FIRST BITEJOHN LETHLEAN
Boetz to part wayswith LongrainLONGRAINfoundingpartnerandexecutivechefMartinBoetz isquitting thebusinessafternearly 13years.TherehasbeenpersistentspeculationaboutBoetz’s futurewith therestaurantsduring thepastyear.Boetzhasdecidedtoconcentrateonhis fledglingCooks’Co-opproducebusinesscentredaroundaruralpropertyhe livesonnearSackville,ontheHawkesburyRiver (TheAustralian, September7,2012).LongrainpartnerSamChristiegaveFirstBitea ‘‘nocomment’’ lastweekbut laterissuedapress releaseconfirmingtherumoureddefection.Boetz isexpectedtostaywithLongrainuntil after theNoosaInternationalFood&WineFestival inMay.Hetellsusus: ‘‘I’mstill verymuchinvolvedwithLongrainat thispoint . . . SamandIare friends, there’sbeennorift.’’ It’sunderstoodLongrainSydneyheadchefLouisTikaramwill stepupto theroleofexecutivechef forbothSydneyandMelbourne.
INamovethatmayormaynotbeconnectedwith theBoetz story, it seemsMelbourne’sJohnVanHaandel is thinkingaboutgettingback intotherestaurantgameat theBeachHotelheoperates inByronBay,NSW.AndmighthebethinkingabouthiringchefAndrewGimber,nowatByron’sRae’sandbefore thatopeningchefatMelbourne’sChinChin? ‘‘So far it’samaybeonly,andthenprobablynot tillnextsummerwithin theBeachHotel,’’ saysVanHaandel. ‘‘Notastoryso far.’’Therestaurantspaceat theBeach is runbyoutsideoperators.Previously, thePacificDiningRoom,as itwasthenknown,was in-house,withchefDavidMoyleat thehelm.
WHERE’S IshmailIsmailTosun, thechef-restaurateurwhountil 10daysagowasat thehelmof themuch-lovedCollingwoodgastrobarGigibaba?It’saquestiona fewofhis suppliershavebeenaskingsince theplaceclosed itsdoorssuddenly,withseveral staffunpaidandat leasttwosupplierswonderingwhatwillhappentotheir invoices.FirstBitehasn’tbeenable to trackdownthechef,withmobilenumbersdisconnectedandanansweringmachineontheGigibabanumber.NoFacebookorTwitterpresence,either.Asignonthe frontwindowlastweeksaid the landlordhadchangedthe locksbecauseofunpaidrent.Theplace is in thehandsofanestateagent.
EVERYBODY’Sdoing it.Openingbarswithgoodfood, that is.The latest restaurantwithplans togobeyondwinebar isAdelaide’ sPressFood&Wine,which isbuildingabarwithproper food intentions—workingtitle:Proof—behind itspremises inWaymouthStreet.ExecutivechefAndyDavies, inMelbourneonaresearchmissionwithhis teamandbossSimonKardachi lastweek, says theopening isabout 10weeksoff.ForAdelaide, this shouldbeareasontobecheerful.
SUBALPINEsushi?NortheasternVictoriansashimi?You’dbetterbelieve it.Afterabout fouryearsconsulting to therestaurantatBoynton’sFeathertopWinerynearBright, chef IkueiArakane, knowntomanyasKinSan,has joinedtherestaurantas full-timechef.Arakanemademanyfriendsduringhis timeatTaxiDiningRoom. ‘‘I’veneverseensomebodysohappy inavegetablegarden,’’ saysJanelleBoynton.‘‘We’veevenplanteddaikon.’’
MILDURA’SregionalchampStefanodePierimayhavecomefrompolitics tocookingbut it isbrewingthat isdominatinghisagenda.DePierihas justpurchasedtheMilduraBreweryat theGrandHotel fromhis father-in-law,DonCarrazza, and intends to focushisenergythere.Therestaurant thatbearshisname, in thehotel’sbasement, is largelyunder thecontrolofheadchefJimMcDougall, aVuedeMondealumnuswhohas takenthe food inadifferentdirection,withdePieri’sblessing.DePieri sayssomekindofMelbourneretail ‘‘hole in thewall’’ forhisbeerbrands isnotoutof thequestion.
