March into Merivale Launch Party
Clockwise L to R: March into Merivale brochure cover; grilled figs st agur at Bistro CBD; pig on display at Uccello counter
This is what I call “Naked Chef”! It is all about being naked at Merivale in March. The chefs are going to prepare your food… “NAKED“. I am dreaming a bit of Beyoncé action with their wobbly bare ass while whisking the eggs, peeling potatoes with only aprons on, shucking oysters and slicing sashimi with no clothes takes circumcision to a whole new level.
“POOF!”
Then, I woke up, only realised that it is all just a dream of flashbacks from a good night at the March into Merivale launch party in Establishment with the brochures they handed out of naked chefs images obviously giving me a nightmare. Joke aside, those images are actually quite stunning, and very impressive. Unfortunately I can’t find out who is the photographer assigned for the job, if anyone knows who the photographer is, please do let me know so I can credit him.
page inside the March into Merivale brochure
Me and Augustus Gloop had a good giggle flipping through the brochure last night, as they are so witty with props cleverly arranged to cover the private bits. This morning I flipped through the brochure again and saw something funky. Since I know you all love meatballs, so I thought I will scan the image and share with you guys. Can you see the “meatballs”? No, not the T-bone steak…
Of course the chefs are not naked at the launch party, they look absolutely professional as can be, ready to feed a pack of hungry people who are here for free food and free booze. The launch party is just a teaser where punters can sample some of the food from each of Merivale’s nine restaurants. What a great way to kick off the festival features a month of mouthwatering activities, especially the $33 dinner and lunch specials at all nine restaurants throughout the month of March.
crowd inside Establishment at the launch party
I arrived early to avoid big crowd, but soon enough like a domino effect, a queue formed itself right behind me and Shez while we waiting outside to get in. Once we are inside, all foodbloggers dispersed rather quickly in all directions to tackle their own missions documenting the event, and found myself alone snapping photos away. It is absolutely chock-a-block, like in a war zone! I have to work fast, as the food tends to be gone in 5 seconds once it is placed at the counters. The “elbow nudging technique” do get me close to the counter numerous times to get some good shots of the food. But soon given up, and just enjoyed myself sampling as many food as I can.
Clockwise L to R: shaving prosciutto; prosciutto wrappedon san grissini by Uccello; punters sampling the food; carcuterie by Mad Cow - game terrine, rabbit rilettes and chicken liver pate served on toasted brioche
Uccello steals the show with massive cured leg hams hanging down from the ceiling, and a lady maneuvering a heavy machine shaving prosciutto all night long, it attracts a big crowd gathering around the massive pig’s head, tasting the prosciutto on san grissini and the porchetta with yummy crunchy crackling.
Clockwise L to R: porchetta by Uccello; Salmon gravalax on rye bread with dill mayonnaise by Bistro CBD; Staff at Est. describing the dish to punters; Wagyu top sirloin steak with chimchurri by Mad Cow
And on the other side, Mad Cow has fired up a BBQ and grilling some wagyu top sirloin steaks. The wagyu top sirloin steak with chimchurri is one of my favorite from the night, it is absolutely tender and juicy. I hang around there for quite some time and probably eaten a whole $10 worth of wagyu steaks. 
From the Mad Cow’s kitchen also offering carcuterie which is game terrine, rabbit rilettes and chicken liver pate served on toasted brioche; and also Prawn cocktail with iceberg lettuce, tomato chilli jam served in a takeaway box.
Clockwise L to R: Sashimi of aoraki salmon, cucumber, pink grapefruit, shiso, ponzu and white sesame oil morsels by Est.; Peter Doyle mingles with punters; kingfish ceviche with shaved fennel, dill and lime by Ash St Cellar; hordes of people inside Establishment
Brace yourself into the centre of the room, which is also the most crowded area. At Est., the highly regarded restaurateur, Peter Doyle is working frantically behind the counter when a few hungry hogs simply grabbed the morsels off the tray while Doyle was still trying to plate them. Doyle simply shook his head and served the rest at the counter to those who wait. You would have thought Sydney is a big city and people would be bit more civilised.
