Southgate Welcome Winter Feast by Ruby Grapefruit

It was an absolute pleasure to attend the Southgate Welcome Winter Feast to sample the new winter offerings at a range of venues in the Southgate complex.

We started off with a lovely glass of champagne at a new event space called Metropolis Events. We were very impressed with the clever layout which incorporated expansive spaces, high ceilings, cosy break out zones, and balconies with stunning views.


Located on the north eastern corner of Southgate the venue has incredible views of the Yarra river, Flinders St Station, Federation Square, Princess Bridge and the Melbourne CBD skyline. It would be a very luxe venue for a wedding, conference or corporate event.


We then moved on to entrees at ENA Greek Street Food starting with a watermelon granita with ouzo and aniseed seeds which was a refreshing way to begin a very tasty and expansive selection of small dishes.


Avgolemono


Pickled octopus salad


Zucchini fritters

Other dishes included lemon and rice soup (Avgolemono); a salad of pickled octopus with roasted potatoes, olives and greens; zucchini fritters with Napoli sauce; lamb gyros with tzakziki dip; roasted beetroot batons and poached figs wrapped in prosciutto; and salted cod fritters served with garlic and potato quenelles (Skordalia) and beetroot dip.


Lamb gyros


Roasted beetroot and fig


Salted cod fritters

Our favourite dishes were the salad with the beautifully tender octopus and the beetroot and fig wrapped in prosciutto which had that perfect combination of sweet and salty flavours. I would definitely make a return visit to ENA Greet Street Food because it offers both traditional Greek cuisine as well as dishes that have been given a modern tweak.

Our main course stop was at Pure South Dining’s new ground level casual eatery called P.S. Bar + Kitchen. Pure South’s ethos is to source quality produce from artisan farmers, fishermen and producers from King Island, Flinders Island and Tasmania.


We started off with a demonstration from executive chef David Hall on how to make the cured kingfish with teriyaki dressing. The demonstration was an indication of the care taken to use the best ingredients available. Our group then sat down to a selection of tasty dishes with some lovely beers and wines. The first dish was the kingfish dish that was just demonstrated to us. Holy moly what a spectacular tasting dish! The kingfish was fresh and was perfectly complemented by the terikayi dressing. The kingfish was beautifully presented before it was demolished by all the dining guests.


The next dish was the ham hock croquettes which were very moreish.


Next up was another highlight – chargrilled octopus with chorizo and pesto. The octopus was beautifully tender and charred, the chorizo was spicy, and the pesto was perfectly herby rather than cheesy.


My dining companion Hal O’Peno loved the sticky glazed beef short rib served with coconut rice and crispy wontons. The meat was fall off the bone tender and was paired beautifully with a shallot emulsion.


Next up was a serving of deep fried chicken morsels with a chilli dipping sauce. These were great and being a fried chicken tragic I would have normally demolished them but by then I was absolutely stuffed to the gills. Pure South we will definitely be back!

Our next stop was Tutto Bene for dessert. We were offered either the tiramisu or the lemon tart with tea or coffee.


The tiramisu was beautifully presented and was surprisingly light and not too sweet as some versions can be.


The lemon tart had fluffy pastry filled with lemon custard and topped with meringue, and served with dollops of tangy lemon curd. Again we were surprised that the dish was light and not too sweet. Neglectfully it has been too long since I last dined at Tutto Bene and will definitely be back based on the two amazing desserts we sampled.

Our next and final stop (hoorah) was at Waterslide Bar for a cocktail selected from their new winter cocktail menu.


I had the Daddy’s Girl which is a martini with guava syrup, Grey Goose vodka, citrus and cranberry. I’m a big fan of cocktails with citrus flavours so this was right up my alley.


Hal O’Peno is a whiskey drinker so he had to have The Baller which had Hennessy VSOP cognac, Cynar (Italian bitter liqueur) and Bruichladdich Octomore whiskey. He loved the strong peat of the Octomore whiskey. This bar is a hidden treasure. It has an amazing drinks menu and fabulous spaces inside and out. We will definitely be back for the incredible balcony views and the daily drinks specials.

Verdict

We loved it.

Mid value.

Overall

This was my first ever progressive style dinner and boy it was good. The Southgate precinct has great venues for eating and drinking and it was a revelation to have discovered some new places and to re-discover others. We will definitely be back for return visits.

The Eat and Be Merry Crew were guests of Southgate.

Find it at

Metropolis Events
Level 4, Southgate Melbourne
3 Southgate Ave
Southbank VIC 3006
Phone: 8537 7300

ENA Greek Street Food
Shop 4-9, Southgate Melbourne
Southbank VIC 3006
Phone: 9690 6205

P.S. Bar + Kitchen
River Level, Southgate Melbourne
GR2/3 Southgate Ave
Southbank VIC 3006
Phone: 9699 4600

Tutto Bene
Mid Level, Southgate Melbourne
Southbank Vic 3006
Phone: 9696 3334

Waterslide Bar
Shop MR3 Mid Level East End
Southgate Melbourne
Southbank VIC 3006
Phone: 0425 757 400