AUSTRALIAN OPEN
0 VIRGIN AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017
WORDSNATASHA DRAGUNPHOTOGRAPHYNIKKI TOCLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT 88 Melbourne
at the Australian
Open; Asif Mamun;
black cod from Nobu;
crisp globe artichoke
salad from Quay.On the Ball
F
ood and sporting
events don’t normally
go hand in hand in
Australia — soggy
chips, ‘meat’ pies and low-
strength beer are oten what
menus are made of. Which is
fine if you’re only planning on
hanging around for a few hours
to cheer on your team. But if
a match goes for the best part
of a day, you’ll want scope to
expand your dining horizons.
Enter the Australian Open
2018, the country’s only Grand
Slam and a chance for more
than one million people to
Taking over Melbourne next month, the Australian
Open is set to hit a few culinary winners.
14 DAYS OF FOOD
This year, the Open will also host its first culinary festival: 14 Days of Food.
Each day will have a pop-up event — think chef demonstrations and wine and
cheese tastings — plus dinners at The Glasshouse. Appearances will include Peter
Gilmore of Quay in Sydney, and Alejandro Saravia, who will oversee a farm-to-
table dining concept, Farmer’s Daughter, showcasing Gippsland produce.descend on Melbourne to
watch world-class tennis —
and eat seriously good food.
“We’re exporting the
notion of Australia in summer,”
says Richard Heaselgrave,
the chief revenue oficer with
Tennis Australia. “That’s about
having a lovely time in the sun,
blue skies and eating delicious
food. The average person at
the Open lingers for six to
eight hours. You try doing that
if you have to eat bad food.”
The culinary logistics
of any tournament this size
would have most chefsrunning for the door, but the
idea of plating up more than
65,000 meals in two weeks
hasn’t fazed Asif Mamun,
the event’s executive chef
for the past three years. His
signature Open restaurants,
88 Melbourne — named for
the year the Australian Open
landed at Melbourne Park
— and Laneway Club, ofer
a taste of the city’s diverse
dining options, not to mention
its exceptional producers.Mamun’s establishments
will be joined by more than a
dozen other eateries and bars,
including headliners Nobu and
Rockpool. “Our Nobu at the
Open will have a full kitchen
and dining room able to seat
more than 160 people,” says
Sean Tan, chef de cuisine at
the restaurant’s Melbourne
outlet. He’s preparing a la
carte and set menus that
feature firm favourites and
dishes created for the event.
Heaselgrave says taking
the eatery to Melbourne Park
was actually at the request
of the players. “A lot of tennis
stars eat at Nobu when they’re
visiting for the Open, and
they regularly ask us to bring
the restaurant on site.” He
adds that, while the event will
build on its food oferings in
coming years, it has long-term
partnerships with Nobu and
Rockpool. “We like to think
people can start booking
spots now for the next
instalment,” he says.
Other newcomers to
January’s Open include
Doughnut Time, Gingerboy,
Hunky Dory Seafood and
San Antone, while back by
popular demand are Mamasita,
Biggie Smalls by Shane Delia
and George Calombaris’s
Gazi. “We’re excited to keep
enhancing the food side of
things at future Opens,” says
Heaselgrave. “This is just the
start.” http://www.ausopen.com.