Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2019 i Gourmet Traveller

It’s a double celebration this month: two great cuisines, two vibrant nations, loads of inspiration. Our beautiful new cookbook, Italian, is a collection of more than 100 of our favourite Italian recipes from leading chefs and the GT food team. In beloved classics and regional specialties – many with an Australian twist – expect big flavours and plenty of inspiration for meals to share. Find Italian where all good books are sold and at magshop.com.au (Bauer Media Books, $59.99, hbk, out 5 August). A similar generosity of spirit runs through this month’s special Chinese issue. From yum cha to hotpot, Peking duck to sang choi bau, the Chinese table is communal and joyful. The Australian-Chinese table, meanwhile, has a long and delicious history, full of bold characters and saucy anecdotes.…

Golden Century is known for its live seafood tanks, 4am closing time and famous diners. It’s loved by chefs and celebrities. Restaurateur Billy Wong recalls the hasty security measures required when former US president George H W Bush turned up unannounced. “The whole street was blocked,” he says. Other visitors have included Tongan and Moroccan royalty, Lady Gaga, and former Chinese presidents – Xi Jinping asked for food to be delivered to his Sydney hotel, Hu Jintao had Golden Century’s signature XO pipis sent to the Chinese embassy in Canberra. But what impresses Wong most is the fact his parents, Eric and Linda, opened the restaurant two weeks after moving to Sydney 30 years ago, when Wong was five and his brother Alex was 11. They found new homes, schools…

My fondest childhood memories are travelling as a family. I must have been about eight when we took a barge through Holland, Belgium and Germany. My sister and I slept in the nose of the barge, and Mum and Dad always had friends with us – it was all flares and fabulous people. That gave me a feeling of freedom, of having no fixed place or culture, of travelling to gather stories and be together. Returning to Holland to see my grandfather’s home in Utrecht in my twenties was a really important moment in my life. I’d never really identified as being Australian – always a bit too big, a bit too loud – and suddenly I was seeing people who looked like me. I felt an incredible sense of…

Hidden away on the Bedwell River on Vancouver Island is a place so serene it’s hard to imagine ever wanting to leave. Touted as a complete wilderness glamping experience, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is everything you would imagine, and more. For executive chef Michael Pataran, the inspiration for his menu is never far from the island’s fir and cedar-laden landscape and pristine waterways. “I’ve been here for two years and I’m still discovering new local ingredients – there are just so many producers. Seafood is particularly abundant in the region: we work with British Columbia spot prawns caught in the same river system the resort is on, halibut, sturgeon, clams, scallops, black cod and oysters. But we also love to use the fabulous butter and cheeses of local small producers, as…

NEW RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR TOTTI’S, SYDNEY, NSW In a year dominated by casual Italian-ish openings, Totti’s is the definitive model. Old olive tree in the courtyard, pretty wood oven in the wide open dining room, blistered bread doused in olive oil and served with an array of snacks, killer pasta, and Negronis by the litre. Merivale’s knack for giving people what they want before they know they want it continues. And with chefs as sharp as Mike Eggert and Khan Danis on execution, and a wine list this strong, the appeal is only getting stronger. In short: Right on trend. JOY, BRISBANE, QLD Tiny Joy is a bumblebee of a restaurant. Logically, it shouldn’t be able to fly. But this minimalist 10-seater – down a laneway and with…

From Coq au vin in Lyon to Quince and brown sugar parfait in Arles, there’s no dish too big or small that you won’t find on an APT river cruise through France. To appreciate French food is a blessing but to appreciate it while gliding down some of the country’s most iconic rivers is a true privilege. From the comfort of one of APT’s luxurious Aria river ships, the nuances and flavours of French cuisine are constantly within arm’s reach - whether you’re on board or enjoying the sights and experiences each town and village has to offer. In Tournon, wine lovers will adore the beautifully historic Maison M. Chapoutier winery, renowned for its biodynamic wines and scenic outlook as the immaculate vines cascade down the rolling hills, while chocolate…

See & eat Contemporary by Angela Li 248 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, +85 2 3571 8200, cbal.com.hk Duddell’s Level 3, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell St, Central, + 85 2 2525 9191, duddells.co Galerie du Monde 11 Duddell St, Central, +85 2 2525 0529, galeriedumonde.com Hanart TZ Gallery Director Johnson Chang curated Sir David Tang’s China Club collection of first-wave artists after the Cultural Revolution, including wildly imagined portraits by Cynical Realists Yue Minjun and Fang Lijun. Almost 30 years later, he continues to represent some of China’s cutting-edge artists. 12 Pedder St, Central, +85 2 2526 9019, hanart.com HKWalls This non-profit organisation holds an annual street-art festival during Hong Kong’s art month each March, as well as year-round programming focusing on artists’ career development. hkwalls.org Karin Weber Gallery One…