LET’S face it:weall enjoyasavagingontherestaurant reviewpage.Andover inNewYork,MasaharuMorimoto’sTribecaCanvas iseasilytheworst-reviewedNewYorkrestaurantsinceGuy’sAmericanKitchenandBar.Morimoto-sanwasa topchefwith theNobugroupuntilheopenedCanvas,amovehemay justberethinking.Typicalof the tsunamiofcriticaloutburstswas this, fromtheNewYorkPosts’sSteveCuozzo: ‘‘Theplace isn’tquiteasawfulasGuy’sAmericanKitchen—butGuyFierihadlittle reputationtoruin.’’Ouch.Foranentertainingselectionofcritichighlights,wethankour friendsatEater:ny.eater.com/archives/2013/02/the-worst-lines-of-the-tribeca-canvas-reviews-with-cats.phplethleanj@theaustralian.com.au
PERSONAL OZ FOOD & TRAVEL BAG LADIESHOW TO TAKE IT WITH YOU
IN PERSONAL OZ TOMORROW:
FASHION
Where to go and why in 2013
SUSAN KUROSAWA
LUXURY FEVER
From top,Rogue Riverblue cheese;a helicopterlands at KauriCliffs Lodge,New Zealand;Ume blackvinegar; andKoko mirin
LUXURYFEVER
Our rising appetite for the high life
NECIA WILDEN
AUSTRALIANS have caught abad case of fever. Luxury fever, thatis. We’re lusting after the bestclothes, handbags, shoes andwatches. We’re thirsting for themost exclusive beers, wines andspirits. And we’re eating up. Andup, and up, and up.
‘‘Premiumisation’’ is the mar-keting buzzword for the condition.You and I might just call it payingmore for higher quality.
So you want to buy a bottle ofvodka? In the past, your choice ofthe most expensive brand mighthave been called extravagant, evenprofligate; your reasons for buyingit mere snobbery. Today, you’re aconnoisseur, your choice reflectsgood taste, and the big interna-tional luxury brands are rushing tocapitalise on this shift in thenational attitude towards how youspend your money.
This month, Sydney specialistconsulting company MO Luxury isholding Australia’s first globalluxury forum in response to thestrength in the market: in 2011,demand for personal luxury goods(fashion, handbags, shoes, jewel-lery, pretty much everything luxeexcept cars and alcohol) grew 11.2per cent in Australia, comparedwith 8.9 per cent globally.
‘‘Australia’s very robust,’’ saysMO Luxury’s Melinda O’Rourke.‘‘We are under some pressurefinancially, but not to the sameextent as Europe or the US.’’
And while statistics for food anddrink are not available, all the evi-dence points to comparablegrowth. You don’t have to look far:we’re turning into a nation of syb-arites, or should that be sybareats?
Damian Pike sells fresh trufflesfrom his stall at the Prahran Mar-ket in Melbourne. This year, hesold 15kg of Australian (Manjim-up) truffles and 5kg of Perigordblack truffles. In both cases, saleswere up 25 per cent on last year.And in December last year, he tooka deep breath and offered Albawhite truffles – about $120 for a 30gtruffle – for the first time. He sold2.5kg and reckons he could havesold double that.
‘‘That top end is really healthy,’’he says. ‘‘I’m noticing the young-sters are having a go now.’’
At beer specialists The LocalTaphouse (Melbourne and Syd-ney), co-owner Steve Jeffares sayshis customers are regularly spend-ing between $20 and $50 on a bot-tle of quality craft beer such asBirra del Borgo from Italy or8 Wired from New Zealand, re-flecting a big surge in demand forpremium beer. Vodka? Sales of
Ciroc — at $81.99 for 750ml, one ofthe priciest around — rose 109 percent in the past year.
The trend has wider impli-cations for a new era of conspicu-ous consumption. Five years ago,would Crown have dared to have acrack at making the world’s mostexpensive cocktail — using a bottleof 1858 Croizet cognac — and thenoffered a modified version in one ofits bars for $12,500 a pop? WouldPenfolds have cobbled together afull set of Grange and stuck a pricetag on it of $1.8 million (free homecellar thrown in)?
Associate professor of market-ing at Melbourne Business School
Mark Ritson says premiumisationstrengthens in difficult economictimes.
‘‘It’s known as the bifurcation ofthe market,’’ he says.
