MB GC
WHERE TO START?
“At Balboa I wanted a menu with a confusing quality,” explains owner and Executive Chef Eddie Uzan.
It’s simple food in the kitchen, and less formal
“Not confusing as in ‘a pear and carrot jus on raw wagyu fillets’ – like ‘what’s that going to come out like?’ – but confusing
in that everything sounds good and you won’t know what to choose.”
– that image of the mama welcoming you in
Ever the host and keen to get you started, Uzan here shares with MBGC his recommendations from among Balboa’s
starters and sides. We also hear from Balboa Bar Manager Giorgia Zanzani on one of her gorgeous custom cocktail.
MARGARITA PIZZA
A very traditional pizza with a Roman-style thin crust. The crust was a
big decision! Before we opened we actually surveyed 1000 locals asking
what crust they preferred – thick or thin.
We use Shaw River handmade buffalo mozzarella from Melbourne
and then there’s a secret to our tomato paste – we crush them with
a mouli… a blender allows too much air into the paste and that can
sour the tomatoes.
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BUFFALO MOZZARELLA AND HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD
This is a very summery salad, very Gold Coast really. I used a sweet
corn vinaigrette from Cudgen on the bottom and a red wine vinaigrette
on the top, to give the salad that crispness.
The vinaigrettes are the two poles, and offsetting them is the really
rich and milky cheese. It’s a refreshing salad and it’s already become
a signature dish.
OCTOPUS (STARTER)
CARAMELISED PASSIONFRUIT CAPRIOSKA
We put Alaskan octopus together with a fresh herb and bean puree
and get fireworks! It’s a nice summery starter – a warm and cold dish.
I made this up on the spot at Avvia – a customer asked for a sweet
drink because she didn’t want to get dessert.
The braised Octopus is finished in the pan with olive oil and lemon
juice, matched with an earthy creaminess from the cannellini beans.
The watermelon and zucchini bring a freshness to finish it off.
We cut the passionfruit in half and add raw sugar, then with a torch
caramelise it into a hard top, like a creme brule. I don't like the amount
of sugar in cocktails and always look for other ways to sweeten a drink.
There are two ways to enjoy it – scoop the passionfruit out and enjoy
it separately or mix it in the drink. Giorgia Zanzani