Mosel river, Germany; Helen Anderson, travel editor The tiny, legendary Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard above the fairytale village of Bernkastel produces some of the finest riesling in the world, a highlight of a Crystal river cruise along the Mosel. @handersonglobal Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore; David Matthews, senior editor The hawker halls of Singapore provide new opportunities for exploration at every turn. When in doubt, follow the queues. @matthematical Mercado Central, Cádiz, Spain; Fiona Donnelly, Queensland editor Colourful displays of local fruit and vegetables, beautifully arranged stands of seafood. The central market in Cádiz is a total tonic. @fiona_donnelly…

When Sharon Salloum visited Syria as a child, she’d watch her grandmother make mukloubi: slow-cooked lamb layered with spiced rice and fried eggplant. Ghee-fried pine nuts and almonds were sprinkled on top as a final flourish. The chef at Sydney’s Almond Bar will draw on her culinary heritage at Cook For Syria, a fundraising dinner supporting UNICEF’s Syria Crisis Appeal, at Nomad restaurant on 12 August. The country’s eight-year war is personal for Salloum; her uncle fled to Germany after being kidnapped by Syrian rebels. She’s joined by an all-female line-up (pictured above) of chefs, waiters and sommeliers – Thi Le, Bridget Raffal and Nikki Friedli to name a few – and the drinks list features women-only brewers, too. cookforsyria.com/au Need to remove wine stains from a tablecloth? Or get…

FLAT BREAD DELIGHTS Kettle know a thing or two about keeping guests happy. Their new flat bread crackers are just the thing for an entertainer’s toolkit with three delicious options covering the spectrum of flavour. Team the Burnt Fig with equally sweet sensations such as watermelon, haloumi or honeycomb, and provide a savoury counterpoint to the toasted, oaty cracker goodness with prosciutto and pistachios. Kettle Flat Bread Crackers are also available in Chilli Jam and Sea Salt flavours. GRAZING PLATTER BRILLIANT BASE Start your platter with Kettle Burnt Fig Flat Bread Crackers. EXTRAS Watermelon Labne balls rolled in chilli flakes Honeycomb Pan-fried haloumi Roughly chopped pistachio nuts Mint Purple microcress or baby purple kale Proscuitto…

1 JASMINE DOWNY PEARLS Watching these leaves, meticulously hand-rolled into little marbles, unfurl in hot water has a soothing effect that’s amplified by the potent scent of jasmine in full bloom. The flavour? Unmistakably floral and upfront. The body? Soft and smooth. The finish? Bright and lingering. $21.50 for 50gm.theteacentre.com.au 2 GYOKURO One of Japan’s rarest and most highly sought-after teas, gyokuro is shade-grown for a few weeks before the harvest. The lustrous, dark green needle-like leaves are packed with chlorophyll as a result, yielding a pale lime-coloured brew brimming with vegetal, seaweedy complexity. $49 for 100gm. t2tea.com 3 GENMAICHA A few colourful myths surround its origins, but the likely truth is that genmaicha came about as a way to make a luxury product more affordable for the masses. The…

My wine and Chinese food-matching epiphany came during yum cha one bleary Sunday morning in Golden Century, the big, bustling institution of a restaurant in Sydney’s Chinatown. I think I might have been mildly hungover – but I’ve always maintained this is a prerequisite for fully enjoying the succession of crunchy, gelatinous, steamed and fried treats that make up a proper yum cha experience. Even though it’s a Cantonese tradition to drink tea with yum cha, Golden Century also boasts an enormous wine list, groaning with expensive Bordeaux and old Australian reds. Now, as much as I love claret and Coonawarra cabernet, I’ve never found either to be the best match for spring rolls or turnip cakes. And, being the poncy booze hack I am, I’d brought along a couple…

Braised pork ribs SERVES 4 This gorgeous recipe is from my friend, Janice Leung Hayes, one of the most authoritative food writers in Hong Kong. Ask the butcher to chop up meaty ribs for you. 2 tbsp light soy sauce, plus extra to taste 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar, plus extra to taste 1 tbsp vegetable oil 600 gm pork spare ribs, cut through the bone into bite-sized pieces 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine 80 gm (⅓ cup) rock sugar, crushed (see note), plus extra to taste Steamed rice, thinly sliced spring onions and dried chillies, to serve 1 Combine soy sauces and vinegar in a bowl. Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat, add oil and ribs, and fry, turning, until golden (2-3…

