MoVida Next Door - the making of my October Dish of the Month

You may remember my Dish of the Month from October, a crumbed Spanish anchovy on a disc of impeccable fresh curd from MoVida Next Door.

Even after writing about it late last year, I couldn't stop thinking about making the cheese myself, it sounded so easy but I knew, as it is with things like this, it's all in the technique.
If I was going to be able to make it I'd need a good mentor and I knew just the people.

So as the perfect excuse, I called the incredibly hospitable people at MND and asked if they would show me, and how nice are they... they agreed, in fact Michael and Dave were charming.
This video is a joint project between myself and the passionate people at I eat I drink I work, of whom I've know since I was a featured blogger last year.

I had so much fun planning and filming this, I hope to do some more in the future.

I hope you find this as inspiring as I do...,

...oh and a little disclaimer, my sincerest apologies to the people of Spain and all Spanish speakers around the world... my pronunciation of the dish even makes me wince!

MoVida Next Door

I'm loathed to do it from a point of view of balance on my little blog, but the truth has to be told.

My Dish of the Month for October is an inspired tapa from MoVida Next Door. The reason I am so torn is because my very first dish of the month, back in September last year was from MoVida, before the little brother next door was born.
I hate the imbalance of two dishes of the month from the same group of chefs, but the food tells me it was the best that month and trust me it was fantastic. So I can't deny it...

October Dish of the Month - Cantabrian anchovy with fresh curd from MoVida Next Door
A crunchy, golden breaded, anchovy served on top of a disk of fresh curd (so perfect you could still see the drainage hole marks from the mould) a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil $4.50 each

PDC and I dropped in for a bite, late last month, just before I went across the road to have a look at the über savvy Greenhouse by Joost.

We had been warned by experienced Next Door addicts, to be there very early and be prepared to wait for space - even a 6pm. So there we were, at 6 on the dot and managed to secured the last free spaces for what I am sure would have been the rest of the evening.
We managed to eat our way through most of the offerings but the anchovy and fresh curd has been lingering on my mind ever since.
So much so, I just had to phone and ask some questions so I could give you the full run down (this is definitely a first for Eating with Jack).
I spoke briefly with Dave Roberts the head chef at MND and was very pleasantly surprised to learn that they make the fresh curd every morning in the kitchen. Just normal pasteurised cows milk (though he said they would like to use sheeps milk in the future) and a little rennet left at 38C in moulds and then voila, fresh curd. Topped to order on a rustic looking plate with the fried Spanish anchovy.
Next time I'm ordering two, actually maybe three!

If you haven't been to MoVida Next Door yet, you really must.

Dish of the Month

My dish of the month
Yes a new feature, inspired by PDC. I'm known to make rash statements, "like this is easily the best dish we will eat tonight" (when we have barely started entrees) or "it's new world pinot, maybe NZ", (when I have only smelt the glass), so when I remarked last week end that this was my dish of the year, PDC urged me to start this as a monthly feature, to see if I was right... he's tricky isn't he!

So here it is, my pick for September.

Tom Cooper smoked kingfish with pinenut sorbet - MoVida

This dish was a special, but it was very, very special. The elegantly smoked kingfish was dressed with a creamy pinenut dressing, some oil and a scattering of micro herbs and pinenuts, and then the component that made the others sing, a quenelle of creamy, nutty pinenut sorbet.

Tom Cooper is a legendary Melbourne smoker. An expat Canadian that moved here when our food scene was much less sophisticated and has worn a few different foodie hats in his time, but now he smokes things. When I say things, mainly hand pin-boned fish but also the odd tomato, and the odd handful of salt (god knows how he does this). The key thing about Toms smoked products is the attention to detail, care and passion, this is the highlight of my dish at MoVida. The gentle smokey flavours that meld with the others on the plate to create a dish of contrasts and complements.
Jack

Bar Lourinha

Until Bar Lourinha came along a few months ago, if you wanted a smart tapas bar MoVida was the only place. There is now a bit of a divide, the MoVida fans and the Lourinha fans, and the fence sitters.

I have to say I enjoy both, but if I wanted to make the tapas a meal, MoVida is my choice. If I wanted to have a drink and watch the people come and go, Lourinha is my pick. I enjoy the food at both but I get a sense of refinement from MoVida, Lourinha offers what a feel is more of a true Spanish tapas reflection (I will be in Spain later in the year, so I can reflect upon that when I get home), it’s not meant to be tricky, it’s just meant to be tasty.
The staff at both are slick, educated and enthusiastic, yet again MoVida gets my vote for the staff also offering a level of ‘bar theatre’ for lack of a better term. I nearly on occasion, begin to start butting in on the in-house jokes and jibes myself, it reminds me of a big family dinner where there is always some type of long running and excruciatingly hilarious bagging going on. Love it.

What are your thoughts? MoVida vs Bar Lourinha

Jack