Sashimi of aoraki salmon, cucumber, pink grapefruit, shiso, ponzu and white sesame oil morsels from Est. is seriously good. What a great combination of texture and flavour. But I absolutely love the second offering from Est. which is a Prawn and shellfish ravioli. The ravioli is one big mouthful of fresh prawn and shellfish, with a hint of lemongrass and saltness from the salmon roe.
Clockwise L to R: punters exchanging tasting experience; Chorizo and chimchurri with mint and artichoke puree burger by Lotus; punter grabbing the aoraki salmon morsel before is all gone; piles of shucked oysters served on icy Moet & Chandon bowls at Bistro CBD
I slowly squeezed myself to the side, that’s where the big crowd is waiting for Chef Dan Hong at Lotus to serve up those perky chorizo and chimchurri with mint and artichoke puree burgers. I suddenly feel like in a refugee camp where everyone have their hands stretching out, fighting for a bag of rice or a bottle of water – I take my food, then squeeze my way out of the crowd to find a quiet corner so I can actually enjoy it. The chorizo with the chimchurri is delicious with a bit of kick, shame that the bun was bit stale and hard to bite through.
Let’s move along to Ash St Cellar, where they are offering spoonful of kingfish ceviche with shaved fennel, dill and lime. This dish definitely has a zing to it with the combination of lime and the aniseed shaved fennel. That’s the only dish I managed to score at Ash St Cellar, but looks like Simon was lucky enough to taste the Mini frangipane tart with freshly whipped cream.
Clockwise L to R: soft shell crab on betel leaves at Teppanyaki station; punter enjoying the samplings; ravioli of prawn and shellfish with lemongrass and salmon roe at Est.; cured leg ham hanging on the ceiling at Uccello counter.
Next stop, Bistro CBD which is actually the first counter I dropped by with the least crowd early in the evening. Huge piles of shucked oysters are plump and fresh served with golden shallot dressing. It soon runs out fast and chef Simun Dragicevich had to shuck one by one for those who wait patiently. Bistro CBD also offering Salmon gravalax on rye bread with dill mayonnaise and Grilled figs with St Agur. The smokey salmon pairs so well with the sweet dill mayo, but I absolutely adore the grilled fresh figs with cheese, the flavour is rich and intense.
Clockwise L to R: different plating of the aoraki salmon at Est.; poached prawn with lettuce, tomato chilly jam at Mad Cow; chef Nobiyuki Ura from Sushi E busy at work; Izakaya grilled chicken with white leek skewer
And the last stop is the Japanese corner outside in the courtyard which I totally missed out on all the dishes by Teppanyaki, Sushi E and Sushi Choo. So you will have to visit these blogs to check out the food that I’ve missed out. Oh wait, I actually scored a Izakaya grilled chicken with white leek skewer on the way out, which I have no idea where it comes from. It is tasty nonetheless.
I think I definitely need to go back for the $33 lunch and dinner specials, so I can sit down and enjoy a proper meal and actually “taste” it without the mad rush. The “naked chef” brochure will keep me busy for a while with all the different menus on specials each week at different restaurants. Oh, the distracting brochure, poor Richard Johnson who only got a small potato to cover his bits holding up by Simun Dragicevich. The ego has totally deflated…
A Table For Two (ATFT) is Billy Law's food blog that features best eats in Sydney and around the world with drool-worthy food photography to salivate your appetite. I also throw in a smidgen of my food and travel photography for good measure. Billy Law also happened to be a contestant on MasterChef Australia 2011. 
Billy, you should be a reporter for Gourmet Traveller! You do a great job with the coverage and the photos. This is an excellent and very witty write up. Well done!
Peter G’s last blog post..What’s in a word? And some new toys.
Agree with Pete, top photos mate I love the composition too.
I’m still dreaming of the porchetta and prosciutto, they were awesome
Great shots as always. I love the pic of the woman with the surprised look on her face. “I just ate a what?!?”
And I think you’ve been examining the photos far too closely! lol
Helen’s last blog post..March Into Merivale Launch Party, The Establishment
I would feel less sorry about the potato thing and more sorry about his name, considering the circumstances. Come on, Richard Johnson… It’s like the name was made up specifically for this shoot.
Anyhow, I wouldn’t feel bad about the potato. You could say that it’s large for a potato, or perhaps the larger the potato, the larger the chip…?
