EAT || Guilty Pleasures + Krug | Mojo Bar, Sydney

EAT // Guilty pleasures with Krug champagne | Mojo Bar, Sydney

By Kaitlin Gordon

Olivier Krug believes that “Champagne is, above all, about sharing pleasure”. In a toast to celebrating our own unique pleasures, Krug champagne selected five of Australia’s leading chefs and set them each the task of dreaming up their ultimate guilty pleasure to be paired with a glass of Krug.  This week, at Mojo Bar, their dreams became realities as we had the pleasure of sampling each of the delicacies, with selected soundtracks to accompany.   

Russell Blaikie of Must Wine bar (http://must.com.au ) in Perth wanted to capture the essence of fish and chips in single mouthful, in an attempt to share his own pleasure of the ocean. His re-interpretation of an Australian classic was opulent and indulgent, pairing seared scallops and fennel puree with shaved fried potatoes tossed in lime salt, creating a one-bite wonder.  

Melbourne’s Andrew Mc Connell of Supernormal (http://supernormal.net.au ) envisaged his pleasure to be the signature combination of a warm brioche bun with fresh, cool lobster tossed in lashings of mayonnaise. A guilty yet delicious pleasure that was incredibly hard to stop at just one.

The third dish by Jake Nicolson of Blackbird (http://www.blackbirdbrisbane.com.au) in Brisbane showcased a collaboration with Walker Seafoods dishing up a sustainably sound yet decadent tuna “toastie”. Jake’s tuna stack was built up from a taro root crisp, layered with fresh tuna and topped off with an avocado puree and caviar. A sensation of textures and flavours easily washed down with the accompanying glass of Krug.

Going back to basics, Colin Fassnidge of Sydney’s Four in Hand (http://www.fourinhand.com.au ) dished up his ideal ‘chef’s midnight snack’ after a long day of prep and pans, but with a touch of that Krug luxury. Infamous Iggy’s sourdough was enough to get everyone excited, slices of melted brie cheese topped with caramelised onion, the dish was simple yet unbelievably satisfying. 

And they say they leave the best for last. Jock Zonfrillo of Restaurant Orana (http://restaurantorana.com) in Adelaide had some big shoes to fill, but he definitely brought his game to the table, and quite literally. Scallops, hand-caught by Jock himself, dished up with handpicked South Australian crispy pancetta with a new flavour combination of HP sauce and mayonnaise and layered on a roll left everyone talking.

For all those involved in the night, a big thank you for making it so memorable. They say that you’ll never forget your first Krug, and after these guilty pleasures, they’re definitely not wrong!  For a limited time, each Guilty Pleasure will be available on the menu of the chefs’ respective restaurants for purchase with a glass of Krug. To get involved in the Krug love simply hashtag #GuiltyPleasuresWithKrug on Instagram and Twitter to join in on the celebration!

Words by Kaitlin Gordon for Eat Read Love.

{Photos courtesy of Black Communications for KRUG)