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Lifestyle, Fashion

Ultimate Progressive Dinner at The Block Ch9

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The World Loves Melbourne was invited to an Ultimate Progressive Dinner and Media Preview of The Block Fans v Favourites. With the much anticipated auction upon us, this was one of those invites you prioritise, personally being a big fan of The Block. What I discovered was that on close inspection the apartments are uniquely brilliant and I found myself admiring the talent of all of the teams - Alisa and Lysandra, Brad and Dale, Kyle and Kara and Steve and Chantelle.

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Upon arrival in Albert Park at The Block location, we were ushered in to the impressive Common Room, built by all the contestants, for champagne and Samsung canapes of Beetroot Terrine, horseradish drizzled with a balsamic glaze and Kataifi wrapped in a prawn roll with lemon chervil dressing. The pool looked tantalising and I wanted to jump in with my clothes on, a la the contestants.

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The Samsung representative spoke about the Samsung story and specifically the world class 85'' Samsung UHD TV from The Good Guys won by Alisa and Lysandra - who wouldn't want one of these huge TV's? All apartments feature home entertainment packages from The Good Guys and Samsung.

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Then it was time to check out the fine work of the talented boys (and awesome comedy duo) Brad and Dale... We were served this Fisher and Paykel entree of Quinoa with spring vegetables infused in Moroccan spice ras el hanout. Fresh and tantalising...

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Open living, comfortable couches and a surprising sense of style. The boys may be laconic but they can pack a punch when it comes to finesse and presentation.

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The massive Fisher and Paykel kitchen caught my eye, as a futuristic cutting-edge kitchen placed in a warehouse setting. The statement feature in this kitchen is the artistic curved Serrafina Solid Surface benchtop, perfectly balanced by striking overhead pendant lighting.

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The artwork and light fittings display a mountain of flair...

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About 20 media reps enjoyed the evening, from food bloggers to design and style mags. Comparing the apartments live to what we had seen on TV was fascinating. You can appreciate the quality of the finishing and the effort of the contestants.

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To be honest I shop at The Good Guys anyway because I find their prices excellent and their service superior. So I was enthused to lift up the Instagram board...

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Fisher and Paykel also treated us with Cardamon pomegranate glazed lamb short ribs, served with cauliflower veloute and roasted romesco.

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The fireplace in Brad and Dale's apartment is a highlight with clever storage of timber...

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The semi industrial look from the pipe is another feature of this stylish apartment.

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I understand Brad and Dale purchased a larger table since their intial table was too small...

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Surprisingly funky artwork in the bedroom...

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No to mention a raw timber feature bench with this attractive basin.

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Then it was off to Steve and Chantelle's apartment, with appliances from Electrolux. This apartment is an entertainer's dream. An oversized island bench top is the feature of the kitchen that blends with surrounding dining and living spaces. by placing the cooktop on the island and incorporating a glass framed display unit within easy reach for glasses and serving ware, the kitchen cements itself as a tru entertainer's delight.

Chantelle and Steve's kitchen features a stylish Electrolux French Door Fridge and Centrepiece five burner Gas Cooktop.

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I enjoyed the open living feature of this apartment.

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Flowers enhance the ambience of any apartment...

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Electrolux Main Course featured Tetsuya's signature confit of petuna ocean trout with fennel salad. 

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The Electrolux representative spoke to us about the fact Electrolux have components in some of the world's top appliances. I feel in love with the retro backdrop and exposed brick.

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Electrolux also served us Peking spiced duck rillettes served with pickled onion, almond and chervil. 

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Chantelle and Steve's apartment has the funky touches...

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Then we were surprised by the advent of Darren Purchese, one of Australia's top chefs, greeting us at Kyal and Kara's apartment. Science meets sweetness, as Darren and his wife served us Fizzy Gin and Tonic permeated grapes with marshmallow and lemon verbena bubbles by Burch & Purchese. This was the wow factor! The fizzy gin and tonic exploded in the mouth and the bubbles were a dessert in themselves.

The liquid nitrogen "smoke" cascading from the bench to the floor of the Super K kitchen brought a sensational sense of theatre.

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Not to mention the Chocolate Lollipops below...

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The Super K's used Bosch premium products to produce a modern industrial theme. This kitchen easily caters to families and entertainers due to its functional layout and ample space.

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The Bosch representative spoke about the quality of the kitchen and appliances, including the Bosch Gas Cooktop, Bosch Slideout Rangehood, Bosch Built In Oven, and the Bosch Stainless Steel Fully Automatic Built-In Espresso Machine.

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Again, I appreciated the funky touches and use of textures with this brickwork...

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Then it was off to check out Alisa and Lysandra's stylish apartment, which felt like a spacious New York style apartment.

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The girls have designed a functional kitchen that defines sophisticated elegance. Alisa and Lysandra have thoughfully created a frame of cabinetry along the main kitchen wall to 'anchor' their kitchen in what is essentially a large, open plan loft space.

To create a centre point to this sophisticated design, the appliances are more or less symmetrical, with the built-in coffee machine and expansive storage solutions ensuring clean lines are maintained. And of course the colour palette is on trend with white, graphite gloss and timber with natural elements, echoed by the mirrored splashback and simple pendant lighting.

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Smeg served us an amazing Cheeseboard with Classic Italian style Antipasto complimented by Montecoppe Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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I checked out the Smeg Thermoseal Multifunction Oven as stylish not just functional.

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Stylish also is the Smeg Gas Cooktop below...

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The Good Guys representative spoke of the ability of The Good Guys to assist consumers with top notch kitchen solutions. You can get your stylish kitchen by visiting The Good Guys and they stock all the top brands.

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The Smeg representative spoke about the style and functionality of Smeg and also revealed they are into a fine lifestyle including their own Italian cheese centre. Smeg flew in 40kg of amazing Parmigiano-Reggiano just for our evening... I could eat this all night!

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What a night. Unforgettable. We were treated to a tour of the apartments of The Block 2014, to appreciate the masterful effort of all the contestants. To be treated with The Ultimate Progressive Dinner was extraordianry, including the desserts by Darren Purchese for goodness sake! 

For me, I learned more about how The Good Guys can deliver when it comes to great kitchen solutions for the home, stocking all the top brands.

Now I will watch the auction of The Block apartments with even more interest.