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The Brass Coq

Hidden away in the legal district of town is the quaint, unassuming, Vietnamese restaurant, The Brass Coq. And when we heard of the name and the team behind it, we couldn’t pass up the invitation to sample their menu.

Although smaller in size, the industrial fit out gives it a fresh, bright and warm atmosphere. In fact, the whole place had a bit of a feel of being at a dinner party at a friend’s house, who just happens to be great at Vietnamese food and rolling out the banging hip hop tunes.

Set over two floors (restaurant downstairs and a bar upstairs for the weekends), this contemporary Asian eatery serves up traditional Vietnamese dishes with a twist. Not afraid to experiment with the flavours, all the dishes we got to try were fresh, flavoursome and just the right blend of spice.Some of the dishes included the Papaya Salad, Braised Pork Belly Bun, Stir Fried eggplant and for dessert the nutella baos.

Highlights of the menu:

Nick: “Not on the menu, but one of the nightly specials, the prawns in lime ceviche with fresh coriander and chillies were beautifully fresh and the perfect way to start the meal making me hungry for more. The salt with chilli sprinkles on the side on the plate set the dish off perfectly.”

Chris: “The wagyu beef was cooked to perfection. Tender, juicy and punching with flavour. Who knew that corn and wagyu beef could go so well together?!”

Dave: “It was too hard to pick one dish, so I’ve gone with two. The pork skewers – the seasoning seemed to balance out the sweetness of the pork perfectly and also the stir fried eggplant. The mushrooms added a nice earthiness to the dish.”

Kat: “How can you go past the VFC (Vietnamese Fried Chicken)? Deep fried without the oiliness, I could eat a whole plate of this.”

The other highlight of the night was the professional but friendly and relaxed table service offered by Restaurant Manager Sebastian Bertucci (ex Gill’s Diner). Our We Know Melbourne tip is to let the host decide and get Sebastian to bring you a selection of favourite dishes and match them with a great selection of Vietnamese beer a biodynamic Shiraz from Heathcote or even a sparkling lychee cider.

Opening Hours:

Lunch: Mon – Friday 11:30am – 3pm

Dinner: Mon – Sat 5pm – 11pm

Bar upstairs:

– Friday 3pm – 1am

– Saturday 5pm – 1am

Visit the website here.

The Eva and Les Erdi Humanitarian Charitable Foundation Bestows Gift on The Alfred Hospital

Published by We Know Melbourne

Australian Philanthropists, Eva and the late Dr Les Erdi, have given the breath of life to a major redevelopment of the emergency centre within the iconic Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

Over 60,000 people a year will benefit from what is the largest single donation ever made to the hospital in its over 100 years of operation. The donation is motivated by personal experience – the Alfred has been an integral part of the health and happiness of the Erdi family since they made their way to Melbourne mid 20th century.

In a private unveiling ceremony on the 30th of June, 2015 the new title for the emergency ward was officially announced in bright, gleaming silver lettering – The Eva and Les Erdi Emergency and Trauma Centre in front of a small group of supporters. Eva Erdi was greeted with glowing praise as members of Parliament, Directors from Erdigroup (The Erdi’s primary business venture), and board members from the Alfred Hospital spoke of her and her late husbands generous spirits. Special thanks were given for their notable contribution to both the betterment of Melbourne as a city, and the lives of those who live within it leaving no doubt as to the incredible hearts of these two magnificent human beings.

Beginning development in early 2016, the new centre will boast state of the art emergency equipment, a new trauma area that will be set up on par with modern operating theatres, and the centre will also take advantage of the advances in technology within the medical field that are set to save the lives of those in urgent need of specialist care.

Eva Erdi is an incredible woman who, when charged with seeing out and expanding upon the wishes of herself and her late husband, has risen to the occasion with grace and certainty allowing their legacy of love and light to live on in the local and international communities. For more information please see erdifoundation.com.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/video/watch/28621431/generous-gift-to-alfred-hospital/#page1

Devi’s Top Foodie Spots

Published by We Know Melbourne

Devi is one of our hotel’s resident foodies. She can often be seen at the various “so hot right now” restaurants and bars of Melbourne. To help out visitors to Melbourne Devi has kindly provided us with a list of her Top 5 (plus two) eating experiences currently on offer in Melbourne.

1. RicePaprScrs (Liverpool Street). Tucked away in one of Chinatown’s manylaneway’s this is probably the smallest place to creating the biggest buzz in the Melbourne food scene at the moment. Crowded, fast paced and with a slogan of “use your hands” thispan Asian eatery ticks all the boxes. Devi’s tiptry the Balinese Roast Duck or the sticky pork belly and make sure you have a drink at the famous Double Happiness bar next door after your meal.

