Our Chinese New Year feature recipe from Spice Temple - Rockpool’s January 2010 Newsletter

I’m in love with Electrolux S90!

Arriving in to Milano airport on Saturday, a dark 7 degree morning, I was excited about going to the International Exhibition of the Hospitality Industry (HOST) in Pordenone. It took about two hours to get there after dropping my bags at the hotel, but boy it was like walking into the world’s biggest toy store for Chefs.

I was in Electrolux heaven. The large S90 Swiss finish cooking units are so beautiful I could just hug them. They have two built to show how versatile they are. You can literally get any configuration you like as they are all made to order. After a day looking at all that Europe has to offer I find myself heading back to the stand and giving the shiny stainless bench a little rub. The new air speed combi with micro wave technology looks pretty amazing as do the new Panini grills, lots of news coming out of the stand and I know that they will be leading the way with new products. I do love my induction woks we have at Spice Temple back in Sydney.  

I was dreaming of having one dropped into the kitchen at Rockpool, George Street. Well a guy is allowed to dream isn’t he?  One day I promise Phil, we will be doing a new kitchen and an Electrolux S90 will be at the centre. With fryers, pasta cooker, grill and lots of induction all built in, super fast cooking and the most simple clean down as well as the most beautiful centre piece for any kitchen.

Two weeks ago we were lucky enough at Spice Temple to cook for Fuchsia Dunlop and Yu Bo, the great chef from Yu Family Kitchen in Sichuan.

I was also lucky enough to see his master class at the Sydney Food Festival, it was so insightful and exciting. He enjoyed his lunch and then gave us a master class in the Spice Temple kitchen. What a generous and wonderful man.

We were so fortunate to have so many other great chefs from around the world at that lunch that day and subsequent demo. Again chefs sharing and enjoying. God I love this job.  

As part of the Sydney Morning Herald Sydney International Food Festival (SIFF) the World Chef Showcase is coming to town, and to dinner, from 9-11 October.  Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

It will be the biggest meeting of top-drawer chefs Sydney has ever seen and you can catch Neil cooking with Rainer Becker of Zuma London/Hong Kong/Istanbul & Dubai fame.

Rainer is well renowned for his hip, Japan-inspired resturants and he’ll be presented classic Zuma dishes – past, present and future alongside our very own Neil Perry – master of the Spice Temple, Rockpool and Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney & Melbourne empire.

Spice Temple menu change is in full swing from today. Some really delish dishes. Love it when a plan comes together!

We are stir frying Mark Eather’s scallops with  cat’s ears noodles and hot bean paste. Sweet and sour pork ribs are a great chew off the bone.  The hot and numbing dry Wagyu is chewy, silky and succulent as well as hot and numbing all at the same time – its destined to be a classic here as it is in Sichuan – only they don’t use David Blackmore’s full blood Wagyu to make it.

Flounder with black beans and salted chilli, spicy, soft and sexy – a real treat, the flesh so juicy by the bone.

Egg noodles tossed with a dressing of dried chillies and black vinegar, great crunch to the noodles, lots of peanuts, really hot and impossible to stop eating.

Hot and fragrant prawns. Yes, eat the whoel prawn, crunch away at shell for a yummy Hunan style dish that rocks.

A great morning’s work!  Now it’s off to Rockpool to finish playing around in the kitchen with Phil, working on the new salt crusted lamb dish, this is really starting to look good.

All up a great week of menu changes in the restaurants.  Don’t forget to swing by and see us, and be the first to taste the amazing new dishes.

~ Neil

Media Release

The Rockpool Group’s four restaurants win
Wine Spectator awards

3 August 2009: Rockpool, Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney and Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne were three of 727 restaurants worldwide and only nine in Australia to receive a “Best of Award of Excellence” in Wine Spectator’s recently announced 2009 Restaurant Awards.

Spice Temple also achieved an “Award of Excellence” for its interesting and exciting selection of exactly 100 Australian and imported wines.

A “Best of Award of Excellence” is granted to restaurants that clearly offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.  Their wine lists also display vintage depth, with vertical offerings of several top producers from major regions, or excellent breadth over several winegrowing regions.  They also typically offer 400 or more selections, along with superior presentation.

An “Award of Excellence” is Wine Spectator’s entry-level award, for lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.

Directors Neil Perry, Trish Richards and David Doyle were thrilled with these four prestigious awards and commended Sommeliers Paul Gardner (Rockpool), Sophie Otton (Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney), Christian Denier (Spice Temple) and David Lawler (Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne) for their outstanding expertise and experience in wine list management.

“We have some of the country’s best Sommeliers and these awards are testament to their exceptional knowledge and dedication,” says Neil.

Rockpool and Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne have received numerous awards for their contribution to Australia’s dining scene and are recognised as two of the country’s premier restaurants, and since Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney and Spice Temple opened their doors early in 2009, they have established a solid reputation for their unique design, superb food offering and extraordinary wine lists.

With Neil Perry and Trish Richards’ focus on quality food, service and ambience as well as David Doyle’s passion for wine, the Rockpool Group of restaurants have become true wine destinations and world class dining experiences.

