Details:

Port Douglas’ love affair with alfresco gourmet dining will be extended fully during this year’s Port Douglas Carnivale (20-30 May) with organisers announcing an all new cuisine event for this year’s program – Palates of Port.

Described as ‘Degustation under the Stars’, the event will see eight of Port Douglas’ finest restaurants and their chefs team up together: Bucci Ristorante; Head Chef – Shaun Malone, High Tide Beach Bistro Bar; Head Chef – Thomas Ahsendorf /Sous Chef – Phil Seely, Salsa Bar & Grill; Salsa Bar and Grill – Head Chef  Goran Zonai, 2 Fish Seafood Restaurant; Head Chef – Tommy Young, Bistro 3; Head Chef – Evan Seaward, Harrison’s Restaurant; Head Chef / Owner – Spencer Patrick and Sam Hiroki, Bel Cibo; Head Chef / Owner – Andy Gray, and Sakinah House Restaurant; Head Chef – Anthony Kramer.

Spokesperson Monique Leman said the event will showcase the exceptionally quality and high standards achieved by the restaurant industry in the region and is expected to become a signature event of Port Douglas Carnivale,

“The giant fig in Rex Smeal Park will be come the backdrop, accentuated with fairy lights, lanterns and up-lights of soft, atmospheric colours to create a magical setting for the eight course dinner. The area will be surrounded with white silk screens and at the base of the fig a small stage will provide the setting for each of the eight contributing chefs to demonstrate, in turn, how their dish is prepared and showcases the local produce which it incorporates. All the action will be displayed on a large projected screen so everyone will be able to see the preparation processes involved,” she said.

The climax of each dishes’ demonstration will be the serving of the dish from the on- location kitchen (built close by but out of view). To complete the menu, a team of local food and wine industry professionals will have matched the best of Australian wines with each of the eight courses.

“In conjunction with the theatre that will be created by the eight chefs demonstrating their dishes, the event will also be managed by MC Tammy Barker to ensure nothing is missed and the evening flows effortlessly,” said Monique Leman. ‘The MC will detail the menu’s dishes, conduct interviews with the chefs as they are working, and manage a program of entertainment during the night designed to enhance the atmosphere of celebration surrounding the event”.

Ms Leman said the evening was not about competition but co-operation between all the contributing chefs and their restaurants to illustrate Port Douglas is one of the best food destinations in Australia.

Palates of Port will take place on Friday 28th of May, 2010 at Rex Smeale Park commencing at 7.00pm. Tickets are $160 pp incl GST and available from www.carnivale.com.au.

When:

Friday 28th May, 6.30 pm.

Where:

Rex Smeal Park, under the giant fig tree.

Ticketing:

$160 .

Securely buy and print
your tickets for
Palates of Port
HERE

Contact:

Monique  0432 262 013   /    moniquespencer@live.com

Details:

SOLD OUT SORRY!

A new cuisine contest which pitches the master chefs of Port Douglas against each other in a public event for the first time ever has been added to this year’s Port Douglas Carnivale program.

The Carnivale Food Fight will take place on Thursday 27th May, with participating chefs from Bucci Ristorante; Head Chef – Shaun Malone, High Tide Beach Bistro Bar; Head Chef – Thomas Ahsendorf /Sous Chef – Phil Seely, Salsa Bar & Grill; Salsa Bar and Grill – Head Chef  Goran Zonai, 2 Fish Seafood Restaurant; Head Chef – Tommy Young, Bistro 3; Head Chef – Evan Seaward, Harrison’s Restaurant; Head Chef / Owner – Spencer Patrick and Sam Hiroki, Bel Cibo; Head Chef / Owner – Andy Gray, and Sakinah House Restaurant; Head Chef – Anthony Kramer.

A panel of professional industry-based judges, including Sydney celebrity chef Darren Simpson from the Lifestyle Food Channel, Sydney and Neil Hargreaves, Melbourne food publisher, will adjudicate the winner based on a number of criteria including the difficulty factor in preparation, the creative use of a ‘mystery’ ingredient, the skilled execution of the dish, how it relates to current cuisine trends and of course how good it tastes and looks.

Event spokesperson Monique Leman said the Port Douglas Sugar Wharf had been chosen as the venue for the inaugural battle of the region’s master chefs.

“A stage featuring eight cooking stations and a central area will be the focus of all the action. Each station will include a gas burner and a raised work bench for exclusive use by each chef. In addition to the basic equipment each chef is invited to bring with them equipment they think they might want to use in the preparation of their entry. Each station will promote the chef’s restaurant by displaying their brand,” she said.

The central cooking area will be set up to provide easy access for all the competitors to shared equipment including large roll top ovens, deep fryers and Weber Q bbqs. Food supplying sponsors will provide a large larder stocked with a broad variety of ingredients the chefs can access at any time. This larder will be the backdrop to the stage and offer considerable opportunity to show off and promote their wares.

A large projector screen will be hung and a live feed of the action on the stage will be projected throughout the competition, which will provide opportunities for interaction Ms Leman said.

“The doors will open at 6.30pm and give the audience an opportunity to mix and mingle with the competing chefs before the contest starts. Next, the event’s MC Tammy Barker will introduce the judges and the chefs, and reveal two ‘secret ingredients’. The chefs then have 10 minutes to design their two dish menu and gather the produce required from the larder to prepare it. Then the real action will commence, as the chefs launch into preparing their dishes in a 30 minute time period ready for presenting to the judges,” she said.

Throughout, the audience will be entertained with professional and informative commentary on what each chef is doing while they taste a variety of canapés provided by each participating restaurant. The audience will also need to pay attention to the cooking action and end result so as to ensure their ‘Peoples Choice’ vote qualifies them for the door prize draw; two tickets to join the Chef’s Table at the inaugural Palates of Port dinner the following night.

“Once the pots stop flying and the knives are put down, the judges will have 15 minutes to taste the dishes, compare notes and then present their scores to reveal this year’s Carnivale Food Fight Master Chef,” said Ms Leman. “There will then be a period where the chefs can mingle with the audience to celebrate or commiserate the results while continuing to enjoy the evening out on the deck.”

When:

Thursday, May 27th 6.30 pm.

Where:

The Sugar Wharf, Port Douglas.

Ticketing:

SOLD OUT SORRY!

Contact:

Monique at moniquespencer@live.com / 0432 262 013

Greeting Carnivale fans far and wide! Welcome to the dawn of the 2010 Carnivale social media extravaganza.

2010 sees Carnivale becoming even more community-oriented than ever before with the launch of a whole range of interactive social media options for people to stay fully informed about all things Carnivale. News releases. Events. Special offers. Ticketing, Gossip. Venue information. Accom & regional info for travellers. Merchandise. Sponsors. Music. Buskers. Family stuff. Food/wine stuff. Free stuff. Awesome stuff.

First up, we have this swanky new blog which will be constantly updated with news as it happens…. you can choose to subscribe via an RSS feed (what’s this?) or  a simple old fashioned newsletter (sign up on the right here), or just check in regularly.

We also have a Port Douglas Carnivale Facebook Page which we’d love you to “become a fan” of.

Then there’s our Carnivale Twitter Page!

Make your choice, or choose all of them and stay on top of the news that’s fit to print for Carnivale 2010.