Fairfield’s Feast
signature dishes
Featuring authentic cuisine
from every corner of the globe
Mayor’s Table I The
t’s a well kept secret that Fairfield City Centre houses some of the world’s finest cuisine.
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month. This event lifted Fairfield’s profile and stimulated our local economy.
With a culturally diverse menu on offer, Fairfield City Centre provides a unique dining experience with exotic flavours and rich textures on the menu.
Culinary Carnivale is now a major attraction on Sydney’s cultural and gastronomic calendar, and in 2013, celebrity TV chef Miguel Maestre from Channel 10’s top rating show "The Living Room" will be cooking for us.
But even this best secret is too delicious not to share.
I am, therefore, delighted to introduce the first edition of Fairfield’s Feast which showcases the signature dishes of our great City. In just three years the Fairfield City Centre Management Committee has successfully marketed the City as a food haven well worth exploring. In 2011, ‘Breads of Fairfield City Centre’ brochure was launched promoting our local bakers. This generated huge interest from visitors and customers. Also in the same year the inaugural ‘Culinary Carnivale’, the ultimate Spanish and Latin American food extravaganza was held in the City Centre as part of the prestigious
The last three years has seen a vast increase of visitors sampling the flavours of Fairfield and the trend is set to continue. The Benevolent Society conducts food tours, and SBS TV’s Maeve O’Meara makes regular expeditions with her Food Safari show. Fairfield's Feast magazine is a vital initiative in our overall marketing strategy to promote our City as a major food destination. The signature dishes in this issue are stunning. I am proud of all the chefs for their culinary delights and urge all of you to take the opportunity to taste their creations. Enjoy the Feast! Mayor of Fairfield City, Frank Carbone.
Contents 0 1 Bon AppĂŠtit!
02 A Love Story
04 Three Generations in the Making 06 A Journey of Inspiration
08 The Casanova Sisters 10 A Family Tradition 12 Hola Hola
Bon F Appétit!
airfield is a city blessed in culinary terms. As a metropolis, we don’t just have a signature dish we have signature dishes from every corner of the globe!
As a rising food capital of Australia how can we justify having one signature dish to define Fairfield City Centre. This inaugural edition of Fairfield’s Feast will take you on a gastronomic journey across Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East, and how these amazing dishes arrived at Fairfield. The people that have written the Australian story sometimes do not receive the headlines they truly deserve. We are proud to tell their stories. You will get to know some of the food pioneers who have settled in our great City. You will realize the way of a pioneer is never easy. Our chefs will share with you their passion, struggles and the personal history of their mouth-watering signature dishes. Every chef featured in this issue of Fairfield’s Feast shares a key ingredient: love! The most famous signature dish that comes to mind is the ‘Waldorf Salad’, which believe it or not, was not even created by a chef, but, as legend would have it, by Oscar Tschirky, the maître-d of the grand hotel, the Waldorf Astoria in New York.
When you finish reading Fairfield’s Feast you will always remember the names of our chefs who have created Fairfield’s illustrious signature dishes. The Greek philosopher Epictetus notably said ‘You should conduct yourself in life as at a feast’. Bon Appétit! Helen Pijaca Fairfield City Centre Coordinator
Signature Dishes | Fairfield’s Feast 01
A
Love
Story!
T
he famous Balkan skinless ´ sausage, the Cevapcici, ˇ ´ made its way to Australian shores thanks to Bosnian and Croatian migrants. A love story brought it to Fairfield!
Our story begins many years ago in the north-western Bosnian town of Bihac, ´ at a cafe called Bondeno. There, a young Enver Dizdaric fell in love ´ with Ramiza. Sharing a plate of Cevapcici ˇ ´ he proclaimed his love for Ramiza and vowed he would open a café someday.
