect with its perfectly stewed fruit and crunchy top. Fresh vanilla cream, you could even see the specs from the vanilla bean.
The peach melba was the least favorite for everyone, rather runny to what I was expecting it would be. Still a nice flavour.
The chocolate fondant was the favorite. Neil and Sarah trying to convince me that it wasn't very good so I woudln't have any. It was gooey inside, and the flavours would have rocked anyone's socks off.
The banana millefeuille was also another winner with custard and I think there was even honey in there. The pastry was so perfect, crisp and also melted in your mouth.
The chocolate biscotti was paper thin, and had an intense chocolate flavour. I of course, liked it!

There is a strong emphasis on local produce. Jason and Lucy told us about the "Green Team". Sourcing the food locally reduces their carbon footprint, and allows to showcase the amazing food Australia and local producers have to offer.
There is also an emphasis of making everything on site. We were told only the messy things like making stocks and chopping live lobsters is done in another kitchen. The backroom kitchen which no one sees is very small and only has one bench, as the majority of the cooking is done in the open kitchen at the respective stations.

Jason and Lucy also talked to us about the express lunch they are trying to promote to CBD workers. You get a selection of food on a tray. You come in, order, wait 10 minutes and then you can eat and go back to work. All for around $30-38. So, if you work nearby; I highly suggest you give it a go as the food at Collins Kitchen could not be faulted.

The staff were fantastically friendly throughout the night.
It was great to meet more bloggers from the Melbourne blogger scene. It was also great not to be the only one taking photos of food. I infact had to wait for people to stop taking photos so that I could take photos!

Thanks again to Nuffnang and The Grand Hyatt, as well as all the food bloggers for an amazing night.

Agnes from Off the Spork
Maria from The Gourmet Challenge
Sarah from Sarah Cooks
Adrian from Food Rehab - http://foodrehab.com.au/2010/02/28/blogger-dinner-at-collins-kitchen-grand-hyatt-melbourne/
Penny from Jeroxie - http://jeroxie.com/addiction/nuffnang-food-bloggers-gathering-collins-kitchen-at-the-grand-hyatt/
Thanh from I Eat Therefore I Am
Melissa and Danny from Tummy Rumbles
Joyce from Jetsetting Joyce - http://www.melhotornot.com/hot-nuffnang-food-bloggers-dinner-collins-kitchen-grand-hyatt-123-collins-st-melbourne-part-1/
Suzanne from EssJay Eats
Billy from Boys For Noise
Neil from At My Table

Nuffnang's post about the dinner

I don't think I left anyone out! If I did please leave a comment. I will link their reviews when they are posted!

Collins Kitchen on Urbanspoon

34 comments:

Awesome wrap up of the event. I am so sad I missed it!!!! Stupid Jetstar! It looks like a fantastic feast and the kitchen looks amazing.

Brilliant! I am still feeling the effects of the meal!
Will link up once my blog post is ready.

Lovely photos and writeup - have to knuckle down and write mine up too. I have so many food-orgasmic photos I might have to split it over two days!

Jetsetting Joyce

Looks awesome :) Would love to be able to stay there one day. One day!

Wow that is some delicious looking food Shellie! :O And it sounds like you shared it with some lovely company too :D

aye curamba! Very tasty write up indeed. My hunger pains have just started to erupt once more!

Now, time to write my post...where to begin...LOL This is always the case with meetups...we just eat way too much food that we feel indigestion when thinking of writing the mammoth post!

Still thinkin about the chocolate fondant I got to finish off :P mmmmmm....sweet dreams.

oh yum. those scallops look divine! :-) the kitchen looks very impressive.

Oooh, those ice creams sound divine! Particularly the pistachio one, if it was as true to its flavour as the strawberry!

Well Shellie, I am not sure what to say, " I am gob smacked " what a great time out for you all, an awesome post and picci's everything I read and your photo's looked brilliant. Seeing everything was in fact, was liken to a 'Wonderland Experience'. Thanks for sharing it with us all. Hugs x :)

What a fabulous feast and night in general that you all must have enjoyed!

Great pics too Shellie.

Oh what a beautiful kitchen. Do you think they sexied it up for the event?

I was thinking as I read this "ooh, I would have filled up on the meats" then "oh no, actually I would have saved room for the mixed seafood" and this just went on and on. Did you fill your pockets? ;)

So jealous! how great does that food look

That was an awesome night, thanks for sharing your great pics.

Looks like lots of fun from the nite =)

oh wow, I forgot how good that night was. Love your write up, you got almost every detail. I still havent written mine!! Will have to get onto it!

Wow how amazing! All the food looks so awesome - and what a shiny kitchen. I love the attention to detail and how dedicated they are to sourcing local produce.
Great post!!!

Shellie, looks like those notes did you well - great write up! Thank goodness you wrote down all the detail because I certainly didn't remember it!

The food looks amazing! I love how they have the different stations and you can see the food & what's going on.

Melbourne Hotels offer the best foods you can imagine.

I'm a serial blogger and I notice blogs like this one are genuinely helpful when scouring the web for generic levitra. It sincerely helps when you stumble on a great source from a reliable company. The prices are great as well, especially for sildenafil citrate.
For more information:
http://www.epillsrx.com

Great piece of article. It explains so much about the topic. I should say it is a detailed article. Talks about a variety of things - something which I never thought could exist. What I found different in your article is the way you have gone about to explain the topic in a simplistic way.

buy kamagra oral jelly 100mg

For a moment while I was reading your article I struck to me that I always thought about this thing. But could not put it into words! How you do this is marvelous.

I think your article is great…and I applaud for the effort, however I am not sure where it was going in the middle. Maybe I lost the track but I think it is better to write short write ups on such subject.

Great ....That was an awesome night, thanks for sharing your great pics.

Awesome!!Amazing blog post.your article is very informative.Great pictures.I got lots of information about variety of dishes.

Really it's an awesome blog post here.... Keep posting such an interesting information.... Thanks very much!

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I think I will leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

A traditional Bed and Breakfast, or 'B & B' as they are often denoted, is a residence or property where both the owners and guests live under the same roof.

Rio Pousadas

Cool Post Thanks a lot for this awesome post. keep working and posting variety of articles on regularly basis.



Smith Alan
online viagra

Hi,
Thank you for give all information on you blog i am impress on you blog.


Display Fridges Melbourne

We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new project in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a marvelous job!

Well nice thinking I am thoroughly convinced in this said post. I am currently searching for ways in which I could enhance my knowledge in this said topic you have posted here. It does help me a lot knowing that you have shared this information here freely great.

I think its a pretty good idea not that there aren't other sites out there that already do something similar but I think it might catch on here pretty well.

Nice picture I love to eat different variety of food and the way chef present their food.
thanks fr posting....

All images and text is property of Iron Chef Shellie. These reviews are based on my opinions and experiences.
Permission must be granted before using any images or text from this website.

Feel free to contact me:
ironchefshellie [at] gmail [dot] com