Tetsuya demonstration: David Jones

When I read about the legendary Tetsuya Wakuda doing a demonstration at DJs Food Hall, I was suitably excited at the prospect. However apart from reading a blurb in City Weekly and (of course) posting the details here on GrabYourFork (I look after you don't I?), there didn't seem to be much other publicity (unlike Pinkcocoa's experience during Good Food Month here).

So it was probably totally unnecessary for me to race down there at 4.40pm in preparation for the 5.30pm official start. In fact people didn't really start arriving until 4.50pm whilst I tried to browse nonchalantly in the local vicinity...

It did mean though, that I ended up second in the queue (I meandered a bit too long) and pegged camera pole position directly opposite Tetsuya. Woohoo!

Tetsuya was spruiking his branded product range, predominately his oyster dressing (grapeseed oil, rice vinegar, soy and ginger) and black truffle salsa. However the pitch was secondary to his gracious urge to feed the starving masses before him. "Don't worry," he assured us. "There is plenty to go around, and we will make sure that no-one leaves here hungry."

And so he began.

Tetsuya's for Oysters


Shake bottle vigorously before splashing generously over a dozen plump and juicy Pacifics.


Garnish with a sprinkling of finely chopped chives.


Watch them disappear amidst a sea of drool.


Verdict?... Good... Sooooooo good.


"More... more," they wailed.

Salmon sushi on avocado

Blitz one avocado with half a litre of milk and salt and pepper to taste.
Coat the bottom of individual bowls with the avocado sauce.
Add a mound of sushi rice, top with salmon slices and garnish with chives.


Who knew avocado and milk could taste so good? And so easy too. I was even inspired to replicate this the next day (see pic and post here).

Tetsuya also advised it was essential to moosh everything up together so the rice and salmon were coated in the creamy peppery avocado.

Divine.

Baguette with Tetsuya's Black Truffle Salsa for Butter.

Mix 40g salsa with 160g butter and 25g of finely grated parmesan cheese.
I have a jar of this at home.
Bliss.

Smoked Tasmanian ocean trout with Tetsuya's for Oysters

Drizzle ocean trout with dressing and serve on a bed of onion salad

There were a couple of dishes I didn't manage to get a photo of as it was mainly the chefs in the background who prepped up the sample plates before they were set upon by the (near-rioting) masses.

Other samples included:

Sweet corn soup - sweat off onions in a fry pan, add freshly sliced-off corn kernels and add spring water. Bring to almost-boil then turn off heat and allow to cook. Blitz and serve with a dollop of basil cream (Tetsuya uses basil ice cream in his restaurant).

Crab sandwich - fresh crab meat on soft white bread with black truffle salsa butter.

Tuna slices with Tetsuya's for Oysters, chives and shiso leaves.

Tetsuya was ever the gracious host, even chastising the chefs for being stingy with the truffle butter! "If we are running a restaurant and having to pay for the ingredients then yes, be stingy," he chided, "but we are giving all of this away so be more generous!" he kept insisting to his helpers.

"We need more food," he would plead. "They are hungry!" as sample plate upon sample plate vanished.

And then he even mingled amongst the crowd for photos. And yes I got a pic with him. Here's one half of it...


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Tetsuya Masterclass and degustation (Mar 2010)
Tetsuya's, Sydney (Apr 2005)