Station 59

Station 59 , 59 Church Street Richmond.3121 Victoria Australia.

Not so long ago, station 59 was an empty shell , a run down  inner city pub, which looked like it  had last been renovated last, at least 40 or 50 years .Once the unofficial "Office" of the Fire station next door, recently acquired by the  Meza family and in particular managed and run by Jose the younger., it is now in good hands for a bright future.

He may have a baby face, but this man has run some of the best Kitchens in Melbourne. Starting his early years as an apprentice chef, he is the new and current owner of this fine establishment.

Once known for its pool comp , trivia nights, and raunchy barmaids,  Station 59 has re invented itself as a Fine old lady, brought back to her prime with an extensive make over, both décor, entertainment and food. The Front bars décor is tasteful and historic, but with touches of Hipster cool to keep the look on trend.

From the moment you enter, everyone is friendly and inviting. from the doorman on the main bar door, to the young lady serving the food, there are smiles all around.
Several moths  ago I heard a "rumor" that my friends had "acquired" an establishment somewhere in the Richmond area.
Things were quite on the rumor front until suddenly pics started appearing on face book . 

Jose the Younger, & Jose the Elder a formidable duo.

But not only that, this establishment has also opened Melbourne's Latest offering to Latin Cuisine, "El Tumi "restaurant.

 

Classic Peruvian home cooking done at its best,
 

Without any pretentiousness, this Tasty , well presented and generously plated meal was amongst the best Homestyle Latin cooking I've had in a very long time . Unlike other pretentious Peruvian restaurants in Melbourne the meals are. Not "deconstructed " or tamed down to make them totally unrecognisable as the original .

I started with the set menu, three tasty courses with a Pisco Sour cocktail thrown in for the opening nights service.
Starting the meal with Ceviche, a Peruvian classic with a gentle balance between the fish and the acidity of the citrus was great, years of experience most evident in the subtly of this dish Cudos to the chef. Presentation nice, not over the top, and taste..  amongst the best I've eaten anywhere, including Peru.

As the entree looked very large , I opted for a second Entree, Causa Rellena, a type of layered concoction . 

Made with tender prices of gently condimented chicken, layered lasagna style with mashed potatoes and served with a picante Peruvian style salsa. YUMM is all I can say.

I looked across at the size of plate of Tallerines or Peruvian pasta my friend had received I was glad I'd made a second entree choice.

Dessert was Picarones or mashed pumpkin doughnut style fried pastries served with a black sugar sauce , All in all an enjoyable and tasty meal. As we had ordered the set menu we also received a complimentary pisco sour , a Peruvian cocktail made with pisco , lemon and merengue style egg whites. We also enjoyed a a tasty bottle of Argentinean wine between the three of us .

• Was the food authentic Peruvian ? Yes
• Was the food tasty? Yes
• Would I go back again ? Yes
• Would I recommend this restaurant ? YES
• Service was attentive without being intrusive, oh and did I mention that there was live music as well? All in all an enjoyable night out.

                 and then the fun began.

Live music Friday Saturday and Sunday nights, featuring the cream of Melbourne Latin Talent. 

                                            But thats a whole other Blog

Bolivian National Day celebrations 2017

As every year, our un-official Bolivian Ambassador Freddy Gasser and his amazing wife Ada organise, cajole, and push the small but vocal Bolivian community of Melbourne together to celebrateBolivian National Day. This year was no different.

Invitations were sent out , email, text, phone calls, bush telegraph, all means were used to track down the 20 something known Bolivian families living in Melbourne, plus students, tourist, visitors , anyone really who had an affinity with Bolivia to come and celebrate with us.

The Independence Day, also known as Dia de la Patria, is a National holiday in Bolivia. Celebrations are held throughout the country and usually continue for two days. Patriotic marches, military parades, gun salutes, street dances and carnivals, and cultural events reflecting the rich heritage of the country are some common independence celebrations in Bolivia.

A Little History:

What is the historic significance of Independence Day in Bolivia?

The Spanish occupation of Bolivia, previously known as Upper Peru or Charcas, began in 1525, and at the time Bolivia was governed by the viceroy of Lima. During this period Bolivian silver became the mainstay of Spanish wealth. Spanish influence, however, began to decline during the Napoleonic wars, and the nationalist sentiments began growing due to a number of events in Spanish America, but mainly because of the efforts Simon Bolivar (Simon Bolivar was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led numerous wars against Spanish colonial rule in the region then known as Spanish America). Simon Bolivar's companions - Jose de San Martin and Antonio Jose de Sucre - also led many such campaigns.
In theory, Bolivia proclaimed its freedom in 1809, but it took another 16 years of war before Bolivia became a republic. Finally, on August 6, 1825, the efforts of Simon Bolivar were rewarded with the establishment of the Republic of Bolivia. The country came to be called as Bolivia after this legendary hero.And so the invitations went out, SABADO 12 de Agosto de este 2017, the location this year was a community hall in Thornbury, that fortunately had a stage, a large wooden dance floor and most importantly for Bolivians, a kitchen !, bring 

In true community stye, all the women were expected to bring food to share, drinks, and even our own cutlery and plates, so we left little or no waste footprint from this fiesta. Needless to say, the food was amazing, with most of the older Bolivian ladies, making their specialties, like "Lengua" , Fricasse, Saltenas, Pastel de choclo, and many many more favourites. I decided there was no point competing in the cooking stakes with these women, so I just brought along my simple Picante de Pollo, which a dear Bolivian friend Nahir Aranibar, had given me  years ago. Simple to make, and little risk of failure and humiliation.!

My two Beautiful companions for the night, Hanna & Sally

Food had finished and the Entertainment about to begin.

These young Tinku dancers wait in the sidelines for the music to start.

The dance group had driven down from Sydney especially to celebrate with us. The Bolivian Dance group Fraternity Santiago ,from Sydney,had made the gruelling 10 hour drive especially to celebrate with us.

Then followed the Saya, or Caporales dance style..The cosmos ornate and heavily embroiled with jewels and sequins.

No Bolivian fiesta is complete without the Diablada ! The dance about good versus evil.

What does the flag of Bolivia represents?
The national flag of Bolivia was adopted on October 31, 1851. It consists of three horizontal stripes of equal size. The top band is red, the middle is yellow, and the bottom band is green.

The green color symbolizes the lush fertility of the land, yellow epitomizes the natural resources of the country, and red represents the courage of the Bolivian soldiers who fought for the independence and for the preservation of the country.

Entertainment on the night was provided by a variety of people, many musicians, friends and whoever wanted to take the stage:  Cesar Chavez, Ricardo Carvajal, Michel Bestrin y Jose Diaz de Inkamarka, Jorge Santone, Amuru & Ivan,  nuestros amigos del grupo DE LA MANGA, Gustavo y Salvatore .