‘‘People are either going to headdown to bargain prices, or moveupwards to premium brands. Theimplication is that the brands in themiddle will struggle.
‘‘Champagne is a classic exam-ple — the middle market is a verytricky place to be right now,’’ hesays. ‘‘That’s not to say everyone’sdrinking Krug. But a generationago, very few people had evenheard of Krug. Now everyoneknows the brand.’’
Part of Australia’s attractive-ness tohigh-endoverseascompan-ies is our low price sensitivity, saysRitson. In other words, we don’t getsticker shock as easily as othermarkets and are prepared to payover the odds.
Here’s a quick look at three newsuper-premium food and drinkofferings: a cheese, a luxury food-and-wine travel experience, and apair of Japanese condiments.
1. Rogue RiverBlue CheeseThe world’s most expensive bluecheese has just been released in
Australia following more than twoyears of negotiation by interna-tional cheese expert Will Studd.Rogue River comes from an80-year-old dairy in the valley ofthe same name in Oregon, US. Thecheese is made with late-season,high-butterfat milk and wrappedin syrah grape leaves that havebeen soaked in local pear brandyand then wrapped by hand aroundthe wheel. The RRB cheeses avail-able here are aged a minimum of15 months and are made from pas-teurised milk; the original is madefrom raw milk.PRICE: $140-$160/kg.
2. The TigerTour 2013Were they open to the public, therestaurants at New Zealand’s lux-ury lodges would be on the must-do list of every travelling foodie.Here’s your chance to tick off threeof the best in one trip covering theNorth and South Islands: TheLodge at Kauri Cliffs, The Farm atCape Kidnappers and MatakauriLodge. Following a sellout tour in2012, The Tiger Tour 2013 (namedafter the US hedge fund that en-abled the lodges’ founder, Julian H.Robertson Jr, to build them) isopen to four couples only and in-cludes accommodation, all meals,some drinks and transport inprivate jet or helicopter. There isone spot left for the March tour,which kicks off next Monday(March 11).PRICE: $25,000 per person.
3. Koko Mirin andUme Black VinegarOne taste of these premium Japa-nese condiments and you’ll beruined for anything inferior. Themirin tastes like PXsherry (butbet-ter, if you ask me) and in Japan isalsoenjoyedasadrink. It isaged for10 years and used in top Japaneserestaurants such as Kitcho.Price: Koko Mirin costs about$38/500ml, around six times theprice of standard mirin. Also usedfor medicinal purposes — reputed-ly excellent for hangovers — UmeBlack Vinegar is made from or-ganic Japanese plums soaked inwater from world heritage site Na-chi Falls and then brewed in amethod unchanged for the past 130years.PRICE: about $35/300ml, aroundeight times the price of the stan-dard product. Both products arebeing imported into Australia forthe first time by Chef’s Armourywithin the next couple of months.
THE FABFOUR
Hotelswithaltitude Q1RESORTANDSPA
GOLDCOAST
AT323mand80floors, theQ1residential tower (526apartmentsandguest rooms)allbutcollideswith theclouds. It feels soveryGeorgeandJaneJetson,withspace-ageywhiteguest roomsandseagull’s-eyeviews.Thesoaringarchitecture is said tomirrorelementsof theSydney2000Olympics torch.Fromthepublicobservationdeckson levels77and78youcansee forupto80kmonaclearday—toBrisbaneandByronBay.More:q1.com.au.SK
RITZ-CARLTONHONGKONG
LOOKoutyourguest-roomwindowat theRitz-CarltonHongKonganddon’tbesurprised ifthere’sahelicopter flyingbeloweyelevel.The312-roomproperty is intheupper floorsof the118-storey,490m-tall InternationalCommerceCentre inWestKowloon.Thedecorisallonyx,marbleandshinyorientalbling,andtherearerestaurantsanddrinkingspots,includingOzone,with theworld’shighestbar terrace.More:ritzcarlton.com/hongkong.SK
ARMANIHOTELDUBAI
WITHINthe160-storeyBurjKhalifaTower,whichsoars to828m, the2009-openedArmaniHotelhas 160guest roomsandsuites.StaffglidewithcatwalkeaseinblackArmaniuniforms.Thereare 11categoriesofguest roombutallhave the latest techno-wizardry,andbowlsofwhite roses (Giorgio’sfavourite flower,apparently). Ifyou’regameyoucanwhooshuptotheBurjKhalifa’sobservationdeckonlevel 124.More:dubai.armanihotels.com.SK
JWMARRIOTTMARQUISDUBAI
DUBAIboasts theworld’s tallestbuildingand isabout tobuild theworld’s largest shoppingmall, so it’snosurprise ithas justnabbedthetitleofworld’s tallest ‘‘dedicated’’hotel, at355m.Thefirstof theMarriott’s twintowersopened lastweek,with804roomsover72 floors.Ithas 10restaurants, fivebars, twoballroomsand24meetingrooms.Another804guest roomswillbeaddedwhenthethehotel’s secondtower isopened later thisyear.More:marriott.com.MR
SUSAN KUROSAWAMICHELLE ROWE
2011 KALLESKE MOPPASHIRAZ, BAROSSA $28
THE MAX FACTOR
WHAThappenswhenacool,wetvintagecollideswithaproducerof full-bodiedwines?
