The Times Australia
The Times Food and Dining

.

Esca x Moonhouse: Dining Experience

  • Written by The Times


Hong Kong Meets Melbourne at Moonhouse for One Night Only

FireShot Capture 902 - v1 Draft_Media Release_Moonhouse x Esca - Google Docs - docs.google.com.png

Borneo-born Chef Esca Khoo is taking over the Moonhouse kitchen on Tuesday, 25 October, to deliver a 5-course exploration of Neo-Asian and Hong Kong flavours, including a Moonhouse signature cocktail on arrival.

Esca comes with a wealth of culinary experience, having worked at top restaurants such as Noma in Sydney and Melbourne’s Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Esca’s recent tenure as Head Chef of the Movenpick Hotel’s Miss Mi allowed him to create his own menu, where he paired time-honoured Asian techniques, ingredients and flavours with modern cooking methods. Esca’s signature is his creative combination of Malaysian and Australian flavours. A dish created for Miss Mi - barbecued kangaroo skewer in Vegemite glaze with avocado and a macadamia nut satay - perfectly encapsulates his life, “half lived in Malaysia, half in Australia”. Esca's creative and playful no- rules approach to dining saw Miss Mi earning a Good Food Chef's Hat in 2021.

"I am delighted to be collaborating with Moonhouse, a restaurant that delivers a fun, contemporary take on traditional Chinese cuisine. I love cooking that reflects my Australian/Malaysian background, where I can showcase the intersection of Asian and Australian flavours in contemporary ways. I cannot wait for diners to sample my Hong Kong-inspired menu with the Esca touch." Says Khoo.

This is your last chance to sample Esca’s cuisine before he departs Australia to open his first restaurant in Malaysia.

Menu highlights include:

  • OG pickles
  • Braised cashew nuts
  • Crispy whitebait typhoon shelter
  • Sang Choy bow of caramelised boar
  • Glutinous pumpkin cake and bacon XO
  • Steamed oyster with potato and crab tomalley
  • Scallop, octopus & prawn chee Cheong fun, citrus, kelp dressing
  • White cut chicken, corn, garlic, mustard, and parsley oil
  • House spam fried rice with grilled char siew pork chop
  • Triple egg and pork mince
  • Fragrant spring vegetables
  • Chickpea tau foo fah with vanilla and ginger syrup
  • Hong Kong-style French toast with sesame and pecan butter

Commune Group Creative Director, Simon Blacher says, "I have been following Esca’s career for a while now. His approach to Asian food as a whole is very exciting. We cannot wait to have him at Moonhouse before he leaves Australia to take over the world.”

Event Details
Date: Tuesday, 25 October 2022
Time: From 6:00 pm
Address: 282 Carlisle St, Balaclava VIC 3183
Price: $145 per person
Tickets: https://www.sevenrooms.com/experiences/moonhouse/esca-x-moonhouse-8395330122 

About Moonhouse
Commune’s newest restaurant, located on the prominent corner of Carlisle Street and Nelson Street in Balaclava, opened in May 2022, bringing Chinese cuisine in a bistro setting The kitchen team includes Executive Chef Anthony Choi (Cumulus Inc., Firebird, New Quarter Group), Group Pastry Chef Enza Soto (Brae, Baker D. Chirico, Bibelot, New Quarter and Firebird) and Head Chef Shirley Summakwan (Tokyo Tina, Hanoi Hannah Volume II, New Quarter). Together the team will express the intersection of flavours in contemporary ways. 

Address: 282 Carlisle St, Balaclava VIC 3183
Website: moonhouse.com.au
Instagram: @moonhouse_melbourne

Food & Dining

Not all processed foods are bad for you. Here’s what you can tell from reading the label

If you follow wellness content on social media or in the news, you’ve probably heard that processed food is not just unhealthy, but can cause serious harm. Eating a diet dominated by highly processed foods means you’re likely to consume more kil...

Italian Street Kitchen: A Nation’s Favourite with Expansion News on Horizon

Successful chef brothers, Enrico and Giulio Marchese, weigh in on their day-to-day at Australian foodie favourite, Italian Street Kitchen - with plans for ‘ambitious expansion’ to be announced in the coming months.  Italian Street Kitchen: A slice o...

Après Skrew: Peanut Butter Whiskey Turns Australia’s Winter Parties Upside Down

This August, winter in Australia is about to get a lot nuttier. Skrewball Whiskey, the cult U.S. peanut butter whiskey that’s taken the world by storm, is bringing its bold brand of chaos to Aussie shores with Après Skrew: a mash-up of alpine energy...

450 people queue for first taste of Pappa Flock’s crispy chicken as first restaurant opens in Queensland

Queenslanders turned out in flocks for the opening of Pappa Flock's first Queensland restaurant, with 450 people lining up to get their hands on the TikTok famous crispy crunchy chicken tenders. The highly anticipated opening comes after months of d...

Times Magazine

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an online presence that reflects your brand, engages your audience, and drives results. For local businesses in the Blue Mountains, a well-designed website a...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beauty On Saturday, September 6th, history will be made as the International Polo Tour (IPT), a sports leader headquartered here in South Florida...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data analytics processes. The sheer volume and complexity of data can be overwhelming, often leading to bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Enter the innovative da...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right choice keeps your team productive, your data safe, and your budget predictable. The wrong choice shows up as slow tickets, surprise bills, and risky sh...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in the Sutherland Shire who may not have the financial means to pay for private legal assistance, legal aid ensures that everyone has access to representa...

Watercolor vs. Oil vs. Digital: Which Medium Fits Your Pet's Personality?

When it comes to immortalizing your pet’s unique personality in art, choosing the right medium is essential. Each artistic medium, whether watercolor, oil, or digital, has distinct qualities that can bring out the spirit of your furry friend in dif...

The Times Features

How much money do you need to be happy? Here’s what the research says

Over the next decade, Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire[1]. The Tesla board recently proposed a US$1 trillion (A$1.5 trillion) compensation plan, if Musk ca...

NSW has a new fashion sector strategy – but a sustainable industry needs a federally legislated response

The New South Wales government recently announced the launch of the NSW Fashion Sector Strategy, 2025–28[1]. The strategy, developed in partnership with the Australian Fashion ...

From Garden to Gift: Why Roses Make the Perfect Present

Think back to the last time you gave or received flowers. Chances are, roses were part of the bunch, or maybe they were the whole bunch.   Roses tend to leave an impression. Even ...

Do I have insomnia? 5 reasons why you might not

Even a single night of sleep trouble can feel distressing and lonely. You toss and turn, stare at the ceiling, and wonder how you’ll cope tomorrow. No wonder many people star...

Wedding Photography Trends You Need to Know (Before You Regret Your Album)

Your wedding album should be a timeless keepsake, not something you cringe at years later. Trends may come and go, but choosing the right wedding photography approach ensures your ...

Can you say no to your doctor using an AI scribe?

Doctors’ offices were once private. But increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) scribes (also known as digital scribes) are listening in. These tools can record and trans...