2. Mamasita (Collins St.). If you died and went to a Mexican heaven then it would be somewhere very similar to Mamasita! Simply divine Mexican dishes taken to the next level and beyond. Devi says you must start your dinner the typical Mexican street food way with some Mamasitas famous grilled sweet corn cobs and wash everything down with a chilled glass of Castro Martin Albarino

3. Di Stassio (Fitzroy St, St. Kilda). A St. Kilda institution for longer than anyone can remember, this is the place to go for that special Italian dinner. Devi’s tip is that if you want to avoid the expensive night time prices, then try the seasonal slow cooked lunch special’s which are a bargain at $35 for 3 courses and a glass of wine.

4. Chin Chin. (Flinders Lane). Funky and vibey, there seems to have been a perennial crowd outside Chin Chin since the day it opened. They don’t take bookings but luckily they have the attached Go Go Bar to have a drink whilst you wait for a seat. Delicious South East Asian dishes keep the hordes coming back again and again. Devi’s Tip; use the magic phrase “Just feed me” and the staff will bring you a selection of all the most popular dishes for just $69 per person.

5. Izakaya Den (Russell St.). Hidden down in a hard to find basement it’s worth making the effort to search out this treasure of Japanese dining. With a fabulous design and large open kitchen this place is a visual delight as well as having some of the best Japanese food in Melbourne.

6. Supper Inn (Celestial Alley) A Chinatown favourite for years. Devi added this extra selection for visitors on a tight budget. Here, you can eat like a king until the early hours of the morning and still not break the bank. Devi’s tip is to try the Special of the Day especially if it’s duck or crab.

7. Jinda Thai (Fergus street Abbotsford) This is Devi’s tip for a cheap and cheerful Thai meal in the inner city suburbs. This busy place boasts an industrial-esque type fit out and some impressive portraits of the Thai King and Queen.

What has our Craft Beer Ambassador been up to?

Published by We Know Melbourne

As you may or may not know, Simon James is our hotels’ Craft Beer Ambassador. You might imagine that a Craft Beer Ambassador’s job is a fairly easy one mainly consisting of checking out new beers and visiting beer festivals. And you would be right! That is exactly what Simon has been doing for the last month.

InMay Simon was a guest of the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular held at the Royal Exhibition Buildings in Carlton. This year’s festival was a great success with 16,200 people attending the 3 dayeven which is 4000 more than last year. This increase can no doubt be at least put down to the fact that Simon attended this year’s event obviously giving it more prestige.

Simon has also been hunting down the latest Craft Beer hotspots to recommend to guests. Recently he took a hand picked crew of staff members to try out the just opened Boilermaker House (less than 5 minutes walk from the hotel in Lonsdale Street). The verdict was a unanimous thumbs up from all involved. Employee of the Year (2014) Annie Mac was most impressed with barman Jack Sotti’s creative cocktails, and why wouldn’t she be, when it has just been announced that Jack has won Top Shelf’s Australian Barman of the Year! Simon preferred to stick to his beloved craft beers and would recommend the Feral Hop Hog beer and for something different the 7 Cent Lamington Stout which has just a hint of raspberry after taste!

Next on Simon’s list to check out is the new bar along the Yarra River behind Flinders Street Station called The Arbory. Stay tuned for his report!

You can also read Simon’s guide to craft beer in Melbourne here.

Scandinavian Film Festival

Published by We Know Melbourne

Back for it’s second year, the Scandinavian Film Festival returns to Melbourne with a fantastic line-up of dramas, comedies and thrillers from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland.

The festival will open with the hilarious and quirky Here is Harold:

“A Norwegian road movie about a man who sets out to kidnap the founder of IKEA. For over 40 years, Harold has been running a successful business, “Lunde Furniture”. But this comes to an end when IKEA decides to open a new superstore right next door to his small furniture shop. In mounting anger and desperation, Harold wants revenge. He arms himself with a pistol and sets off for Älmhult, Sweden, in order to kidnap his Nemesis, the founder of Ikea, Ingvar Kamprad. But unfortunately, Kamprad is quite happy to be kidnapped.”

Don’t miss your chance to see the full repertoire of twenty-two features hand selected from the final titles at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

When: 9 July – 26 July 2015.

Where: Palace Cinema Como; Palace Cinema Brighton Bay

See the full program here.

