There’s a new event in town called 8th at 8 and I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the very first one that was launched on 8th of September 2019. So the concept was on the 8th of the month at 8PM you will be served a unique 8 course meal prepared by the chef especially for the night with another 7 others to make up 8 diners. The first one was as Rokkbank & Co in South Melbourne and for this occasion, everything was closed to make our dinner more intimate. Entering the beautiful venue, we were greeted with drinkies upon arrival (now who doesn’t like a bit of bubbly) and we explored the venue.
Downstairs is the wine cellar and you can see it perfectly from the top through the glass floor. Packed with many wines and a versace rug at the bottom, it’s chic, it’s cool and totes vibing.
The night started off with an oyster shot in mirin and sake and it was fresh and went down real easy. The mirin and the sake together made it awesome.
Tasmanian Oyster Shot with Mirin & Sake
The trio seafood platter came out with kingfish sashimi, ocean trout tataki and teriyaki glazed smoked eel. Everything was super fresh and full of flavour. The smoked eel was delish but it was a touch on the fishy side which was unfortunate.
Hiramasa Kingfish Sashimi, Prawn Remoulade
Petuna Ocean Trout Tataki, Oroshi Grated Daikon Radish
Teriyaki Glazed Smoked Eel, Tofu, Pickled Plum & Bonito Mayonnaise
The blue swimmer crab wonton ravioli was oh so delish. The wonton skin was so thin and the filling was frigging awesome sauce. It had a teeny kick to it due to the chili sauce but it wasn’t super strong.
Blue Swimmer Crab Wonton Ravioli, Chili Salted Calamari, Chili Crab Sauce
The toasted brioche charlotte filled with mushrooms was the absolute BOMB! Crispy on the outside and once you break it open, the sweet mushrooms oozed out. A tiny truffled poached quail egg on top and damn that porcini sauce was to die for!
Toasted Brioche Charlotte filled with Mushrooms, Water Spinach, Truffled Poached Quail Egg, Porcini Sauce
I love a good duck and the roasted duck breast was cooked to perfection. It was succulent, it was juicy and it just oozed flavour. It had lup cheong which is a chinese sausage and everything mixed together was oh so delish.
Chinese Roasted Duck Breast, Soya Beans, Chickpeas & Lup Cheong Cavalo Nero, Hoisin Duck Sauce
The grilled wagyu beef skirt steak was cooked medium rare but it wasn’t as soft and tender as I’d like it to be. The mushroom puree and the Yakiniku BBQ sauce was so smooth and delicate.
Grilled Wagyu Beef Skirt Steak, Mushroom Puree, Bamboo Funghi, ‘Corn on the Cob’, Yakiniku BBQ Sauce
I love a good drink but I also love dessert. Why not have the best of both worlds and have a dessert cocktail? The coconut gelato was so coconutty and the pistachio floss made the whole thing so pretty! The soymilk crisp gave it a nice crunch. Also, throw in the Frangelico and spiced rum into the gelato and fairy floss and you got yourself a sweet and (super) strong drinkie and it wasn’t my cup of tea as a dessert cocktail when mixed together.
Coconut Milk Gelato, Pistachio Floss with Frangelico & Spiced Rum with Soymilk Crisp, Parsley Cheesecake, Verjuice & Yukari
Finally for dessert we had a vanilla, yuzu and yoghurt panna cotta and it was oh so jiggly. Unfortnately the yuzu could have been a touch more stronger but other than that, it was awesome sauce!
Vanilla, Yuzu & Yoghurt Panna Cotta with Seasonal Fruits & Pistachio
I had an amazing time at the launch of 8th at 8 at Rokkbank & Co. The food was awesome sauce, the service was perfect and the company was great. If you’re interested in attending 8th at 8, sign up on their website and register so you can check out which restaurants will be participating in this dining event. It’s a great way to eat with your closest 7 friends or make new friends with 7 strangers. Either way, you won’t be disappointed with great food and a fun time.
Verdict: 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Food: 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Service: 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
Value: N/A
Disclaimer: I was invited to dine by 8th at 8 and Rokkbank & Co and all opinions expressed are my own.
334 Clarendon St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Tel: (03) 9696 1030
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