lifestyle
Chef Tom Tilbury will feature at Tasting Australia. IMAGE: SATC/David Huynh.
On the menu at Tasting Australia
South Australia’s premier culinary tourism festival, Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel, will return in May for 10 days of fabulous food and wonderful wine.
This year’s Tasting Australia creative team will be led by Festival Director Karena Armstrong, who will be joined by Food Curator Kane Pollard, and co-drinks curators, sommelier Meira Harel and wine expert Banjo Harris Plane.
The best of South Australia will converge in the heart of the city, with Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga transforming into Town Square. Mid-week lunches have never been better, with the new Town Square Canteen series.
Celebrate regional dining experiences and the people who shape them, as the likes of Prairie Hotel, The Farm Eatery and Lost Phoenix Farm pop up in the festival hub, dishing up tasty lunches that tell the story of South Australia’s regions.
While you’re at Town Square, head to the Dining Galleries where chefs, producers, drink curators and local artists will showcase their skills and expertise and tell their stories.
Get a taste of the sea with Ocean Treasures by Callum Hann, Tom Tilbury and Jae Bang; or have a party at Fiesta with Claudette Zepeda, Daniella Guevara Munoz, Duncan Welgemoed and Jessie Spiby.
If you’re looking for an experience that’s a little more hands on, the MAKE series is for you. Roll up your sleeves and make gnocchi, prepare boerewors sausages or bake a traditional South Australian pasty.
If those terrific dining experiences don’t have you salivating, why not attend Tasting Australia’s very own movie night. The Piccadilly Cinema at North Adelaide will screen cinematic classic Big Night while local and interstate chefs prepare snacks to echo what’s happening during the movie.
Tasting Australia 2024 will be held from 3–12 May. For the full program, visit tastingaustralia.com.au
Kiin: Thai for eat
The brainchild of hospitality stalwarts Ben Bertei and David Wickwar (pictured), Kiin opened in Adelaide in 2022 with the aim to transport diners to South-East Asia through the restaurant’s food, drinks and atmosphere. We sat down with David, who’s an experienced maitre d’ and sommelier, to talk about what inspired Kiin and the team’s love for Thai food.
sa move: So, both you and Ben, who runs the kitchen, moved to South Australia to create this new restaurant on Angas Street. Why did you choose Adelaide?
David: We thought about what we wanted to do and the idea of the type of venue we spoke about creating would really fit into the Adelaide dining scene and complement it really well – once we found the site, we rolled the dice and made the move.
There is some really good dining down here and we like that there’s easy access to incredible produce. I think South Australians are very proud of their produce and wine. It’s all just on your doorstep here.
sa move: Why did you decide to open a Thai restaurant?
David: The choice of cuisine is driven by what Ben’s been cooking for the past 20-odd years. He’s of Italian descent and initially learned classic cookery. But, about 20 years ago he got a job at one of the original Longrain restaurants in Melbourne. He fell in love with Thai cuisine, and he’s been honing his craft ever since.
sa move: What’s your favourite dish on the menu?
David: My favourite dish is probably the bowon pork curry, which uses pork scotch. Ben and I both managed to sneak a week in Bangkok in early 2023 for a bit of inspiration, and we went on a food tour. The guide took us to this little back-end café next to one of the palaces in Bangkok and we had this curry – both of us were like “this is incredible”. The flavour profile of it and the composition of the dish was different to what we’d had before. We did our best to recreate our version but changed it a little bit.
sa move: How does Ben put a spin on some of these dishes?
David: He tricks things up. One of our classic dishes on the menu harks back to Ben’s Italian heritage. We do a burrata dish, so like a soft mozzarella, but it’s served with a green nahm jim Thai dressing, which is full of coriander, green chilli and lime juice. It’s served with fried roti on the side.
sa move: How do you match wines and other drinks with this cuisine?
David: It’s been fun for me because the drinks side of the business is very much my domain. Matching Thai foods with wine is a bit of an adventure. Traditionally they don’t drink much wine in Thailand. It started with the food, the flavours, and then we found wines and drinks to match. We have a really cool, ever-developing cocktail list which focuses on classic styles but we use Asian flavours.
IMAGES: Kiin/Jack Fenby.
Want to try Kiin? RAA members get special deals at Kiin and other RAA dining partners. For more info, visit raa.com.au/dining-offers
New finance offer for RAA Solar and Battery
Considering solar and battery, but haven’t saved enough to pay for it outright? RAA is now partnering with green finance provider Plenti to offer new long-term finance options for its solar and battery systems, and home electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
This means RAA is now able to offer members a home energy system with no up-front deposit, and the option to pay off their system in lower monthly instalments in three to 10 years.
RAA General Manager of Home and Energy Ben Owen says the partnership with Plenti is a win for RAA members. “By partnering with Plenti, RAA is helping more members start saving on their energy bills sooner,” Ben says.
For more information about RAA’s solar and battery systems and home EV chargers, visit raa.com.au/solar
Trade Assist 24/7 available Easter long weekend
RAA’s Trade Assist 24/7 electrical and plumbing service will be available for emergencies over the Easter holiday long weekend (29 March to 1 April). So, if your bathroom has flooded or you need an electrician in a hurry, contact RAA Trade Assist and speak to someone to get the problem fixed.
RAA Trade Assist’s licensed electricians can help with everything from repairing a broken light switch to reconnecting your power. RAA Trade Assist’s plumbers can help unblock sinks, drains or toilets, replace taps, repair leaking pipes and more.
For more information, visit raa.com.au/trade-assist or call 8202 4988.
IMAGES: RAA.
