When Emily invited me to try out a private dinner hosted by Chef Kevin Lin, I knew I couldn’t say no. To book your own amazing dinner contact Kevin on Instagram!
What I ate: Chilled Green Tea Soba Noodles, sesame-yuzu dressing, spot prawns, ikura and frisee
I could eat this for the rest of my life and die happy. The balance between the dressing and the noodles was perfect. It wasn’t too saucy which I really appreciated. The whole dish was just very fresh and bright.
Look at this gorgeous spot prawn! I’ve never had raw spot prawn before, and I love how it wasn’t fishy at all!
What I ate: Crispy Spot Prawn Heads, mango-ginger coulis
What I ate: Apple-sake marinated striploin, fresh shiso, crispy shallots and Chardonnay Oak smoked salt
If I thought the starter was good, this was even better. Shiso is one of my favourite herbs and I never thought to pair it with steak. The flavours were just out of this world delicious. The herbaceous freshness of the shiso really complimented the steak. I need to sneak a big pile of shiso the next time I have a steak at a restaurant.
What I ate: Roasted black garlic risotto, morels, fresh truffled burrata
I think I’m starting to sound like a broken record here… but this was also mind blowing. Typically a dish like this would be served with egg, so the burrata was a really nice surprise. It really complemented the rich risotto very well. If I wasn’t so full I would have eaten another serving of this!
What I ate: Lavender Earl Grey panna cotta, wildflower honey, charred figs, pistachio crumble
To finish of an amazing meal was this absolute work of art. I’m not huge on lavender, so for me personally this dessert didn’t work. The panna cotta was beautiful and smooth but the lavender was overwhelming for me, and it just tasted like a very luscious and smooth soap.
Note: There was a third dish – Brussel Sprout “Ceasar Salad” with duck bacon which I thought I had taken a photo of, but I can’t seem to find it now. This was the only disappointment of the night for me. But this was a personal preference in terms of taste because I feel like others enjoyed the dish very much!
Overall, the meal was stunning from beginning to finish. Kevin is an amazing host and chef and his flavours are on point. I highly recommend you book with him before word gets out and he’s impossible to get a reservation with!