Featuring: Baia Di Vino, Farmer’s Daughters, Chin Chin events…
MELBOURNE has always had a sense of sophistication about it and despite its rapid growth as a city, none of that is waning, quite the opposite. It’s growing at such a rate that beautiful restaurants, developments and events spaces are opening up or being planned all over the city to accommodate a growing population and a hungry dining audience.
Bayside suburb Sandringham will welcome Mediterranean restaurant, bar and wine store Baia Di Vino.
Literally translating to “wine bay,” Baia Di Vino is set to be a contemporary expression of the simple European coastal life, and Sandringham proves to be the perfect setting with its proximity to the beach.
This is the second venue from the team behind Malvern East’s, Riserva and owners, Frank Ciorciari (Riserva, Sette Bello, Cafe Di Stasio, Mercedes McLaren Formula 1), Anthony Silvestre (Kettle Black) and Gian Chiaravalle’s (Riserva, Arco) vision has been brought to life by interior architect, Samantha Eades Design.
Banquette seating lines the ocean-facing window, accented by a tiled floor, vaulted ceiling with timber beams, signature marble bar top and a French-wash paint finish on the walls. Head chef and co-owner Dino Mohsin (Riserva, Rockpool Bar & Grill) has crafted a menu with a strong nod to European dining with contemporary twists. Think tuna tartar, pickled daikon and betel leaf, Burrata, wood-fire roasted capsicum, cherry tomato, caper berries and basil Brodetto Di Pesce – scampi, king prawn, Cloudy Bay clams, Port Arlington mussels, scallop, squid, prawn broth, and the classic Maltagliati braised lamb, Sicilian green olives and pangrattato.
Accompanying the food offering will be an extensive, European-led wine menu crafted by sommelier and co-owner Vivian Man (formerly of Rockpool Bar & Grill) which will see a dedicated wine-by-the-glass offering and premium selection available via a Coravin system. It’s proving to be a favourite with the Bayside crowd looking for flexibility and fresh, well-cooked produce. 1 Melrose St, Sandringham; baiadivino.com.au.
Chef Alejandro Saravia – co-owner of CBD restaurant, Pastuso, has long been an Ambassador for Victoria’s Gippsland region in the state’s east and he recently announced that he is opening a new farm-to-table restaurant concept, Farmer’s Daughters in the QICGRE’s highly anticipated circa $800 million mixed-use development in Melbourne’s CBD. Saravia will join Martin Benn, Vicky Wild and Chris Lucas at 80 Collins, scheduled for completion in 2020. The development at 80 Collins is a transformative project for Melbourne, providing a new precinct that connects to the identity and energy of the city. Saravia’s focus of Farmer’s Daughters extends beyond the city and into greater Victoria, with all produce being sourced from the region of Gippsland.
QICGRE’s mission is to shine a global light on local excellence, Farmer’s Daughters intends to celebrate the diversity and quality of produce found in Gippsland. Farmer’s Daughters will span three floors of the 80 Collins development, including prominent street frontage on Exhibition St and will feature a rooftop restaurant and urban food farm. Each level of Farmer’s Daughters will have its own identity. There’s a more formal main restaurant open for lunch and dinner (complete with private dining rooms).
The ground floor deli will offer a casual farm-to-table experience, highlighting seasonal Gippsland produce with dishes to share, including homemade charcuterie, cured fish, cheese plates and seasonally-driven salads and sandwiches alongside a full retail/take-home offer.
On the roof, guests can sit among herb gardens and greenhouses, enjoying open-air dining with views across the CBD. The rooftop menu will concentrate on preserved and fermented vegetable-led snacks with a low-waste approach.
Saravia arrived in Melbourne in 2014 and opened his successful Peruvian restaurant Pastuso. Not long after he discovered and fell in love with the Gippsland region; from the wild coast abundant with seafood to the rich farmland and award-winning wines. In championing Gippsland produce at his restaurant, he was given the title of “official food and beverage ambassador” for the region. His connection to and admiration for the Gippsland region is manifested in the creation of Farmer’s Daughters. 80 Collins St, Melbourne.
An unusually warm autumn night saw the launch of the new events space about Asian favourite Chin Chin on Flinders Lane.
Simply named Chin Chin events, the enormous room is a private event space that can accommodate up to 100 people for a seated event and 160 for a stand-up cocktail affair.
Owner Chris Lucas is tapping into his strong kitchen team, led by executive chef Benjamin Cooper who fed the crowd a large selection of canapes, including an oyster station, corn fritters and kingfish sashimi with lime, chilli, coconut and Thai basil, all dishes available on the events menus. The space has two adjacent dining rooms that can be booked individually or combined to accommodate larger exclusive events. Level 1, 125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne; phone (03) 8663 2000.