We started photographing Chinese restaurants on a roadtrip from Melbourne to Sydney in early 2016. There’s a mystique to these unchanged places. All the restaurants we’ve visited since have menus that feature the classic Chinese-Australian repertoire: spring rolls, sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken, honey prawns. Some, particularly in rural areas, still include “Australian meals” such as fish and chips, and retro classics like the prawn cocktail. Other hallmarks are vinyl chairs, standing fan or crown serviettes, wooden panelling and floral wallpaper. Often, lazy Susans sit proudly on banquet tables that have been set for countless special occasions. Many of the opulent restaurants built between the 1960s and mid-’80s take their cues from the Forbidden City, official Chinese buildings, and Chinese Gardens. Every design element has significance – such as…

CLAYOQUOT WILDERNESS RESORT, BC Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is a Relais & Châteaux all-inclusive eco-safari luxury resort located 40 minutes by boat from Tofino, Vancouver Island. MAPLE LEAF ADVENTURES, BC All BC expeditions depart from Masset on Haida Gwaii, which is serviced by Pacific Coastal Airlines departing from Vancouver and inland Air Charters departing from Prince Rupert. SEAL RIVER LODGE, MANITOBA Seal River Heritage Lodge is open from July to November. Packages include flights from Winnipeg to Churchill, air transfers to the lodge plus meals. TROUT POINT LODGE, NOVA SCOTIA The lodge is a 45-minute drive from the Yarmouth Ferry Terminal. The closest international airport is Halifax, around three hours’ drive north of the lodge.…

I have a confession. Since long before it was suggested that I write about Gilbert Lau, I have secretly admired, no, hero-worshipped him. Lau is considered by many as the father of Chinese food in Australia, and I’ve been in awe of his unerring knowledge of Chinese, and in particular Cantonese, food, since the early days at his Flower Drum restaurant. Lau was born in Taishan, a county in Guangdong, a province famous for producing some of China’s best chefs, and his career began in the kitchen of the now defunct Wing Sun restaurant on Melbourne’s Little Bourke Street. From there, he went on to open a restaurant called the Empress of China before selling his share to open Flower Drum in 1975, the trailblazing Cantonese restaurant in Melbourne’s Chinatown.…

AGHA Retail buyers and trade members can source the latest fashion, gift, interior and homeware collections at the AGHA Melbourne Gift Fair from 3-7 August. Entry is free for trade members. melbournegift.com.au Vittoria Coffee has launched its 2019 Vittoria Fashion Series featuring 12 limited-edition ceramic cups with designs from leading Australia designers including Dion Lee, Nobody Denim and Venroy. $59.95, vittoriacoffee.com Holland America Line In partnership with Food & Wine, Holland America Line has crafted exceptional excursions that combine food and culture with entertaining and unique experiences. hollandamerica.com Kettle The Flat Bread Crackers range from Kettle is made with natural ingredients, with a selection that includes sea salt, chilli jam and burnt fig. They’re perfect for a delicious snack.snackbrands.com.au/kettle-flat-bread-crackers Green & Black’s will host a pop-up Conscious Café from 12-15…

“A revolution is not a dinner party,” declared Chairman Mao Zedong, forecasting the famine, violence and destruction that his Great Leap Forward unleashed upon China for almost 20 years, until his death in 1976. The first private restaurant opened in Beijing in 1980, and since then the city’s obsession with food has triggered a delicious counter-revolution. In the decade I’ve been living in the Jing, the city’s food scene has changed beyond recognition as the appetite for new ideas, new flavours and cool design grows. The appetite for provincial Chinese cuisines, too, is growing in this city of 21 million, with the distinctive tastes of China’s 34 provinces represented in eateries run privately and by provincial governments. No other Chinese city offers this diversity. Beijingers have an eye for a…

SEE Jinsha Site Museum Chengdu’s biggest draw may be the panda research base, but just as fascinating is this archaeological site uncovered in 2001, exposing the 3000-year-old foundations of buildings dating back to Sichuan’s origins in the Shu kingdom. The trove of gold, jade and ivory objects unearthed and on display is remarkable. 2 Jinsha Yizhi Rd, Jin Sha Shang Quan, Qingyang Qu, jinshasitemuseum.com DRINK Sichuan teahouses There’s no better way to appreciate Chengdu’s laid-back character than in its teahouses. The best are located in parks such as People’s Park and Culture Park, where the Heming Teahouse features Sichuan operatic shows. The teahouse in the Wangjiang Pavilion Park is perfect for an afternoon of tea sipping, and Wenshu Monastery has a teahouse and adjacent vegetarian Buddhist restaurant. gochengdu.cn EAT Kuanzhai…

