From the Chefs

Meet the Chefs

Talented chef Jeff Lamb has worked at top restaurants internationally, including Gordon Ramsey’s Aubergine in London and Daniel in New York. But he now calls Melbourne - and Tides Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar - home. Here Jeff delights diners with his French inspired menu.

Not surprisingly, dining at Tides is a real treat. The food is both tantalising to eat and stunning in its presentation. But there’s more! Day or night, you may get to watch magestic cargo ships glide silently by while glancing out of the spectacular floor to ceiling windows. Quite an experience! Tides dining room spills out onto a huge decked area that’s built into the river floor and actually overhangs the water. An indoor/outdoor bar surrounded in Italian granite juts out from the corner of the building and services both the deck and the dining room.

Do make a point of dining at Tides soon. You can make your way to Tides by car - just follow the river along from Southwharf, under the Bolte Bridge and past the Todd Road turn off (it’s about 5 minutes from the city centre). Or you can make an entrance by boat - and moor your boat right at the door! Tides Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar is open on week days for lunch and every evening for dinner.

Jeff Lamb loves using fresh asparagus so dining at Tides in Spring and summer, when fresh Australian asparagus is bountiful, is an extra special treat. Here is what Jeff has to say about fresh asparagus.

“The thing I love about asparagus is the rich history that this wonderful vegetable has. It was known as a delicacy in Ancient Greek and Roman times and has always been in high demand. On a personal level, I love the structure that asparagus can lend to a dish and the special earth tone element that asparagus adds to the presentation of a dish. This special vegetable can also lift any dish with its vibrant colour when perfectly cooked.

When selecting fresh asparagus, look for firm stalks that have compact tips. Asparagus should also be uniformly coloured. It should always be kept refrigerated, otherwise it will lose sugar and flavour and become tough. At Tides Restaurant we keep asparagus loose and always cover it with a wet towel to prevent it from drying out. Depending on the thickness of the asparagus, it may need to be peeled to remove the stringy outer skin. If the asparagus is relatively thin, then gently run the back of a knife over the stem to remove any of the barbs.

My two favourite ways of cooking asparagus are rolling it in extra virgin olive oil and chopped rosemary and char-grilling it for 2-3 minutes. This goes well with the earthy flavour of the asparagus. I also like steaming asparagus and serving it with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. While a simple method, it is hard to beat this and asparagus always tastes great with melted butter.

Tides Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar
Towards the Bay at 263 Lorimer Street
Fisherman’s Bend
PH 9645 6433
Website www.rivers.net.au

Recipes

Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto and Filo Pastry

Asparagus Custard with a Parmesan Wafer & Herbed Goat’s Cheese

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Copyright© Australian Asparagus Council. Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure that the information on this website is correct and up to date, no representation is made or warranty given (either express or implied) as to the completeness, accuracy or currency of the information that it contains. Last updated August 2007