Wednesday 12 August 2015

The Grand 130 year birthday celebration

The Grand in Richmond is a culinary institution that needs little introduction and has long been a Gastrology favourite. Consistently plating up delicious, authentic Italian food with care and an emphasis on fresh, quality ingredients, The Grand has earned many loyal regulars and a 2015 chefs hat from The Age Good Food Guide.  
Therefore, when invited back to The Grand to celebrate its 130th birthday with Zomato, Gastrology bloggers were understandably excited. 
The birthday celebration was a gorgeously stylish affair - the Como dining room had been breathtakingly transformed by The Three Piece Suit with stationary styled by Lauren Skorsis. And what would a birthday be without a birthday cake, courtesy of Bake and Co.  
Pepper crusted venison carpacial, goat cheese mouse and beetroot

Wonderfully tender, wafer thin slices of rare venison paired beautifully with the gamey goat cheese mouse. The beetroot lent a wonderful sweetness.
Agro dolce quail with procini mushroom puree, brussel sprouts, quail egg and black truffle.

The quail was cooked to a rarely found perfection. The mushroom puree packed an amazing depth of flavour and the generous shavings of black truffle elevated the aroma of this dish to another level. Simply stunning - a must try dish.
Broad bean, pecorino and mint risotto

The risotto was cooked immaculately, ensuring the rice retained the ideal firmness and creaminess. The mint provided freshness, contrasting beautifully with the creaminess of the pecorino.
Mortadella cappalletti in brodo

A deceptive dish of cappalletti in a clear broth, however hidden inside the cappalletti was a mortadella sausage filling that was powerfully rich and moreish.
The nights festivities involved us preparing our own fish course by selecting our own ingredients to pair with the wonderfully fresh barramundi and sealing them all inside a layer of terracotta.
After being expertly baked by the chef, our terracotta parcels were brought out to the dining table where we broke them open to reveal their delicious contents.
Cone bay barramundi cooked in terracotta

The texture of the fish was exquisite and cooked to perfection. The ceramic casing sealed all of the natural flavours and juices inside resulting in exquisitely delicate, moist fish.
Buffalo mozzarella, tomato, basil
Lemon delizia

The night ended on a deliciously sweet note with a lemon delizia, melding a beautiful combination of textures, flavours and techniques.
It was an honour to celebrate The Grand turning 130 years over a truly decadent and wonderfully prepared degustation. If you are keen to try the wonderful dishes on offer at The Grand, we would encourage you to sign up for free to the VIP list at http://www.grandrichmond.com.au/vip.html as all Grand VIP's get a birthday dinner for free!


Location: 333 Burnley Street, Richmond

Phone: (03) 9429 2530
Link: http://www.grandrichmond.com.au/
Cuisine: Italian

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