Park Hyatt Chardonnay Dinner and bringing your manners to the table

20 April 2010, 02:52


It’s a nice feeling to be invited to events as a blogger. We don’t pretend to be all knowing food critics and eagerly look forward to expanding our knowledge of chardonnays and enjoying a degustation dinner thanks to the lovely Tasmanian winemaker Anna Pooley and Raje at the Park Hyatt Sydney.


Upon entering the room we are greeted with flutes of Seppelt Salinger Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2006 and a beautifully decorated table fills the Ocean Harbour room.


The view from our private room is amazing. Unfortunately there were people in attendance touted as “an expert in all things stylish and trendy” whose manners were so appalling it filled me with complete rage as they muttered condescendingly to their fellow highly coiffed dinner companion about how print media is more reliable than blogs. If you want to bitch about our incompetence and inexperience maybe do it when we’re not sitting directly in front of you!


Oh and tweeting “All those DSLR’S don’t exactly make for polite dinner conversation”? we were invited to this dinner with the intention of taking photos of the food and the wines, we didn’t use flash and we didn’t move around in our seats or disturb the whole restaurant. We were well dressed, well mannered and interested in learning about chardonnay but the taint of your rudeness hidden poorly behind your plastic smiles and your sideways glances was more than enough to sour the experience and make us want to hide behind our cameras. We were definitely not going to make an effort to speak with you after learning your true thoughts about us.

The Ninja is much more eloquent than I, with a writing talent that belies his age: “we are people too, who recognise that not everyone will share the same opinion, that not everyone will like what another person does – no matter how allegedly well-cultured or authoritative they may be. Our taste-buds are just like yours or any others’: fickle, tempestuous and utterly unique.


Argh! Seriously is there not enough room for the both of us, print media? Anywhos. Enough with the rage for now. Oh look here’s some bread!


Local cow’s milk burrata with vine ripened tomato and Lakelands olive oil. The cheese of my dreams! Have you ever seen a photo of something and known instantly that you will love it? i first saw the wonder that is burrata here and ever since then the pouch of cheesey goodness has eluded me. Until now. The burrata appeared in all its glory- a glistening mozzarella bauble filled with a river of glorious creamy mozzarella. Oh gawd.


The lovely Anna was soft spoken but very passionate when describing what was involved when making the chardonnays. She explained that she had picked the wines for the evening and the Executive Chef, Andrew McKeehad had created a menu around them.


Lightly grilled tuna with green beans, olives and crisp potato served with a Rosemount Diamond Label Unoaked Chardonnay 2009. Whilst beautifully plated unfortch the tuna wasn’t sashimi grade and the crispy potato threads was at odds with the slightly grainy fish. Its saving grace was the perfectly cooked quartered quails egg which was saved till the end. This chardonnay was my favourite of the night- light, fruity and very smooth


Toasted fregola cooked as a risotto with Australian scallops and puffed pork
served with a Rosemount Show Reserve Robe ‘Cool Climate’ Chardonnay 2009. The frogola pasta grains fall a tad short for me, personally because i love risotto with a bit of a bite to the grains. The scallop slices were perfect but the ‘puffed pork’ was more like pork floss? i had hoped for pork crackle bits hehe


Mmm wine


Barramundi fillet with poached leeks, celery and smoked oyster emulsion
served with Heemskerk Coal River Valley Chardonnay 2008. The barra is fall apart tender with an earth shattering layer of crisp skin


Slow roasted lamb saddle with lemon potato and spring vegetables. The portion size of the rosy pink slabs of lamb is enough to push me over the edge and i end up sharing my lamb so i can fit in dessert


Vanilla creme brulee with rosemary sorbet. i loved the presentation of the unmoulded creme brulee but was saddened to find no crisp blow-torched sugary layer to dig into. Also i would have preferred that quenelle of rosemary sorbet to be on the side, or, as a trio of sorbets as there was just a bit too many flavours happening with the macerated strawberries fighting for attention.


Shards of an almost gingerbread-like wafer style biscuits are studded with dark chocolate chips and macadamia nuts and demolished immediately. The night draws to a close and the food bloggers rise as one, immediately gravitating to each other. We are family. And we will rage together.

Chocolatesuze attended the chardonnay dinner as a guest of the Park Hyatt Sydney and Hausmann Communications

 

 

  1. It’s a shame that a narrow-minded group of shallow people should ruin a good experience for you all. They’re nothing but empty show ponies who work for a mediocre ‘fashion’ mag. Whatever your job or who you are, manners are manners and rudeness is never welcomed at the dinner table. Even if you’re wearing a bad pair of f*** me heels and a set of acrylic nails.

    I don’t even understand their animosity. They’re fashion print media (and I use the term fashion loosely) and you all are food bloggers. Two different worlds but I suppose people of limited inteliigence and grace are easily rattled by anything new or unknown to them. Not even their bad designer bags will save them. There is clearly something lacking from their lives if they feel the need to put people down. Perhaps lay off the hair chemicals and cosmetic surgery for some time?

    It’s obvious their plastic heads were firmly implanted up their well-coiffed assholes and I pity them. It’s a good thing you all had your DSLRs. As if you’d want to make conversation with those empty vessels of vitriol. End rant.

