Adelaide Festival

80s Inspired Long Lunch Series To Kick-Off Riverbank Palais Program

The Riverbank Palais has scooped up six of Australia’s best chefs to serve up delicious creations that give a nod to the 80s, which kick-started Adelaide’s iconic culinary scene in six Long Lunches

It’s the 80s that shaped Adelaide’s culinary greatness! We had set ourselves on a game-changing culinary crucible with restaurants like Neddy’s, Possums in North Adelaide and Petaluma shooting our city to worldwide culinary fame. What better way to pay homage to the era that punched above its weight and shaped the flavours of our nation than to journey through a culinary experience sparked with creativity, fusion and experimentation.

Each weekend, throughout the Adelaide Festival, from March 3rd to the 19th, the floating Riverbank Palais will bring together six of the country’s top chefs, for the Long Lunch series, to tantalise our taste buds in a spectacular Summer celebration of SA’s food and wine. Add the relaxed and beautiful setting of the magnificent beacon then you’ll be set to sit back and enjoy the incredible experience as the sunshine sparkles on the water.

The Floating Palais De Sanse on the Torrens, Circa 1924.The Floating Palais De Sanse on the Torrens, Circa 1924.

The Long Lunches will take you on a three-course sharing experience with a welcome drink and canapes on arrival. The fabulous line-up of iconic chefs includes Cheong Liew, Cath Kerry, Christine Manfield, Mark Best, Michael Ryan and Karl Firla. Each famed culinary master will create a sumptuous meal made from the best local produce while taking you on a journey through their own culinary story and paying tribute to the decade that put Adelaide on the map!

Now, what are the exact dates of these special series of lunches? They’ll be held on March 4, 11, 12, 13, 18 and 19 with only 210 tickets per sitting. And we hear you, you want to know who cooking what and on what day? On Saturday, March 4th Cath Kerry will come out of retirement to kick off the long lunches with an explosion of energy in her dishes inspired by the 1980s.

Next up is Mark Best on Saturday, March 11th, with the ‘Bounty of the Coorong’ dazzling us on the plate with pipis, Coorong Mullet or Coorong Angus Beef expected to make an appearance. Following on Sunday, March 12th is Christine Manfield whose ‘Brave New World’ menu intends to serve up bold flavours and experimental techniques that push boundaries and challenge the status quo. Of course, she’ll be ending with a bang with a Palais-inspired dessert. To end off in long weekend style, Monday, March 13th will see Michael Ryan stepping on the floating restaurant with Mediterranean-inspired courses that are perfect for sharing.

An original genius and certified legend of SA cooking, Cheong Liew will take us down memory lane on Saturday, March 18th, drawing on Adelaide’s ‘gastronomic golden era’ of the 1980s by bringing together his original dishes from the heady days of Neddy’s long table in Hutt Street. Liew will create a truly Australian multicultural long table feast with influences from Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia and the Americas. Ending off the Long Lunch series on Sunday, March 19th, Karl Firla will showcase adventurous ingredient combination for which he’s renowned for. Expect playful, quirky and bold as he takes you on a journey through his culinary experience.

The Long Lunches are the first ticketed event to go on sale from the Riverbank Palais program with tickets on sale today for $145 per person.You can get your tickets through BASS 131 246 or through the Adelaide Festival website.

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