Ex-NOMA chef Elijah Holland leads kitchen at new Loti St Kilda seafood restaurant at St Moritz

An ex-NOMA chef is leading the kitchen at one of St Kilda’s most anticipated restaurant openings at the ritzy St Moritz complex.

There are a few kitchen rules chef Elijah Holland lives by: make everything from scratch where possible, source sustainably and make it delicious.

Chef Elijah Holland is leading the kitchen at Loti, part of the multimillion St Kilda development St Moritz. Picture: Mark Stewart

The former NOMA Australia and Lume chef lives to this ethos, whether he’s pickling, brining or pressing Mount Avoca olives into an oil or foraging wild cardoon (a native thistle grown near Bacchus Marsh and Geelong) and fashioning it into an artichoke dish.

Perhaps one of his most intriguing creations will be his icy take on ceviche at LOTI, the jewel-in-the-crown restaurant at St Kilda’s luxe St Moritz apartments.

The ceviche wears an icy hat representing the St Kilda ice rink. Picture: Mark Stewart

What an icebreaker. Picture: Mark Stewart

“I used the St Moritz ice skating rink (the building’s predecessor) as inspiration for this dish,” Holland said.

“The Spanish-style ceviche is made with native citrus using the best possible fish at the time … topped with a sheet office.”

Holland said it was hard to choose a favourite dish from his flame-powered, Mediterranean menu, but he expected the lobster to do well.

That sweet meat is butter-poached, wrapped in kelp, barbecued over flame and jostled with a kelp rigatoni that amps up that flavour-of-the-sea intensity.

“We serve it with the shell so people can crack the legs and eat the meat inside,” he said.

LOTI, an acronym for ‘lady of the ice’, is a coup for St Kilda, joining Stokehouse and revamped Hotel Esplanade overlooking the bay.

Loti’s whole lobster is butter poached, wrapped in kelp, barbecued and served with kelp pasta. Picture: Mark Stewart

14 The Esplanade, St Kilda, Wed-Sun, 11am until late. lotistkilda.com.au

Why Cafe Di Stasio closed

Eagle-eyed fans of St Kilda stalwart Di Stasio would have noticed the temporary closure of the Fitzroy St icon.

The long-running Italian cafe and bar hasn’t served a single cannoli or espresso since January, after suffering from the hospo industry’s version of long Covid – crippling staff shortages.

Fear not, as Ronnie Di Stasio and Mallory Wall hope to reopen their south-of-the-river baby in spring.

Ronnie Di Stasio and Mallory Wall at their new restaurant Di Stasio Citta. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

“We’ve held small events and private dinners every so often (at St Kilda), but we’re hoping to return in September,” Wall said.

“It may look a little different, but it’ll still have that Di Stasio DNA.”

Wall is hoping to revive the a la carte menu at its original St Kilda outpost after being forced to run set menus at Citta.

Michelle Visser Hodson and her kitchen garden.

Kitchen capers

Michelle Visser Hodson always dreamt of hosting farm-to-table cooking demos and growing tomatoes on her Elwood balcony wasn’t going to cut it.

Seven years ago she moved her family to Drysdale on the Bellarine Peninsula in a ‘now or never’ moment — establishing an appleorchard, veggie patch, chicken pen and now vineyard.

But it was after having family and friends over for lunch made from the garden’s produce that Harvest Experience came into its own.

“I started bringing friends and family over — I was always hosting someone,” she said.

“When Covid hit, I realised I missed showing people the garden and coming up with ideas to cook and that’s when we thought we’d invite the public along.”

Both Michelle and husband Greg have been hosting groups of up to six people at their property since November.

Each class involves a garden tour, cooking demo, three to four course lunch and wine from the Bellarine Peninsula, or if you’re lucky, their own vineyard.

“My husband is a winemaker and we have about half an acre under vine of shiraz and pinot noir,” she said.

While winter provides less yield from the veggie patch, Michelle is hosting a series of woodfire pizza and pasta and pinot masterclasses.

Harvest Experience classes: $135 per person includes lunch and drinks, Pasta and Pinot masterclasses: $120 per person, includes wine.

harvestexperience.com.au

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is turning 30 — and is throwing the ultimate feast to celebrate.

Birthday bonanza

Roll out the cake and party hats, our city’s favourite event – Melbourne Food and Wine Festival – turns 30 this year. To celebrate, 30 of Victoria’s best chefs under 30 will prepare the ultimate feast at a special gala diner on July 28.

Each chef will also take part in a dedicated dinner and lunch series in August.

While tickets to the 30 Under 30 Gala Dinner quickly sold out after going on sale, as well as flagship events at the Stokehouse, Society and Embla, there’s still a chance to see Etta head chef Rosheen Kaul, Holy Sugar’s Audrey Allard and Gimlet at Cavendish House junior sous chef Hannah Holleran at Cutler and Co on August 3 and Bar Liberty’s Zack Furst and Igni’s Bianca Johnston at Matilda 159 on August 2.

Food and Drink Victoria chief executive Anthea Loucas Bosha said: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating our 30th anniversary by shining a light on 30 of Victoria’s most promising young chefs.”

“We have the most dynamic young talent in the world, and we can’t wait to put them front and centre at 30 Under 30.”

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 30th Anniversary celebrations run from July 28 to August 17.

mfwf.com.au