Something new

Saké Restaurant & Bar| Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne| (03) 8687 0775 | sakerestaurant.com.au
Saké Restaurant & Bar opened last month, bringing a touch of contemporary Japanese dining to the riverside promenade at Melbourne’s new and improved Hamer Hall. For pre or post theatre dining, nibble on something small that’s big in flavour, such as sashimi ‘tacos’ matched with ‘sake shots’. Alternatively, stop by for a romantic lunch or dinner on the terrace as the experienced kitchen team (including Executive Chef Shaun Presland and Head Chef Rose Ang) serve up signature dishes such as Double Kingfish Crunch and Pan Seared Ocean Barramundi. You’ll be blown away by the impressive selection of traditional Japanese sake and shochu varieties, as well as the array of interesting cocktails. Irrashaimase, indeed!

 

Oldie but a goldie

Dench Bakers | Around Melbourne| Details and stockists at denchbakers.com.au 
Here at Agenda, we think Dench bakery is the best thing since sliced bread, so we’re giving a shout out to our old favourite. Dench have been baking artisan-style since 2005 and you’ve no doubt enjoyed their wonderful loaves across Melbourne’s best cafés. Stop by Bread and Jam for Frances out the back of Readings in Hawthorn to sample the full range of Dench artisan sourdoughs, pastries, and cakes; or pop into the original café in Fitzroy North for breakfast, lunch, Veneziano coffee and organic juices. Beware the homemade bomboloni: they’re addictive.

 

Do & See 

The Tastes of Victoria Pavilion| Melbourne Show Grounds Epsom Road, Ascot Vale | Sept 22-Oct 2 | royalshow.com.au/tastes-of-victoria.asp
This year, the Royal Melbourne Show is going gourmet with The Tastes of Victoria Pavilion. Celebrating all things local, seasonal and delicious, this specialty produce pavilion has plenty to offer, including the opportunity to meet Australia’s best chefs and TV personalities, free cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs, intimate masterclasses, prizes and food trucks. Rub shoulders with the likes of Guy Grossi, Dani Venn, Matt Wilkinson from Pope Joan, Scott Eddington from Mamasita, Travis McAuley from Hellenic Republic and many more. This year, skip the sweets and get your show bag from The Royal Melbourne Fine Food Deli. We’ll take cheese over chocolate any day.

Greek Film Festival| Palace Cinema Como, Cnr Toorak & Chapel Streets, South Yarra| Oct 17–Nov 4 | Program & tickets greekfilmfestival.com.au or (03) 9827 7533
Tickets are on sale today for the 19th annual Greek Film Festival, which opens in Melbourne on October 17 with a program that will see more than 30 films screen at Palace Cinema Como over two weeks. The Festival opens with the larger-than-life comedy Nisos 2 (The Island 2: The Hunt for the Lost Treasure), filmed in the picturesque Greek islands. Other highlights include Yorgos Lanthimos’ Alps (Dogtooth, GFF ’10) from the Greek Weird Wave, an inventive, deadpan story about loss and grief that won the Official Competition at the 2012 Sydney Film Festival; and Giorgos Georgopoulos’s psychological thriller Tungsten, a multiple award-winner at last year’s Cyprus International Film Festival. Jump online for the full program.

 

Out of town

Tinamba Hotel | 4-6 Tinamba Seaton Road, Tinamba, Gippsland| (03) 5145 1484 | Wed-Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch only| tinambahotel.com.au
Established in 1874, Tinamba hotel boasts shining reviews in The Age Good Food Guide and completely lives up to it’s hillside hype. Visit for lunch from Wednesday to Saturday for a two course lunch for $30 (or three courses for $39.50). Local produce is showcased in dishes such as the pan-fried Black Dory on a salad of poached salmon and potato, topped with ribbons of pickled pumpkin and surrounded by a green moat of salsa verde. Dessert at Tinamba is perfection. After tasting the white chocolate and passionfruit mousse resting in a pool of passionfruit pulp and surrounded by toasted Italian meringue, you’ll want to visit on the way back to the city as well as on the way there.

 

Featured Sale

An introductory wine course with the Humble Tumbler| September 9 | $220 | Buy now 
Clare Burder is the brains behind The Humble Tumbler. She’s here to teach you everything you want to (and need to) know about tasting and understanding wine. Clare is now offering AgendaCity members $80 off a 4-week introductory wine course and we suggest you take her up on that offer.

 

Featured Table

Richmond Oysters | 30% off your entire bill | Book Now
Oysters by name, seafood by specialty. Richmond Oysters supplies seafood to some of Melbourne’s best restaurants and if you didn’t already know, is one of Melbourne’s premier seafood restaurants.

For us, it’s the Seafood Linguini that steals the show. Tiger prawns, scallops, calamari, mussels, extra virgin olive oil, white wine, tomato, garlic & chilli. If you’ve got a love of all things seafood (not just oysters) this Richmond icon is your place.