Dissident Chef wrote:Where are you Tomato? Are you flying the flag yet?
DC
He means: I am running an underground restaurant?
Regulars will remember last winter and spring the hype over an alleged Melbourne underground restaurant. While a software updated meant the content of the post was lost, the short of it is that Zingara Cucina was somewhere between a hoax and an an experiment in viral marketing.
For a moment I was sucked in as was The Age and The Australian magazine.
I think what’s evolved instead is something far more democratic. It’s not underground. it’s exposed on this blog for all to see.
For want on a better name, we called the first meet the Bloggers’ Banquet. There’s now been version 2.0 and most recently 2.1 – 13 of us took over Jamon Sushi in South Yarra for a night to explore the melt in the mouth delights of wagyu.
Jamon is one of the few places in Melbourne where you can eat and learn a few things too.
I’ve written about one of these wagyu meals before you can also check out Cin’s amazing pics and posts from Neil, Elliot, Thahn, and Claire.
What next?
There was talk with Mellie from Tummy Rumbles of trying to book out the whole of Tempura Hajime. And I suggested to Sticky (who didn’t make the wagyu night) that we gor for some authentic Chinese and that she orders off menu.
Also, there may be a few thing coming up for restaurant launches too.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Are you saying Zingara was a hoax? This person who posted to the C&Z forums had me convinced me it was real.
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2279&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
Barbara, absolutely. I also interviewed the guy who claimed to run it and it was all rubbish – that story was on the front page of The Age. There were several messages left on various forums and regretably I was sucked in too. Subsequently nobody has been there and nobody in the food business knows of Zingara and we are talking across waiters and food suppliers and so on.
Wow, intewresting. The person that posted their experience to C&Z was obviously part of the hoax,
Tempura Hajime? Yes please!
I have already inquired about booking the whole room for Tempura Hajime. The most they will do is 6 at a time, an hour apart because there is only one chef and he can’t keep up with the work, and doesn’t want the experience to be tainted for any of the customers.
Fair enough, I’d think.
i am so sad i missed the wagyu night. though i was in spain so it kinda makes up for it ;P
The wagyu night was fantastic. Thanks for organising it Ed.
Booking out the whole of Tempura Hajime sounds like a great idea, but like Jess said, I doubt the owner will do it as he wants to keep quality control over his food.
Yes I regretted missing the wagyu night, but at the time I was burning the candle at both ends. Hoping to be able to organise the Chinese banquet soon, but stay tuned, have just got back from a holiday and am sussing out the end of financial year bedlam.
Another suggestion, instead of Tempura Hajime, why don’t we get together to be guinea pigs for Ben Shewry’s Chef’s Table at Attica instead?
That’s another great idea Sticky. I’ve been meaning to try out Attica’s Tuesday experimentation menu. This sounds like the perfect time to try it out.
Damn it! Just spoke with Tempura Hajime, and as Jess said, they won’t do 12 at one time
But I have heard of another place that might be worth trying – a rogue sashimi restaurant operating out of a home garage!
Will investigate and post something soon.