“We are passionate about fresh food and we believe fresh is best especially when it comes ´ ˇ´ to Cevapcici”
“We are passionate about fresh food and we believe fresh is best especially when it ´ comes to Cevapcici”, ˇ ´ pronounces Enver. This signature dish was the first to be put on the menu and is the one dish that keeps diners coming back for more. The dish is served in a traditional sense with cabbage salad, raw onion, sour cream and a flatbread called Lepinja. Many patrons fill the bread like a pita pocket. Bondeno’s has been in business for more than 15 years and Enver is grateful for the support of his loyal customers. “People from all over ´ Sydney come for our Cevapcici”. ˇ´ Socceroo Superstar Harry Kewell sipped coffee at Bondeno when he was honoured with the ‘Faces of Fairfield Post’ situated also in Ware Street.
Enver Dizdaric
“Dreams can come true, it took some time but I kept my promise to Ramiza,” says a proud Enver Dizdaric. ´ Enver As a tribute to the famed café in Bihac, opened his Bondeno Cafe in Ware Street under the beautiful London Plane trees, which dominate the skyline.
02 Fairfield’s Feast | Signature Dishes
´ The Cevapcici ˇ ´ at Bondeno are regarded as the ‘best in Sydney’. So good are they, food tours like the Benevolent Society pencil in Bondeno as a go-to destination. ´ Bondeno’s Cevapcici ˇ ´ are special: the beef, lamb and veal combination have a secret herb ingredient which Enver, Ramiza and son Almir are tight lipped about. The family do ´ reveal, their Cevapcici ˇ ´ have no preservatives and are made daily on the premises.
“The place definitely went wild about Harry,” declares soccer tragic Almir Dizdaric. Bondeno Cafe is a story, which can testify that cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not all. Bondeno Cafe 77 Ware Street, Fairfield 9723 0860
Image description
´ Cevapcici ˇ´
Signature Dishes | Fairfield’s Feast 03
Generations in the making! H Three
ollywood actor Alan Ladd once said, ‘Not every father gets a chance to start his son in his own footsteps’.
But three generations of bakers from the Lagrange family of Rosario, Argentina did follow their father’s path.
Robert, the owner of the premier South American bakery, La Torre Cake Shop, hails from notable lineage. His father Antonio and grandfather Juan were all celebrated pastry chefs in Argentina. “I was 12 years old when I watched my father and grandfather working in their bakery in Rosario. I remember it like yesterday,” said Robert.
“What I have done with my grandfather’s recipe is to combine the palates of Australians and Argentineans. After many frustrating attempts I finally got it right ” When you sink your teeth in Robert’s scrumptious signature dish, Choco Flan, you realise that knowledge is power. Robert’s grandfather Juan handed him the family recipe for Choco Flan. The cake is a chocolate sponge, entombed is a secret filling topped by a succulent chocolate and crème caramel. “What I have done with my grandfather’s recipe is to combine the palates of Australians and Argentineans. After many frustrating attempts I finally got it right,” pronounced Robert. 04 Fairfield’s Feast | Signature Dishes
Robert & Graciela Lagrange
Robert attributes the success of his Choco Flan to his father and grandfather, as he puts it “standing on the shoulders of giants”. This signature dish has seen rivals attempt to emulate it, but none have come close to matching Señor Lagrange’s method. The modest pastry chef takes it all in his stride. “Copying is one of the highest forms of flattery, that’s what they tell me”. It was in 1982 when Robert and his wife Graciela took over La Torre Cake Shop in Fairfield. The dynamic couple quickly rose to the top, winning many awards. Television programmes like SBS’s Food Lovers' Guide have featured their amazing caramel creations. “The exposure has been great. We now have customers from all over Australia. I only wish my dad and grandfather were here to see it,” said an emotional Robert. But the 64 thousand dollar question is ‘Will the Choco Flan recipe be passed on to another Lagrange?’ “I have written it down for my son Jonathan”, discloses Robert with a smile. La Torre Cake Shop 1/9 Nelson Street, Fairfield 9724 4565
Choco Flan
Signature Dishes | Fairfield’s Feast 05
A journey of
Inspiration T he gentle art of gastronomy is a friendly one, especially when you enter Fairfield’s foremost Lao restaurant, Song Fang Khong.