Custard buns MAKES ABOUT 20 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 1 HR 15 MINS (PLUS CHILLING, PROVING) This recipe is for steamed buns, but another option is to fry them. Follow the steps, then deep-fry in vegetable oil for 1½ minutes until golden, roll in cinnamon and sugar, and serve. Spice Temple, 10 Bligh St, Sydney, NSW, (02) 8099 7088 125 gm butter, melted 125 gm caster sugar 50 gm wheat starch (see note) 50 gm custard powder 1 egg 2 salted duck egg yolks (see note) 200 ml coconut milk BUN DOUGH 500 gm (31/3 cups) Hong Kong flour (see note), sifted, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp caster sugar 1 tsp dried yeast, dissolved in 300ml tepid water 1 To make filling, combine ingredients and 150ml…

You started your career by training with a master dumpling chef. What was that like? Thirty years ago, it was incredibly tough for a woman in this industry, especially for someone petite like me. I had to constantly prove myself through my skills and my willingness to do any role. You were expected to be able to do anything the men could do. This included moving incredibly heavy sacks of rice, boxes of produce and working the woks, which physically is one of the tougher jobs in the kitchen. Skills-wise, learning to perfect the shape of each dumpling at the speed needed to produce enough for service is always challenging. You’ve been working at Bodhi for more than 16 years. Do you remember any dishes from its first vegan yum…

MELBOURNE At Bar Margaux, there’s a $99 “Beggar’s Banquet” that includes Champagne, oysters, steak tartare and frites. It’s a tongue-in-cheek misnomer that hints at the bistro’s playful approach. Margaux’s founders are the team behind Heartbreaker and The Everleigh, so expect late, curfew-busting fun. Bar Margaux is open until 5am on weekends and the menu by Daniel Southern (L’Oustal, Vue de Monde ) lists dishes that can be ordered after midnight, such as onion soup, snails with Pernod butter and the MGX burger. Desserts (chocolate mousse, soufflé of the day) appear in the Should I Stay or Should I Gaux? section. And there’s Krug Grande Cuvée for those wanting to Gaux Big. Good news for fans of Pope Joan: the pop-up is now a permanent resident of the CBD. So Matt…

Your dad ran a restaurant called Thai Breakers when you were growing up. Was Thai food a big part of your diet? That came in the teen years. He’s Cantonese-Chinese and he had Cantonese-Chinese restaurants when we were kids. His Thai restaurant was my first introduction to the cuisine. His staff were Thai; they were such great cooks, so I felt really spoilt for other Thai food I’d eat later on. When you were starting out as a writer, was there a budget meal you ate when money was tight? A good brand of instant ramen with fresh greens. I think that’s legitimately a good meal. That’s what I ate then and it’s what I eat now. How did you celebrate your first book deal for your memoir The Family…

Red cooking, or hong shao, is a common style of braising originally from the Shanghai region, but now used throughout most of China. The red-cooking technique involves cooking ingredients – pork and other meats, chicken, tofu, eggs and vegetables – in light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and spices, such as star anise and Sichuan peppercorns, resulting in a red-brown colour and a unique rich, caramelised flavour. Adjust the soy and sugar for the particular finish you’re after: salty or sweet, light or sticky. There are two main methods: blanching the main ingredient then slowly braising it in the sauce, or browning in oil and the sauce then simmering in water until very tender. Step by step 1 Cut 1kg boneless pork belly into 5cm-6cm cubes. 2 Bring…

CELLARWORTHY 2015 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauillac, $130 Auction house and wine retailer Langton’s has boosted its Bordeaux offer, bringing in excellent clarets such as this: balanced, ripe but elegant, and cellarworthy. langtons.com.au VICTORIAN WHITE 2018 Lyons Will Estate Riesling, Macedon Ranges, $35 Brief skin-contact, wild ferment in old oak and lees-contact all add richness and depth to this scintillating riesling. Excellent addition to the Macedon Ranges scene. lyonswillestate.com.au PURPLE POWER 2018 Wangolina Lagrein, Limestone Coast, $28 Winemaker Anita Goode is doing some great things with non-mainstream grape varieties down on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, including making this deep, saturated, bold and slurpy purple wine from lagrein. wangolina.com.au PURE GOLD 2017 Tony Bish Golden Egg Chardonnay, Hawkes Bay, $60 Of Tony Bish’s very impressive range of 2017 chardonnays, this one, fermented…

