A Gochujang soft shell crab dish, served daily on the A-La Carte Menu at the Cove Bar & Grill at Sharks at Kareela, has been named the Southern Metropolitan Region winner at the 2022 ClubsNSW Perfect Plate awards.
Held at Doltone House on Jones Bay Wharf in Sydney, more than 160 club eateries from 142 clubs across NSW created a special competition dish for their menu, with Gina Louloudakis and The Cove Bar & Grill defending the Southern Metro title with the flavoursome Gochujang soft shell crab offering.
The Cove was also second state-wide for medium-sized clubs, with The Fraternity Club in Fairy Meadow and their La Trattoria eatery coming in first.
Making it two years on the winner’s podium for Sharks at Kareela and The Cove, last year’s winning dish of an eight-hour slow roasted lamb shoulder, also remains on the menu.
“We take pride in all of our menu items offered at the Cove, but it’s especially rewarding to be recognised for what we do with awards such as these,” Ms Louloudakis said.
“To be again named the southern metro winner and to be second in NSW overall for all medium sized clubs such as ours, is really a wonderful honour.”
The Bundeena Community & Services Club was second in the southern metro region category, with Cronulla RSL third.
With over 48,000 Perfect Plate dishes purchased by diners around the state, the competition’s ambassadors in high profile celebrity chefs Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel, were suitably impressed by the quality of the cuisine.
“We were blown away by the calibre of the Perfect Plate dishes in 2021, but clubs stepped it up a notch this year. I was fortunate enough to sample everything from osso buco to gochujang soft shell crab, the club chefs were so passionate about what they do, and you could really taste it in their food,” Feildel said.
While Fassnidge added; “After the turmoil the hospitality industry has faced in the past two years, Perfect Plate was a chance for club chefs to get creative, have some fun and work with their marketing and front-of-house teams to promote just how good club food can be. The competition was fierce — I’m glad it was up to the public to pick the winners and not Manu and I.”
Members and patrons from all the various clubs involved were invited to score the meals out of five and cast their votes in deciding the eventual winners.
Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta, Sharks at Kareela General Manager Justin Coulton, club duty managers and staff joined Ms Louloudakis in accepting the award (see photograph below).
The Cove Bar & Grill, located at Sharks at Kareela, is open seven-days for lunch and dinner.
Go the website at https://sharksatkareela.com.au/ to see the menu, make a booking or to find out more.
