Omnivorious Party, Sydney 2014

Gourmantic is an official media partner of Omnivore Wold Tour Sydney 2014.

At the Omnivorious Party, the terrace of the Australian Maritime Museum was a veritable smorgasbord of “bouchées”, little bites or morsels of food prepared by local and international visiting chefs that embody “jeune cuisine”.

Photography © by Kevin Burke for Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.

Ticket holders to the event were entitled to 8 bouchées out of 12 available dishes and 1 drink, be it champagne or Polugar Vodka from Poland with unusual flavours such as Garlic and Pepper, Honey and Allspice and Caraway along with the standard Rye and Wheat. Eau de Pomme cocktail was a refreshing mix of Stoli Vodka with Apple Manzana, apple juice, mint, ginger, lime and topped with Badoit mineral water.

Tartare was a common food menu item with four chefs presenting their own version. Jordan Toft’s (Coogee Pavilion) Wallaby and Scallop Tartare with Dried Flathead Roe was an acquired taste that left a few divided. Julien Burlat and Julien Bobichon’s (Dome, Anvers, Belgium and New Zealand) offered Beef Tartare with Raspberries and Crispy Sour Dough – an unusual mix of sweet and fruity flavours with the savoury meat. Hamish Ingham’s (Bar H) offered a sensational and well-seasoned Wagyu Beef Tartare with Umeboshi plum, Sea Banana and Squid Cracker and Josh Niland’s (Fish Face) Yellowfin Tuna Tartare on a Nasturtium Leaf was an elegant canapé, delivering a hit of spice from the Nasturtium Leaf with very bite.

Food in buns was also popular with Patrick Friesen’s (Papi Chulo) Smoked Beef Brisket Rolls and Jordan Toft’s Porchetta with Aged Fish Sauce Aglio and Olio on Cici’s Bread which unfortunately had run early in the night.

Nathan Sasi’s (Nomad) House Made Kransky with Buttermilk Buns, Fermented Cabbages and Shavings of Gruyere was a flavour bomb with each bite of the sausage dripping with its own juice and fat, melting in the mouth. Delicious.

Pierre Sang-Boyer’s (Pierre Sang in Oberkampf, Paris) Tuna Confit with Crispy Andouille and Béarnaise Sauce made a third appearance at Omnivore Sydney, the first being at the Omnivore Masterclass followed by the pop-up dinner the night before. Pierre Sang also offered complimentary sample of his oyster dish from the masterclass.

Mike Eggert and Jemma Whiteman’s had tasty morsels of Potato, Lap Cheong and Jalapeno which invited two or maybe three encores while Carla Jones and Paul Farag’s (4Fourteen & Four in Hand) Seared Bonito with Pickled Wakame and Citrus curd made a tasty and light option.

Gita Seaton’s (Nouveau Palais, Montreal) Frito Pie was in essence a type of nacho in a cup with refried beans, avocado, lime and coriander which you mash with a fork and eat.

The sweet bouchée by Pasi Petanen (Café Paci) was a whimsical and irresistible Corn and Butter, with brown sugar fairy floss shaped into a ball and covered with sprinklings of buttered popcorn.

No party is complete without bubbles in the glass and a bubble machine at the media wall and a DJ spinning dance tunes with Darling Harbour as a back drop.

And with the Omnivorious Party coming to an end, it was time to bid au revoir to Omnivore Sydney, or as we say, à la prochaine.

Other Omnivore Sydney 2014 articles:

• Omnivore Sydney Masterclasses
• Omnivore Pop-Up Dinner with Hamish Ingham & Pierre Sang

The Omnivorious Party was held on Saturday 4 October 2014.