Turning onto Coronation Avenue in Pottsville there’s a painted strip on the asphalt saying this is a Koala Zone. Neighbourhood Watch signs line the streets. On the main strip, there’s a couple of bottle shops, a pizza place, an IGA, and this, Pipit, a restaurant built from scratch by a couple with a new baby. Outside, the streets are empty, but inside, it’s pumping. Like Fleet in Brunswick Heads, or Doma in Federal, the appearance of a good new restaurant in this town of 6000, about 30 minutes’ drive north of Byron, is big news in these parts. The locals know Ben Devlin, for one. A Byron boy, the chef cooked at Esquire in Brisbane, Noma in Copenhagen and most recently, Paper Daisy at breezy Halcyon House, where he oversaw…

Sichuan cuisine has become the new champion of Chinese food abroad. While once the lighter flavours of Cantonese cooking held sway in global Chinatowns, this spicy upstart has conquered hearts and palates not only in great cities like Melbourne, London and New York, but all over the world. Classic Sichuan dishes like ma po tofu and dan dan noodles are no longer toned down for Cantonese or Western palates, but served up in all their fiery, lip-tingling glory. The rapidity of this Sichuanese takeover has been astonishing. When I applied for a scholarship to study in China in the mid-1990s, I was strongly influenced by Sichuan’s gastronomic reputation, but knew almost nothing about the region’s cuisine. At that time, there were no genuine Sichuan restaurants in London, and while the…

Simple pork dumplings with black vinegar and ginger MAKES ABOUT 40 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 15 MINS Dumplings can be shaped in many ways. For these quick-fire pork dumplings we’ve riffed on a tortellini shape for fun. A combination of ginger, soy and black vinegar is as a dipping sauce goes with most dumplings, but red vinegar works very well, too. 500 gm minced pork 2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked in water for 5 minutes, drained and finely chopped 3 spring onions, white part finely chopped, green part cut into julienne, to serve 20 gm piece ginger (about 4cm), finely chopped 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine 1 garlic clove, crushed 40 square wonton skins (Shanghai wrappers; see note) Amaranth leaves (optional), to serve GINGER DIPPING SAUCE 20 gm…

Angela Li has impeccable taste in dumplings. We’re waiting for our mutual friend Tony Tan, author of Hong Kong Food City and GT contributor, who is running late for lunch at Duddell’s, the clubby Cantonese dining room and art venue in Hong Kong’s Central district. The elegant gallerist surveys the dim sum menu. “I rarely come over this way for lunch – it’s too far from Sheung Wan,” she says. “Let’s order the rice rolls to start.” By the time Tan arrives, the table is splashed with soy and the barest morsels remain untouched, so he orders more. Barbecued Ibérico pork buns, abalone puffs, steamed beef balls. Li shows me her technique for eating soup dumplings without a tongue-scalding: pinch the opening with chopsticks, slurp some of the broth, then…

Begin your China immersion in Beijing, where you’ll explore the city’s most important attractions including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and a little further afield the remarkable Great Wall. Pedal through the hutongs by pedicab and savour some of China’s most seductive cuisine before a luxury three-night cruise through the Three Gorges reveals the Yangtze at its most impressive. Visit the Shanghai Museum on a private tour with its curator and delight in traditional wonders and historical sites on this in-depth trip of a lifetime, for which dynamic Shanghai provides the perfect finish. Optional pre- and post-tour extensions on this and other Abercrombie & Kent small group journeys in China include three- and four-day experiences in Beijing & The Summer Palace, Hong Kong, and the magical…

Acne Studios (02) 9360 0294, acnestudios.com Batch Ceramics batchceramics.com.au The Bay Tree (02) 9328 1101, thebaytree.com.au Bridget Bodenham bridgetbodenham.com Byrnt Ceramics byrntceramics.com Ceramic Studio En 0423 393 726, ceramicstudioen.com Chanel 1300 242 635, chanel.com Chef vs Clay 0405 158 264 Chloé chloe.com Claypool claypool.com.au The DEA Store (02) 9698 8150, thedeastore.com Dior (02) 9295 9022, dior.com Earp Bros (02) 9410 3222, earp.com.au Elph store (02) 9332 2689, elphstore.com The Essential Ingredient theessentialingredient.com.au Etsy etsy.com Hale Mercantile Co (03) 9939 1267, halemercantileco.com Heart in Ceramics 0403 210 302 Long Courrier longcourrier.com.au Matches Fashion matchesfashion.com Net-a-Porter net-a-porter.com Riedel (02) 9966 0033, riedelglass.com.au Spring Court springcourt.com.au Teranova (02) 9958 3344, teranova.com.au Utopia Art utopiaartsydney.com.au Young Vessels and Objects 0402 971 999 This issue of Gourmet Traveller is published by Bauer Media Pty Ltd (Bauer). Bauer may use and disclose your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, including to provide you with your requested products or…