This eatery hurdles the language barrier, immediately makes strangers into friends and warms a person’s heart to hear this Australian story. Owner Boontheu Sunphantry made his journey as a refugee to our lucky country by crossing the treacherous Mekong River from Laos to Thailand in the late 70’s. “I wanted a better a life, Australia for me was a beacon of hope”, said Boontheu.
“I believe things do happen for a reason. It is my opinion food is our common ground, a universal experience” He spent two years in a refugee camp in Thailand, patiently waiting his turn to come to Australia. “My cousin sponsored me to come here, and it was worth the wait!” Boontheu used his time wisely in the refugee camp learning to cook the dishes from his native Laos and perfecting his future signature dish - Crispy Fried Rice with Pickled Pork.
Boontheu Sunphantry
06 Fairfield’s Feast | Signature Dishes
But what’s extraordinary is Boontheu is not a trained chef but a qualified biologist.
“I believe things do happen for a reason. It is my opinion food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
Lao cuisine, like that of neighboring SouthEast Asian countries, revolves around rice. Boontheu’s signature dish follows the practice. Three secret spices are mixed into the jasmine rice, then fried. Also confidential is the pickled pork recipe that makes up this remarkable dish. “You must combine the taste with the crunch to truly have the experience of this dish which is a specialty in my homeland”, declared Boontheu. Eating this dish in the tranquil surrounds of the Song Fang Khong restaurant, your eyes are drawn to the wall, with the Laotian King and Queen and their magnificent elephant. The majestic elephant signifies good fortune and good luck. In Asian mythology elephants are revered; they symbolize strength, honour, stability and patience. “I’m lucky, I live in the lucky country with my family. I respect the elephants for my good fortune,” said Boontheu. It is definitely a family affair at Boontheu’s restaurant. His wife Norkham, daughters Mina and Darouny, and sister Lay, have all worked hard to achieve the success, which they truly deserve. A signature dish always reveals a man’s character; it tells us Boontheu Sunphantry is a proud Australian. Song Fang Khong 7 Anzac Avenue, Fairfield 9728 4552
Crispy Fried Rice with Pickled Pork
Signature Dishes | Fairfield’s Feast 07
The
Casanova Sisters T o say Giovanni Casanova’s conquests were legendary would be an understatement.
For more than Fairfield City’s Casanova sisters seducing Sydneysiders with their empanada.
30 years, very own have been fabled beef
Daniela and Claudia Casanova of Paula Continental Cakes know their empanadas are an aphrodisiac.
“Every empanada recipe starts with the dough; the basic ingredient in our pastry is love! Without the love you have no empanada”
With a glamorous surname, these sisters work hours that are far from glamorous. It’s a 5am start each day seven days a week. Claudia and Daniela mince their own beef and lovingly add the special and seductive spices. The duo says their hard work has been recognised.
“Scientists tell us that eating chocolate gives you the same feeling as falling in love. Our empanadas have an identical affect. With a surname like Casanova we have some knowledge in this department!” laughed Daniela Casanova. So what’s the secret about this baked empanada that puts a spring in your step? “The Pastry!” hollers Claudia Casanova.
“Every empanada recipe starts with the dough; the basic ingredient in our pastry is love! Without the love you have no empanada,” stated Claudia.
08 Fairfield’s Feast | Signature Dishes
“Mum and Dad taught Claudia and I the art of the empanada, Mum always said the love of food is a genuine love,” declared Daniela.
Daniela Casanova
The Casanova Sisters say their signature dish is best eaten just before lunch with an icecold beer.
“Chile’s top rating TV cooking show came all the way to Australia to film our empanadas, imagine that! The Benevolent Society food tour is always a regular visitor, which is fantastic”, said the girls.
For a long time these sisters have been doing it for themselves, but it was their parents Aglae and Victor who created the mystique about the Casanova beef empanada.