Winter Night Markets

Published by We Know Melbourne

Returning for it’s fourth year, the Winter Night Market kicked off on Wednesday. Despite the extra chill in the air that night, the market still packed a crowd. Under the sheds there were a wide range of stalls from street food to craft and design, and of course mulled wine.

It could of been the fact that the weather seemed extra cold that night, but the line up for food was never too long (unlike the summer markets) and there was always a seat available. Our favourite stalls of the night would have to be Smoke City Burners (for all the meat eaters), Little Mushroom Co (for the vegos) and of course the mulled wine stall. (We were too full to try the deep fried oreos from Taki’s Balls!).

The Winter Night Market runs every Wednesday until August 26. Read more here.

Did somebody say chicken?

Published by We Know Melbourne

Your WKM team visit the hottest new venue in town where the humble chook is king!

There’s an old adage in hospitality that you shouldn’t try and be all things to all people. Pick something that you are good at and work at perfecting that offering. In the case of Belleville, the hippest new Bar/Restaurant in town, that special offering is just one dish; rotisserie cooked chicken!

The Belleville team are pretty serious when it comes to their chooks. They only use organic free range chickens and their giant rotisserie has been specially imported from Brazil. Ordering is easy, just choose a size (quarter, half or whole), choose a sauce (mild gravy, medium ginger and coriander, or hot ssamjang) and choose some sides. They also have a range of Asian influenced snacks that you can add to your meal. When the WKM team went there we decided to get a side dish to complement our deliciously flavoursome whole chicken so we ordered some extra chicken! Our side was spicy popcorn chicken nuggets with a delicious tonkatsu aioli.

This hidden away first floor venue is bright and spacious with large windows looking out onto Little Bourke street and Swanston street. The vibe is very relaxed with friendly and knowledgeable staff. The whole place had a bit of a South American feel; maybe it was just all the people sitting around eating chicken with their fingers!

Another highpoint for Belleville was the really well thought out wine list being sourced from only three regions Victoria, Tasmania and France. A handy map inside the menu tells you where each wine is from. The WKM team were especially impressed with the list of white wines which included a lot of interesting varietals and looked pretty perfect for some summer drinking. The venue also has a cool cocktail bar tucked away in an adjoining room for some late night tippling.

The WKM Verdict; Don’t count your chickens just yet (!) but with a bit of luck this could be THE bar to visit in Melbourne now that summer has finally arrived. Visit the website here.

Infectious family fun at Strictly Ballroom

Published by We Know Melbourne

Strictly Ballroom tells the story of dancer-in-training since childhood, Scott Hastings as he faces the challenge of gaining acceptance for his creative dance steps in the competitive world of ballroom dancing.

At heart, Strictly Ballroom provides audiences with an inspirational message—”a life lived in fear is alifehalf lived”—in the form of a romantic comedy. Scott (played by Thomas Lacey) joins with amateur dancer, Fran (Phoebe Panaretos), to beat the repressive nature of ballroom dancing and create acceptance for creativity and attitudes outside of Australian ‘norms’.

Strictly Ballroom was first revealed in a stage play co-written by Baz Luhrmann and his fellow National Institute of the Dramatic Arts (NIDA) colleagues in 1984. The play received critical acclaim and Baz Luhrmann later transformed the story into a hugely popular film in 1992 that won many national and international awards and the hearts of audiences worldwide.

If you loved the film, Strictly Ballroom, you’ll likely really enjoy the musical too. The show is full of all the great songs—Love is in the Air and Time After Time included. The costume and set design really stand out imbibing the show with all the glitz you’d expect from the world of ballroom dancing, and the show is a really fun romp with fantastic choreography and laughs throughout.

Yet, there’s something about the musical that slightly misses in comparison to the film—maybe it’s just that the film was so good and the musical is that little bit less so? Scott’s dancing is not quite up to scratch in the show and the musical numbers come across as a bit disjointed making it more of a stretch than the film to get and remain fully engaged from the first to last number.

These small criticisms aside, Strictly Ballroom The Musical offers fun entertainment with an enduring and inspirational message that will appeal to audiences of all ages. It’s really uplifting and puts a smile on your face.

Our tips:

1) Don’t miss the chance to join the cast in the final song and dance number. It will make the show seem that much more special. To participate fully, grab a seat in the stalls (ground floor closest to the stage) so you can jump on the stage at the end of the show.

2) And don’t forget to grab a photo using the ‘head-in-the-hole’ photo stand-in on the first floor foyer, like our photo below.

Strictly Ballroom The Musical Details:

Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne—219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

www.strictlyballroomthemusical.com

www.facebook.com/strictlyballroomthemusical

Limited season opening on Saturday, 17 January 2015

Performance times: Tuesday-7pm; Wednesday-1pm & 8pm; Thursday & Friday-8pm; Saturday-2pm & 8pm; Sunday-3pm.

