Melbourne’s Marriner Group has engaged executive chef David Ricardo to put a fresh twist on its functions menu for all its venues including the Plaza Ballroom, Regent Theatre, Princess Theatre, Forum Theatre and Comedy Theatre.
Guests were treated to an indulgent sampling of Ricardo and his team’s six-course degustation last Tuesday, 4 July, at the Plaza Ballroom. With an impressive background at some of Melbourne and Hong Kong’s top restaurants including The Good Food Guide’s two-hatted Pearl and Chin Chin, Ricardo believes function and event catering should mimic the same quality that Australians (and Melburnians in particular) expect of restaurants.
The exclusive tasting included dishes such as seared tuna with apple dashi, pickled radish, picked ginger gel and wasabi sherbet; charred octopus with chorizo, potato and sweet corn and a dark chocolate mirror cube with freeze dried blackberry and sudcahi. One thing is certain, there’s no same old corporate dining menu here.
The Plaza Ballroom offers an ideal events space for corporate and special events for up to 520 seated or 1200 standing guests, located at the Regent Theatre on the Paris end of Melbourne’s Collins Street. Built in 1929, it’s reminiscent of a medieval castle with expansive high ceilings, Spanish Rococo architecture, Juliet balconies and glittering vintage chandeliers.
Words by Gwen Luscombe
