Imagine all of Melbourne's best produce and best restaurants with their chefs under one roof. That's the Taste of Melbourne. When I heard of the event, I knew I had to go. This event comes once a year and started a few years back. The review last year was almost terrible but I only found that out after I bought the ticket. Still, I want to give it a shot. Nothing to lose now anyway. When I arrived at the Royal Exhibition Building, there was already a queue of people waiting for the doors to open. After some guards checked our tickets and some ushers handed us the Menu Cards, I thought that 30 crowns won't be enough. There were 13 restuarants offering 3 dishes each, along with extensive selections of wine and fine foods. I bought an additional 10 crowns just in case. Then, it began to rain. Good thing, they noticed and they let us in a good 10minutes earlier. I have two goals in mind: to use (and maximize) up all my crowns and sample as many bites as I can.
I walked around the exhibit grounds from end to end first, then opted for a glass of wine to start. I sampled a small amount of Pinot Noir from Hollick's Wine (2 crowns), which was not too robust but fresh enough to start with. Next, I went to Fifteen and had their Giorgio’s “Fior di buratta” (8 crowns). The description: A fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream, with salami and Fifteen’s olive oil. I looked for a place to sit, eat and take some pictures. The Fior di buratta was sumptuous. It was both light and rich. The light milky taste came from the firm outside of the mozzarella and the creamy texture from the oozing cheese inside. Delicious. Paired with a few slices of salami, pepper and olive oil, it was definitely a great start.
I looked intently at the menu card, pondering on what I should try next. I decided to walk around and sample some more wines, liquers and beers. I walked to Baddaginnie Run and tried their Rose. It was, to my limited experience with wine, the best and freshest I had. The lovely lady from the booth was also nice enough to tell me more about their other wines and the texture and flavor of the Rose. I ended up buying a bottle back. Next, I sampled Pama's Pomegranate Liquer. It was pretty much what it is, pomegranate with alcohol. Still walking, I stopped by Red Hill to sample their beer. I tried their Golden Ale and was surprised with how good it tasted. There was no bitter aftertaste and was totally smooth with a warm end. The beer was light enough and made me want to have it with chicken or fish and chips.
My next stop was Rutherglen Estates. I favor white wines over reds and two different varieties caught my eye: Arneis and Viognier. Apparently, Arneis is like the French Sauv Blanc while Viognier like the Chardonnay. It was light, crisp and clean, and I can taste some pears in that. I also bought a bottle of this home. Holding my wine sample, I went over to Nobu. I was really struggling as to whether I should try the Black Cod with Miso or the Pork Belly with Spicy Miso (12 crowns). I chose the latter since I've pretty much calculated how much I should be spending. The Pork Belly for me was a bit of a let down because it was too simple. There was nothing special about it except maybe for the spicy miso. The pork belly, though soft and tender, was a bit average and lacked that wow factor.
Moving along, I sampled some more wines from Bobbie Burns (Classic Shiraz). It tasted a bit strong and pungent with a taste of blackberries. After that wine, I think that I've had enough, so I walked over to The Courthouse to have their Mauritian tamarind cured kingfish and scallops with green chilli, curry leaf and ocean trout pearls (8 crowns). The scallops and kingfish were fresh and briny without being fishy. It was almost sweet and the fresh chillis added just the right amount of kick to keep me awake.
Now, I was eyeing the brightly lit Chandon stand. Why not have one? I realized that one glass costs 12 crowns! But, I probably won't drink Chandon every day, so I decided to add more crowns. I had the Chandon Brut Rose Sparkling and it was fantastic. It made me feel...classier. The color of the sparkling was hynotizingly sweet and the taste was light and sweet.
With that note, I went over to Maha Grill for some dessert. When I arrived at their stall, they have this massive queue! Apparently, they combined the queue for Maha Grill, the Press Club and Hellenic Republic. But, their crew was experienced and the kitchen worked double time. Less than 2 minutes, my Turkish delight filled doughnuts, with pine nut sugar and rosewater honey (8 crowns). The donuts were crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, the Turkish delight was gooey and melting. The honey and rosewater tied the dessert up altogether. It's a must try for everyone who loves dessert.
Lastly, I went to The Botanical for my last dessert. Pave of Valrhona chocolate with burnt orange cream & candied cumquat (8 crowns). This dish was just simple, delicate yet rich and the cumquat was a good combination in place of candied orange. The Valrhona chocolate was smooth and slightly bitter. There was a thin layer of chocolate cake underneath the chocolate mousse. Excellent.
However, I managed to bring home some more treats. I bought three fruit pastes from Maggie Beer, a bottle of Lemon infused olive oil and caramelized balsamic vinegar from Pukara Estates, and a tangy whole mustard Honey Mustard from Tasmanian Sauce Company.
There were a few raves that I've heard from some random people that I wasn't able to try. Fifteen's Slow roasted ‘Berkshire’ pork belly. “In the style of porchetta” with lentil du puy, and salsa verde and The CourtHouse's Confit duck baked in puff pastry.smoked tomato fondue.
Overall, it was a fantastic evening of fine food and wine. It is certainly a dream come true to have all that great restaurants under one roof and you can sample their signature dishes without breaking the bank. The problem is, my stomach can only take that much. 
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