A1 & Friends with Victor Liong

Overview

Aussie chef Clayton Wells has no problem manning the kitchen at his Chippendale restaurants Automata and A1 Canteen. But, even so, he's inviting a few (highly lauded) mates over for a stream of joint dinner parties at A1. Next up in the A1 & Friends series, Wells is bringing chef Victor Liong in — he's behind Melbourne's Lee Ho Fook and has just opened Chuuka with Sokyo's Chase Kojima.

The duo will bring back Liong's now-closed Melbourne institution Lawyers, Guns and Money for a five-course feast on Wednesday, July 24. Diners can expect Chinese breakfast classics, served for dinner. The meal will begin with braised pig's ears with pickled veggies and peanuts. Course two is salt and pepper prawns with fish fragrant eggplant (a Sichuan banquet staple) and steamed prawns stuffed baby snapper, ginger and white soy. Then there's Liong's chicken and ginger congee, served with heaps of condiments like century egg, wonton skins and Chinese doughnuts, plus pickled ginger, spring onion relish and fried garlic.

Mains include cumin and chilli lamb noodles, chicken wings in a caramelised red vinegar sauce and garlicky cucumbers. For dessert, tuck into Hong Kong-inspired French toast topped with peanut butter, dulce de leche and maple syrup. And it all comes in for a tidy $55 per person.

While only the food is included in the ticket price, there will be plenty of specialty cocktails and other drinks to purchase — all of which will be on the menu just for the night.

Then, coming up on August 21, the series will finish off with Morgan McGlone (of Belle's Hot Chicken) throwing a New Zealand-style clambake, complete with Cloudy Bay clams and beers by Garage Project.