Corner Ridge Road &
Mt Dandenong Tourist Road
Olinda (03) 9751 2033
dine@wildoak.com.au

Lunch & Dinner Weds - Sun
Breakfast on Sunday

Ben Higgs Executive Chef at Wild Oak
  • coming soon....
  • Wed 12th May 2010
  • Coming soon to Mount Dandenong...'Relish'
    Warm comfortable cafe, open for breakfast and light lunch's. Specialising in cream teas, high tea and home made cakes. Located between The Chinese and The Indian, Mount Dandneong shops...watch this space!
  • Author: Ben Higgs
  • Wild Oak wants you!!!
  • Wed 12th May 2010
  • Wild Oak wants you to join our dynamic team! Full time front of house persons needed. This rewarding job includes day and late evening shifts. Applicant must be able to work as a team, and be self motivated to work alone. Service and hospitality experience preferred, but not essential. Expressions of interest to Jillypr@gmail.com or 03 9751 2033
  • Author: Ben Higgs
  • Wolf Blass Ben Higgs Signature Dinner
  • Sat 12th September 2009
  • Beijing:Wolf Blass wines
    (China Daily)Updated: 2009-08-08 14:39

    It was difficult to say which was better, the food or the wine, at a wine tasting held recently by ASC Fine Wines. The event had Australian chef Ben Higgs, of Wild Oak Restaurant, prepare five courses to match five Wolf Blass gold label wines.
    The tasting was held to mark the 75th birthday of Wolf Blass, founder of the Wolf Blass winery. Blass arrived in Australia in 1961 and since 1966 his winery has grown from a humble tin shed in the Barossa Valley to one of the country's most successful and recognized winemakers.
    Higgs matched the first wine, a Gold Label Riesling 2008, with a starter of duck liver parfait with brioche. The well-balanced, floral Riesling with a sour citrus flavor helped offset the greasy duck liver, with its pleasantly rich and smooth taste.
    The second wine, a Gold Label Chardonnay 2007 from Adelaide Hills, made a much better impression, with a more complex structure, and a fuller, stronger impact on the palate. Higgs matched the wine with a rolled Atlantic salmon on round leaf mint, giving it a smoother taste than usual.
    For the third course, Higgs presented a tasty spiced rubbed Australian lamb rack, put through a 48-hour marination process, which almost outdid the wine to match it, the Gold Label Carbernet Sauvignon 2006. Higgs said he gave the lamb a slight char on the surface, to match the wine. One would have expected a stronger wine to match the lamb.
    This was followed by the Wolf Blass Gold Shiraz 2006, matched with a panko crumbed veal tenderloin, with its strong blackberry fruit, spice and smoky oak flavors. Lastly, came a Gold Label Botrytis Semillon 2006, which has a pleasant rose aroma. It is a wine balanced in sweetness, and not so rich. Higgs' dessert, a soft, smooth tasting coverture chocolate and wattle seed terrine, was a genuine treat.
  • Author: Ben Higgs
  • Wild About Wine Tour
  • Sat 11th July 2009
  • Saturday 1st August Wild about Boutique Wine
    Half Day $85 per person.
    This very personal tour takes you behind the scenes to three of the family run boutique wineries set away from the main tourist route. The tour includes wine tasting at all three wineries, lunch with a glass of red of white wine and a shared antipasto platter for afternoon nibbles.
    Itinerary 11.30am - 12 noon pick up
    Wild Oak Restaurant ? lunch at the award winning Wild Oak, renowned for using only the finest local produce and native herbs and spices. Lunch is a main course and glass of red or white wine, from Elmswood Estate. Enjoy the scenic route through Monbulk and Silvan area, an area renowned for its? cherries and berries? hydroponics strawberries, soft fruits and apples. Elmswood Estate ? this family run boutique winery offers several reds and whites to be enjoyed at your private tasting. Grape varities, methods and growing will all be explained in this very personal experience. Five Oaks ? located among the lush, rolling hills on the southern side of the Yarra Valley. The vineyard slopes gently westward, overlooking cherry and stone fruit orchards, with Mt Dandenong in the background. Five Oaks specialises in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot and Riesling wines. Seville Estate ? 4pm enjoy a personal tour of this small family run vineyard. An antipasto and cheese platter to share made with the best fresh regional produce.
    Be driven through the forest on the unmade road to R J Hammer Arboretum with its lovely views of the mountain to the Ranges.
    Drop off to your pick up point at around 5.30pm.
  • Author: Jilly PR
  • Coxy's TV Gnocchi Recipe
  • Fri 15th May 2009
  • Hi,
    i have posted the recipes from my session on TV with Coxy's big break for anyone who wants to give it a go at home.

    Best of luck

    Traditional Italian potato gnocchi
    Recipe
    · 1.5 kg large floury potatoes (coliban or sebago are good)
    · 2 eggs
    · Flour as needed
    · Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
    · Extra virgin olive oil
    · 100g finely shaved parmesan
    Method
    · Peel and chop potatoes, rinse well and then bring to the boil from cold salted water.
    · When cooked (test they slide easily off a small vegetable knife) mash out onto floured bench, for best results use a mouli or a drum sieve
    · Add all other ingredients into a well and knead together until combined. Be careful not to overwork or it becomes starchy and tough.
    · Roll into a big sausage and cut about 1cm thick
    · Blanch in salty water until they float then cool on an oiled tray

    Basil Pesto
    Recipe
    · 1 bunch of basil
    · 100g freshly toasted pine nuts
    · 2 cloves garlic
    · 200g freshly shaved Italian parmesan
    · Extra virgin olive oil
    · Sea salt flakes
    · Cracked black pepper
    Method
    Combine all ingredients in a food processor or mortar and pestle and then process until smooth
    Toss gnocchi through fresh pesto with lots of shaved parmesan, and torn proscuitto
  • Author: Ben Higgs