To book tickets: ask your hotel concierge or receptionist to book your tickets or book online at http://www.ticketek.com.au

Price: from $55 to $150 depending on the session and seating

Getting there: A short five-minute walk from The Swanston Hotel Melbourne Grand Mercure or Hotel Mercure Welcome Melbourne. Consider jumping on a tram if you’re coming from the Grand Hotel Melbourne or Hotel Ibis Melbourne Little Bourke Street.

Celebrate Australia Day with our cultural guide!

Published by We Know Melbourne

Australia Day Parade

Begins at Melbourne Town Hall and proceeds along Swanston St and St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Monday 26 January, 11am – 11:45am

Swanston St will be tranformed this Australia Day into a wave of colour and movement in a proud display and celebration of our diverse multicultural communities. This year’s Australia Day Parade will include all the favourite traditional cultural and community groups as well as some new faces. In 2015, in recognition of the ANZAC Centenary, the Australia Day Parade will also provide an opportunity to reflect on the contribution of our ANZACs through the participation of their descendants. We will also be drawing special focus on the men and women who serve in our local communities across the state – our emergency service volunteers.www.australiaday.vic.gov.au

Fireworks

At 9:30pm the Australia Day fireworks will light up the sky over Victoria Harbour in a display to rival New Year’s Eve. The fireworks will be synchronised to a Nova soundtrack and will be visible from various locations around Victoria Harbour. Stay after the fireworks for entertainment on the main stage until 10:15pm.

Official Flag Raising Ceremony

Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston St, Melbourne. Monday 26 January 10:30am – 11:00 am

Want to be at the centre of the action this Australia Day? Gather at the front of Melbourne’s impressive Town Hall for the Official Flag Raising Ceremony, a special address from the Governor of Victoria and the Australia Day Affirmation, led by the Premier. The talented students from the Vicitorian State School Spectacular will kick off the celebrations, while the officialdom will be complete with the magnificent presence of the Tri-Service Guard of Honour and the Royal Australian Navy Ban. www.australiaday.vic.gov.au

Other Events

The Village presents Australia Day

Celebrate Australia Day at Melbourne’s largest beer garden. Kick back to the sound of Triple J’s Hottest 100 while enjoying $5 Australian craft beer tinnies or one off Australian themed cocktail jugs with a $5 Aussie inspired menu. Visit the website here.

International Street Food Festival

Set to be a major annual Australia Day weekend event the International Street Food Festival takes over the Melbourne Showgrounds on January 25th and 26th. Feast on delicious street food in the sunshine and enjoy music from major international music acts. Visit the website here.

Australia Day Weekender at the Royal Croquet Club

Food, music and croquet down at the Birrarung Marr. Visit the website here.

RACV Australia Day Picnic and Federation Vehicle Display

A favourite with the families, enjoy a picnic at Kings Domain on Saturday 26 January with live music entertainment and a display of more than 450 veteran, vintage and classic vehicles. Visit the websitehere.

For the Love Festival

Set on St Kilda’s beautiful foreshore, this one day festival on Australia Day Eve will be a day of music, fashion, food and culture. Visit the website here.

Summersalt Festival

Published by We Know Melbourne

Launching this year, the Summersalt Festival will celebrate the arts over five extraordinary summer weekends. This outdoor arts festival will take place across various locations from the city laneways and courtyards through to the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art and Malthouse Theatre. The event includes some of Melbourne’s leading arts organisations such as Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Victorian College of Arts, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and many more.

Highlights include:

GENTLE IS THE POWER

“Choreographed by Chunky Move Artistic Director Anouk van Dijk, gentle is the power is an exploration of contained power. Created specifically for, and with, dancers James Vu Anh Pham and Niharika Senapati, gentle is the power merges Van Dijk’s physically challenging movement language with Pham and Senapati’s refined virtuosity.”

NGV SUMMER SUNDAYS

“Spend Sunday afternoons soaking up the sun in Melbourne’s best backyard – the NGV Garden.” Acts include British India DJs, I Oh You Djs, World’s End Press, Clubfeet DJs, Alpine and many more.

THE GIANT OPERA DRESS UP BOX

Dress yourself up in Opera Australia’s elaborate collection of costumes and take to the stage with your character costume.

SCOTCH + SODA

“A whiskey-soaked evening of raucous dance and dexterous feats – where the bands hold centre stage.” Add the acrobats and you’ve got yourself a show.

Visit the website for more information.