French philosopher Voltaire a friend of ‘The Casanova’ said, “It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce”. Daniela and Claudia have definitely done that!
In Chile the ‘Casanova Empanada’ is considered one of the finest. In downtown Santiago lovers of all ages dine on these celebrated empanadas at Aglae and Victor’s restaurant.
Paula Continental Cakes Shop 2/9 Barbara Street, Fairfield 9726 2379
Beef Empanada
Signature Dishes | Fairfield’s Feast 09
A
FamilyTradition T he old adage of ‘When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste’ definitely applies to Frank’s Restaurant. His signature dish, the Mixed Grilled Plate, is an out of body experience for your taste buds.
Homemade hummus, and tabouli that is hand chopped gives it a knockout taste. This custom has been practised in Frank’s family for generations.
This phenomenon is made up of a delicious skewer of grilled lamb Kaftah, also on the plate is a chicken and lamb shish kebab served with traditional favourites; baba ghanoush, hummus, tabouli and pickled vegetables.
The baba ghanoush also follows the family’s ritual of grilling their own eggplant.
Fouad Karam - brother of Therese Abdo
“Tradition is the great guide to human life and when it comes to food it’s a must”
The piece de resistance is the homemade pickled vegetables, an art form handed down to each member of the Abdo family. “My parents taught me how to pickle vegetables, and they passed on the secret herbs, spices and sauces. As a kid you don’t take any notice of this, it goes in one ear and out of the other. Only now, I understand.” Replies Frank. Frank’s wife Therese also credits the restaurant’s success to her grandmother Cleopatra and sister-in- law Layla for their cooking knowledge. “I read somewhere if God intended us to follow recipes, he wouldn’t have given us grandmothers,” explains Therese Abdo. To ensure his signature dish always remains true to its traditions, Frank forbids chefs to alter his recipe. “Preserving tradition is not hobby. It’s my life”.
It sounds like a stock standard fare but the wow factor is the meticulous preparation by Frank Abdo in bringing the food from paddock to plate. Frank minces his own meat daily, using a leg of a lamb for the Kaftah. The shish kebab is made with lamb backstrap with no preservatives.
10 Fairfield’s Feast | Signature Dishes
“Tradition is the great guide to human life and when it comes to food it’s a must”, says Frank Abdo.
This tradition has continued at Frank’s Restaurant for more than 19 years. It’s a legacy that has withstood the test of time. Frank’s Restaurant 16 Smart Street, Fairfield 9724 3000
Mixed Grilled Plate
Signature Dishes | Fairfield’s Feast 11
Hola! 12 Fairfield’s Feast | Signature Dishes
EVENT DETAILS When: 11am on Saturday 19 October, 2013 Where: Spencer Street, Fairfield
Celebrity TV chef Miguel Maestre will be cooking four of his signature dishes at Culinary Carnivale. The charismatic Channel 10 personality will be one of the many big names taking part in Sydney’s ultimate Spanish and Latin American food extravaganza. Accompanying the mouth-watering dishes will be dancers, drummers, soccer stars and whole lot more, all set in family friendly atmosphere. Culinary Carnivale is Fairfield’s premier event and is an integral part of the prestigious The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month. So join us when we get this party started at 11am on Saturday 19 October, 2013 in Spencer Street, Fairfield.
Viva La Vida!
Signature Dishes | Fairfield’s Feast 13
Fairfield’s Feast signature dishes Directory Bondeno Cafe 77 Ware Street, Fairfield 9723 0860
La Torre Cake Shop 1/9 Nelson Street, Fairfield 9724 4565
Song Fang Khong 7 Anzac Avenue, Fairfield 9728 4552
Paula Continental Cakes Shop 2/9 Barbara Street, Fairfield 9726 2379
Frank’s Restaurant 16 Smart Street, Fairfield 9724 3000
Fairfield’s Feast signature dishes
www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au