For further information and media inquiries:

Contact Michelle Campbell, Minc Communications

T 0410 614 433, E michelle@minccom.com.au

Wine, Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney

Bar-style dining at Rockpool, Spice Temple and Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney

With what we consider to be close to perfect locations…3 restaurants wedged nicely between and within a hop, skip and pirouette of  The Sydney Opera House, The City Recital Hall at Angel Place, The Sydney Theatre Royal, State Theatre and of course The Sydney Theatre Company at Walsh Bay…could there be better options for enjoying a quick pre-theatre bite to eat (or a slightly elongated post theatre meander) than The Oyster Bar at Rockpool, the increasingly popular bar at Rockpool Bar &  Grill Sydney, or our elegant and sexy dungeon of a bar at Spice Temple?  All three venues offer quick bar bites – from the new Lobster Roll and Fish Tagine at The Rocks; the Wagyu Burger or a selection of small plates at Bar & Grill; or lamb and fennel seed dumplings and spicy pork and fermented chilli with noodles at Spice Temple. 

All venues are open til late, with the bar at Bar & Grill trading non stop throughout the day.

The Oyster Bar Menu at Rockpool, The Rocks, Sydney.

The Bar Menu at Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney – 66 Hunter Street.

Spice Temple Bar Menu - 10 Bligh Street, Sydney.

Neil Perry’s dining-out gamble is a winner, with the best of east and west under one roof, writes Guy Griffin.

Neil Perry is a poster boy for Sydney optimists.  Just as we’re getting our dose of Old Testament punishment, he shows us the promised land: a place called Rockpool Bar & Grill (RBG).  This is how the milk and honey will taste after we’ve swallowed our gruel.  Built into the grand chamber of the heritage CML building on Hunter Street, the soaring dining space is like a set straight from The Dark Knight.  And the menu and the wine list are just as spectacular.

TO READ THE FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE AND HEAD TO OUR REVIEWS AND AWARDS PAGE.

The art deco beauty of Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney

Eben Freeman and Linden Pride

This year our very own Linden Pride attended the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore as a Special Guest at the Cocktail Allstars Events.  Linden is resident master mixologist at Spice Temple and Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney, and the creative force behind the fabulous cocktails on offer at each of the restaurants bars.

The World Gourmet Summit is a gastronomic festival held in Singapore every April.  The event aims to showcase culinary excellence from around the globe, whilst exposing it to the Singaporean and Asian food scenes.  The Summit encompasses events, celebrity dinners and master classes.  Past participants have included Anne-Sophie Pic, Cheong Liew, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Tetsuya Wakuda.

In 2009, for the first time, WGS incorporated a cocktail program into the event.  The Cocktail All Stars event was conceptualized to capitalize on the excitement and glitz behind modern bartending with industry leaders from the three leading cocktail cities of the moment; New York, London and Sydney. The InterContinental hosted the 5 events of the week, all of which were successfully sold out!

It was a great week and an exciting step toward greater recognition throughout Asia of the momentum behind cocktails.

The Cocktail Allstars Event Summary:

OLD WORLD COCKTAIL GLAMOUR
An historical journey through pre-prohibition cocktails from the 1880’s -1930’s.

GIRL’S NIGHT OUT
Focusing on innovative techniques, sensuous textures, artisanal vodka and white rum-based drinks, and the flavours of the tropics and Mediterranean – all presented with a feminine touch.  Highlights include vodka lollipops; seasonal martini jellies; dessert tipples like rum and raisin; and a selection of riffs on the Parisian classic, The White Lady.

ITALIANO
Italian inspired aperitif cocktails prior to the David Rocco dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the  InterContinental Hotel.

GENTLEMAN’S LOUNGE
Dark spirits and refined tastes that include Tobacco & Cherry Old Fashioned, Smoked Coke and Bourbon.

THE ORIGINAL JET-SET
With inspiration taken from the ‘Latin Riviera’ and beach-side hot spots like Havana, Rio de Janeiro and Punta del Este, this event is focused on the flavours and music that harkens back to the golden age of jet travel.

Julian Serner and Linden Pride

A recipe straight from the Spice Temple menu, also featuring in our March 2009 newsletter.

Shredded Lamb with Salted Chilli at Spice Temple

SHREDDED LAMB WITH SALTED CHILLIES
Serves 4 as part of a shared banquet.

Master Stock:
650ml Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing)
225g rock sugar
315ml light soy sauce
3 litres water
50g ginger, chopped
15g garlic, sliced
15g green shallots, chopped

Bring all ingredients to the boil.

Lamb:
Trim the lamb shoulder of excess fat and place into the boiling master stock.  Braise the lamb until it is very tender, remove the pot from the heat and allow the lamb to cool in the stock.  Remove the lamb when cool and shred roughly with your fingers.

Shredded Lamb with Salted Chillies:
10g salted red chillies
30ml peanut oil
5ml sesame oil
30ml chicken stock
10ml light soy sauce
5g white sugar
5ml rice wine vinegar
3 green shallots, sliced into rounds

Place 100g of shredded lamb onto a plate and mix all other ingredients together.  Pour this mixture over the lamb and serve.