Love Bites.

WORDS ROBERTA MUIR

Photo: Melanie Dunea/CPi -
My Last SupperFRENCH FLAIR
French chef Guillaume Brahimi brought fi ne-dining to Sydney’s iconic Opera House with Guillaume at Bennelong. Now his Gallic charm and fine food are coming to Melbourne in March with the opening of Bistro Guillaume at Crown Casino. But first, he’s participating in ‘My Last Supper – The Dinner’ on 1 March at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (22 February to 8 March).

How will Bistro Guillaume differ from your Sydney restaurant?
With Guillaume at Bennelong I wanted to fi t my Gallic ways into the sails of the iconic Sydney Opera House. With Bistro Guillaume I’m having a little bit of fun being a Frenchman.

Have you found any good places to eat in Melbourne?
Nobu and Rockpool at the Crown Casino. I’m very happy to have them as neighbours, and am looking forward to greeting Maurizio [of Icebergs, North Bondi Italian fame] into the eating ’hood as well.

Where do you eat with the kids in Sydney?
Doyle’s is a stone’s throw from home. The girls run on the beach between courses and Violet (18 months), who is a very messy eater, can get a dip in the water to freshen up. We took Constance (seven) and Honor (five) to Guillaume at Bennelong for Honor’s birthday.After dinner they asked to run around and I said no. They asked: “What are we supposed to do then?” I responded: “Sit and talk at the table.” They were horrified.

You contributed a dish to Melanie Dunea’s cookbook My Last Supper. What would your last supper be?
A rib-eye of beef and an extraordinary bottle of wine, or two.

The photographs by Melanie Dunea from My Last Supper – 50 Great Chefs will be exhibited at The Atrium, Crown Casino, 26 February to 31 March. Free entry.
My Last Supper, Allen & Unwin, ISBN 9780747594116, AU$59.95.

Sian Bressolles works
wonders with her sweet
treatsBLOW YOUR OWN TRUMPET

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a White Chocolate & Turkish Delight Trumpet for two by Sian Bressolles, executive chef of Stone Restaurant & Bar. 161 Grey St, South Bank, Brisbane, tel: +61 (7) 3305 2518.

• Make two 15cm long cones out of fi rm clear plastic sheets and fi x with double-sided tape.

• Melt 160g good white chocolate and pour into each cone, rolling it around to coat the inside.

• Refrigerate until set then unmould and fi ll with 75g diced rose-flavoured Turkish Delight mixed through a cup of vanilla ice cream and freeze until firm.

•Garnish with a toffee ladder or just scatter rose petals and serve with a sparkling dessert wine.

Bressolles recommends Stella Bella Pink Muscat from Margaret River: “The pink of the wine and the Turkish delight is a match made in heaven.”

ROMANTIC TABLES FOR TWO

CAIRNS
Reef House Restaurant, 99 Williams Esplanade, Palm Cove, tel: +61 (7) 4055 3633
With the Coral Sea as a backdrop and 300 year old maleleucas swaying in the breeze, the deck of the Reef House Restaurant at Palm Cove (north of Cairns) might just take Queensland’s most romantic dining spot. Enjoy a Valentine’s Day à la carte menu and a rose for the ladies.

MELBOURNE
Grossi Florentino, 80 Bourke St, tel: +61 (3) 9662 1811
Melbourne’s European ambience always brings out romance. At Grossi Florentino, whether you dine inside the art deco dining room, alfresco on the sidewalk or in the casual Grill, a meal here is always memorable.

PERTH
Lamont’s, 11 Brown St, East Perth, tel: +61 (8) 9202 1566
Set on a quiet bend of the river in East Perth, Lamont’s is one of the city’s most romantic restaurants. On Valentine’s Day, kick off with a glass of Pol Roger Champagne, then enjoy a four-course set menu dinner with coffee and a Lamont’s handmade chocolate to finish.

ADELAIDE
The Lane Vineyard, Ravenswood Lane, Hahndorf, tel: +61 (8) 8388 1250
The Lane Vineyard, Adelaide Hills’ newest winery is offering a three-course Valentine’s Day ‘aphrodisiac dinner’. Start with champagne and oysters on the deck as the sun slips over the vines and behind Mt Lofty.