    Here’s to more happier meals Suze xx

    — Karen | C&C    Apr 20, 03:30 AM    #

  2. I thought the evening was a great way to learn more about chardonnays – it’s a shame that the generous spirit of the event was not embraced by all. As a wise man once told me, you don’t need a long neck to be a goose.

    — Helen (grabyourfork)    Apr 20, 03:35 AM    #

  3. I wonder if it was more out of self-defense; if the media folks noticed more attention, etc being lobbied at food bloggers?

    At any rate, it’s like the insecure kid in elementary school making fun of people to make him/herself feel better.

    Grow up. Enjoy the food. I know Suze is!

    — Albany Jane    Apr 20, 05:03 AM    #

  4. What Jane says, I think they’re scared ;)

    — Fiona    Apr 20, 07:21 AM    #

  5. Those people are lame and were obviously threatened. It’s ashame that it put a dampener on the evening though :( And oo toffee layer on the creme brulee? Noo…!!

    — Betty @ The Hungry Girl    Apr 20, 07:33 AM    #

  6. What a shame to have what looked to be a lovely evening of wine knowledge and delightful food tainted by an uneducated few which need to take manner lessons.

    — Sara    Apr 20, 08:16 AM    #

  7. Those people probably should learn some manners before learning their wine.

    — YW    Apr 20, 08:50 AM    #

  8. the rageeee!!!! LOL. Looks like a lovely dinner, now I am intrigued with the burrata. :)

    Did they tweet while dining? I didn’t know tweeting on iphone while dining is consider polite these days….

    maybe you just need to follow them into the ladies and share a few trails of coke and make up! HAHAHAHA

    OH i am so stereotyping!

    — billy@a table for two    Apr 20, 09:52 AM    #

  9. In some ways I’m glad that I’d not overheard such nasty conversation. Wasn’t even aware that there were nasty tweets too!

    It’s a shame that they ruined the mood of the dinner for those that had overheard. It stings me that I’d gone out of my way to be as courteous as possible for these people.

    Maybe I should have just pulled out my flash. Really give them something to complain about :P

    — Simon @ the heart of food    Apr 20, 10:12 AM    #

  10. I’m neither a food blogger nor a food critic (but I enjoy eating all the same :). I suspect its yet another case of old schoolers worrying about their livelihood, yet instead of producing they choose to spend their energy knocking others.

    IMHO the best solution is to simply continue doing what you’re doing. Obviously its good enough to raise their ire, and whilst they waste their energy putting bloggers down y’all can continue pleasing your readers.

    — goosmurf    Apr 20, 10:22 AM    #

  11. You, my dear madam, have truly done it for glory.

    — The Ninja    Apr 20, 10:22 AM    #

  12. How unnecessarily unpleasant of those people. Now I want to find who tweeted that!

    — Steph    Apr 20, 10:29 AM    #

  13. How rude! I can completely understand why you would rage at them coz even reading about it in your post pissed me off a bit. What a shame that they had to ruin a perfectly good night. And omg I want that burrata NOW! =P

    — Jacq    Apr 20, 11:32 AM    #

  14. Good on you suze, for holding your head up high in the face of these rude people. I totally agree with what Karen said!

    — linda    Apr 20, 11:33 AM    #

  15. I would kindly remind the print media snobs that ‘tweeting on your phone while at dinner’ does not make for polite dinner conversation either.

    ugh..

    attitude ftl.

    — Emily B    Apr 20, 11:56 AM    #

  16. What a bunch of mofos. Seriously you were invited and you were there to do what you do best. Some people just have a permanent pole up the butts. Its a pity you didnt have a better experience at the dinner.

    — Katherine    Apr 20, 11:59 AM    #

  17. people can be nasty! you’re right – you were invited to take photos, taste the food, review and blog – if you couldn’t take photos of the food and people, how else could you report properly? sketch it on a napkin and hope for the best? photoshop your memories of the meal? carr-azy.

    keep doing what you awesome food bloggers do best – they’ll catch up soon enough :P

    — tracey    Apr 20, 12:04 PM    #

  18. For Real?? Very, very rude.

    Obviously shitted off that the event was shared with bloggers.
    What a pack of wankers.

    BTW your rage was beautifully articulated. Nice work Suze

    — Reemski    Apr 20, 12:54 PM    #

  19. It doesn’t sound much like you’d be wanting to have polite dinner conversation with those people. >.<

    The dinner looks fab. I seriously wonder how all you food bloggers seem to keep your slim figures…

    — BuBbles    Apr 20, 04:51 PM    #

  20. Love the rage and the burrata.

    — Tina    Apr 20, 05:12 PM    #

  21. It is insecurity that makes people rude and discriminating. Continue as you are with grace, and because you know it brings smiles to our faces =)

    — mademoiselle délicieuse    Apr 20, 07:02 PM    #

  22. their comment about “All those DSLR’S don’t exactly make for polite dinner conversation” made me chortle (we are speaking about table manners after all ;))

    the fact that they weren’t expecting cameras once again cements why they are still stuck in the dark ages known as print.