Theanswer is this super-spicyBarossashiraz.TheKalleske familyarerenownedformakingdense, ripepurpleshirazes fromtheiroldvines inGreenock, in theregion’snorthwest.But therain-drenchedcoldof the2011growingseasongavenochance for thegrapes toattainquite theusual sugar levels.Aswellas trademarksweetblack fruit,there’salsoheapsofatypicallyrestrained, cool, savourycharacter—aromasofdriedporciniandpepper,andflavoursof roastedgame.Thepricequoted iswhatyou’llpayex-cellarand in independentstores.Themarkup: in somerestaurants forbetween$45and$65abottle.kalleske.com
18 THE AUSTRALIAN, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2013www.theaustralian.com.au
FOLLOWTHE READER
The verybig bashCRAIG SHEATHERALBURY, NSW
CRICKET is played in manycountries, often in exotic locales,but a group of English players cer-tainly raised the bar in 2009 whenthey took to an unlikely pitch atthe base of Mount Everest.
The setting for ‘‘the world-record Twenty20 bash’’ was thesprawling ground of Gorak Shepon a frozen lakebed covered withsand at an altitude of 5164m.
Thevillage, in themost inhospi-table environment imaginable, isthe final acclimatisation stop on
most treks to Everest Base Camp.It was sheer coincidence that
my three-week trek met the tour-ing cricketing party. After a weekof solid walking, I was craving for abreaksothecricketgameprovidedthe perfect opportunity to kickback and relax.
The teams were suitably namedTenzing and Hillary after the firsttwo men to conquer Everest.
After days of trekking, theplayers had grown impressivefacial hair that would have made
Merv Hughes, Dennis Lillee andDavid Boon proud.
The game was set amid snow-capped mountains to rival theworld’s most scenic cricket ovals.Just to reach the ground theplayers had had to cope withconcerns such as altitude sickness,hypothermia, gastro, dehydrationand exhaustion.
The carpet pitch was rolled outin the middle of a small clearingand the rocks in the sandy outfieldwere removed. Large boulders
embedded in the ground and yakdung provided constant obstaclesto the fielders.
The game was extremely enter-taining. However, there were noshort singles or bowlers coming offtheir long run. The physical exer-tion at such a high altitude leftboth teams gasping. The strangesight attracted a small crowd of vil-lagers, sherpas, a Buddhist monkand passing trekkers on their wayto base camp.
Play was briefly interrupted
when a young village girlwandered on to the pitch.
However, there were no secur-ity chaps to whisk her away orimpose a lifetime ban.
Whenthegamefinished, the lo-cal yaks strayed back on to thepitch and the players retired to theteahouse for celebratory drinks.
Surely the great commentatorRichie Benaud would have beenextremely impressed if he’d beenthere. ‘‘It really was a marvellouseffort, that!’’
RANT OR RAVESend your 400-word contribution to our Follow the Reader column.
Published columnists will receive a Griffin + Row starter kit of travel-sizedskincare products made with Australian plant extracts plus a full-sized
antioxidant night cream in a ziplock bag (total $71.49).More: griffinandrow.com.au
Send your contribution to: [email protected].
Follow the Reader also appears in Travel & Indulgencein The Weekend Australian