I think I’ll stop here. Mind grapes being overloaded with bad jokes and puns.
Oh, nice food photos by the way. Looks like it was a happening event.
Awesome photos! They make the event look utterly stylish and serene in contrast to what it was really like. It appears you have more of a preoccupation with the naked chefs than some of the other food bloggers though…
Forager’s last blog post..Waiheke Wonderland: Part 2, Food Heaven
my eyes! my innocent eyes!
gorgeous photos Billy. you’ve done really well (and tried so much stuff that i didn’t even know was on offer… *sigh* at the ginormous crowds). plus you’ve made the ‘stab look like one classy, classy joint. v. special.
shez’s last blog post..super quick scones
Gosh. I think the photographer for the advertising material was inspired by Austin Powers – very cheeky!
oh man such sexy photos and not just for the closeup of the chefs meatballs…
chocolatesuze’s last blog post..candy pizza [6]
Oh Billy! Poor Christopher Whitehead and Richard Johnson lol! I thought I was bad inspecting the photo shoot a little uh too closely…
Love the photos! Looks like I might have to accost you some more for lessons oh Master Jedi…
Karen’s last blog post..Sydney Cellar Door 2009
@Peter G: I am far from being a food reporter, my Manglish (Malay English) is still not that good and seldom uses flourish words. I will stick to what I do best, take photos and eat.
@Howard: shame your battery ran out mate, what camera do you use? I might have spare if u need one next time, but no sharing on prosciutto.
@Helen: Hehehe, the lady was over the moon and had that expression for such a long time so I managed to take a shot of her.
C’mon, I am a photographer, I do need to do my research and admire those photos “closely” 
@Simon: gosh, you take your potato seriously.
it is all good fun mate… I am sure his personality is larger than life. 
@Forager: Thanks! I found the food is too difficult to shoot with people nudging everywhere, so decided to take the punters instead. Not true, I was seriously admiring the piece of T-bone, I swear!
@shez: LOL sure sure, you’d done not too bad yourself and tried some of the food at the Japanese corner when I got none!
@Peter: Bit like that, welcome to 1960s baby yeah!
@chocolatesuze: So shexy shame you missed out by dissing us and went to Melbourne. And everyone been telling me your pork knuckle effort! Well done!
@Karen: I knew you are a secret stalker of the naked chefs thats why I asked u to pose with P Doyle. So now is your turn to post those pictures up on your post!
fantastic photos and write up billy! feels like i was there except i didn’t get to taste the deliciousness…. mmm… oh dear, why did i decide to skip this…
Jen’s last blog post..Rockpool Bar & Grill, Melbourne
I will never think about food porn in quite the same way again… Great write-up.
Suzie’s last blog post..Better Than A Snickers Bar Pie
ommmggg I so don’t want to post mine now…. your photos poos all over mine! and great coverage man!! Damn I wish I got there heaps earlier… missed out on so much!
FFichiban’s last blog post..Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat – Balmain, Sydney (5)
Hey, awesome coverage!! Yes, I definitely see the ‘meatballs’ hidden behind the steak, lol!!! This is one of those events I’ll do really well in, being 155cm and narrow (relatively). I only wish I lived in Sydney so I could have gone!! Love your photos (what flash body did you use to get such effective indoor shots?), and how the hell did you remember everything that you ate???
Christy’s last blog post..From Melbourne, With Love
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I thought of the same thing when I looked at the little booklet. It’s certainly weird to see someone I know without his cloth off. ;p
Yas’s last blog post..Dinner @ Blancharu
Hmmm, bit childish and amateurish I’m afraid. Poor use of language and vocabulary. Good enough for Gourmet Traveller? Hardly!!!
@Jen: Oh well you just have to go and try all the $33 specials this month:)
@Suzie: I m sure our mind is always on the food.
@FFichiban: Looks like you did try a lot of others that we missed out too! Great post on ur blog to!
@Christy: I do not use flash for outdoor shots, only the 50mm lens, and usually I take a shot of the menu, or refer to another foodblogger who posted it first.
@Yas: It is funny that you are friend to one of the chefs, will be difficult to contain now to laugh next time when you see him.
@Dee: Damien, that’s exactly what my response is to Peter G.