    many are not oblivious to the fact that 1. a lot of print places are downsizing and 2. it is due to the fact that people are buying less magazines

    now why are they buying less magazines? because the smart magazines have come online and can be read for FREE

    sure it’s a great feeling to see your written article or photograph printed on paper but the tracking ability of the digital word can actually tell you that people are reading and viewing your work!

    keep up the good work suze and co. it says a lot when this music nut spends a lot of time looking at food blogs :P

    — Laurachel    Apr 20, 08:42 PM    #

  23. What insufferable wankers.

    — Rose    Apr 20, 09:06 PM    #

  24. The invite CLEARLY stated “… and foodbloggers”. Or maybe they couldn’t comprehend that.
    Ah, love this statement Suze! LOVE IT! “The night draws to a close and the food bloggers rise as one, immediately gravitating to each other. We are family. And we will rage together. “

    — Trisha    Apr 20, 10:38 PM    #

  25. Tweets are really never that difficult to find… right Melissa Hoyer @melissahoyer?

    Prob not the best thing to bad mouth the other half of the table. Remember what your grandma used to say?

    Time to learn a little more how the new world works? Count this as twitter savvy? …. Like this new thing called blogging? people read them, and believe in them.

    Unlike printed media…sadly.

    Suze – keep up the good work!

    — KFC Not so good when Coughing    Apr 20, 10:40 PM    #

  26. rofl at rage; I venerate your self control I would have fell into their trap and argued for hours (just as long as the booze kept coming)

    also read your blog more than magazines anyway haha.. and that buratta looks freakin awesome – screw conversation when you could be eating that lol

    — Lex    Apr 21, 12:10 AM    #

  27. While I appreciate that it would be difficult to hear nasty comments made about you, I do think that if you want to be a celebrity in the media industry (and take the good things like free dinners, invites to parties etc) you will need to develop a thicker skin. The rude people you have mentioned are essentially gossip columnists – it’s their job to stir the pot and create controversy – if you want to put yourself into this world you will need to take the good with the bad or else you will be upset every day. I think that your blog is great and I hope you continue. Chin up :)

    — BD    Apr 21, 11:42 AM    #

  28. Shame that some people have to be so rude when food bloggers were invited to the event. There is always one out there to spoil the evening. Not to worry, the food still looked amazing and the night seemed like fun.

    — Brenda    Apr 21, 01:13 PM    #

  29. wow…so this is what the ninja was alluding to. How rude and narrow-minded of them!
    Keep your head up though, what you and the other bloggers do is fantastic =)

    — Chris    Apr 21, 01:39 PM    #

  30. Gosh! How rude. It’s as though they have a right to bully others. Oh well. As with all bullies, it’s a sure sign of insecurity.

    On a brighter note – the food (and your photos) look wonderful!

    — Forager    Apr 21, 06:39 PM    #

  31. Such a shame to read of your night being not that enjoyable. They should know that we are here to stay and they should really build a bridge and GET OVER IT! I’d say.. Let them have their print media, we have the interwebs! HA!

    — Phuoc'n Delicious    Apr 21, 07:35 PM    #

  32. Love vanilla creme brule……..it’s so cute!!
    Wonderfull pictures!
    Remember this night only with good thinghs and forget all the rest!

    — Zia Elle    Apr 21, 08:24 PM    #

  33. I’m interested to know if the twittering happened during the dinner. If so, that’s quite impolite in itself.
    Nonetheless, the food and setting looks lovely. And you were with your foodblogger posse, so all’s well.

    — OohLookBel    Apr 21, 10:41 PM    #

  34. wow that barramundi looks awesome! i’m so jealous! any chance of sneaking me in with you next time? :P

    ps. look out for the billy kwong stall at eveleigh markets this saturday!

    — cathy x.    Apr 22, 10:22 AM    #

  35. totally agree about some of these people being driven by insecurity. you guys do such a great job, who needs proper food critics with a Proper Job Title! haha

    creme brulee nom nom

    — steph    Apr 22, 01:01 PM    #

  36. You go gurl! We don’t go around complaining about the sticks up their a** so what gives them the right to complain about our cameras?

    That final paragraph is so poetic /tear

    — FFichiban    Apr 22, 10:21 PM    #

  37. Such a pity Suze that the wonderful looking dinner was marred by some of the diners in the restaurant as well!

    — Trissa    Apr 24, 08:27 AM    #

  38. That is horrible – they should really pull that stick out of their a#$#. I guess they’re intimidated by the fact that magazines and print media is a dying breed after the internet. I wonder which tosser tweeted that – how ironic that they are tweeting about table manners at the dinner table.

    — Elaine (Three Wise Pigs)    Apr 29, 11:33 PM    #

  39. All your overseas travel looks like a YUMazing place to experience some exotic food. Check out our blog!
    Love Tickle Your Taste Buds

    — Tickle Your Taste Buds    May 13, 02:14 PM    #

  40. wow! i was down the other end of the table and had no idea this was going on!!! talk about oblivious :)

    — Anna @ Morsels & Musings    Sep 1, 02:15 PM    #

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