7 minute read
Hospitality April 2022
Ele by Federico & Karl
Federico Zanellato and Karl Firla on the lead up to opening Ele: a restaurant that’s unlike anything the Sydney dining scene has ever seen before.
-WORDS Annabelle Cloros
WHEN DAVID CHANG’S Momofuku Seiobo closed its doors in 2021, many wondered what would fill the void left behind by the game-changing restaurant. It wasn’t enough to simply open another fine diner, the newcomer had to be intentionally multifaceted, experiential, and journeydriven — literally and metaphorically. Chefs Federico Zanellato and Karl Firla were up for the challenge, putting their names behind The Star Sydney’s newest dining offering: Ele by Federico & Karl.
Zanellato and Firla talked to Hospitality in the weeks leading up to the restaurant’s April opening about how the opportunity to open Ele came about, spearheading a venue with a holistic approach to dining and the decision to forgo cuisine for technique and unrivalled produce.
Karl Firla’s Oscillate Wildly was known the city over for its degustation menu and reputation as a launchpad for burgeoning chef talent. The venue closed in 2019 after a 15-year stint, and it wasn’t long before Firla teamed up with Lumi Dining’s Federico Zanellato to open Restaurant Leo in 2020. The contemporary Italian venue marked the first collaboration between the pair who were pleasantly surprised when an executive from The Star Sydney approached them about opening a restaurant. And not just any restaurant — the one that would replace Momofuku Seiobo. “We were both a bit shocked when they asked if we were interested in taking over the site,” says Zanellato. “They’re big shoes to fill.”
Initial discussions confirmed there were limitations when it came to the space, with the kitchen and the counter remaining in the original locations. However, the layout proved to be the starting point of what would become Ele. “We thought a new food concept wasn’t enough for the venue; it needed to be something different and unique to bring customers in,” says Zanellato. “Taking over Momofuku with a new menu just wasn’t it; people are always going to compare. It took us a while to think about it and go back to them.”
The notion already sets Ele apart from most, if not all, restaurants. A culinary offering naturally takes pride of place when it comes to a venue’s mission statement, but that’s not the case at Ele. In a landscape that’s shifted towards a ‘less is more’ approach, Ele is accelerating in the opposite direction. “Food is not first and foremost,” says Firla. “We needed to think of dining as a whole and do something completely different from anyone else in Sydney. It’s all the components that are involved in dining and a new experience people haven’t had before.”
Momofuku Seiobo offered guests two distinct dining experiences: the table and the bar. Firla and Zanellato referenced their own visits to Seiobo and decided to split Ele into three sections: the bar, the dining room and the chef’s counter. “When we first decided to take over, we were like, ‘How do we make sure every guest who comes through the door experiences all services?’” says Zanellato. “So we created different areas within the venue for people to move around in. They have to let us guide them, and we hope they will be openminded.”
Ele’s eight-course menu begins at the bar with a selection of snacks before guests are ushered into the dining room for most of the main courses. The final savoury dish and the desserts are served at the counter.
As for dishes, there’s plenty to be excited about — just don’t try to pigeonhole them into a particular cuisine; the menu is a culmination of many years in the kitchen. “We are focusing the concept on premium Australian ingredients and highlighting them through the skills we’ve learned over the years,” says Zanellato. “The menu highlights the work of local farmers, fishermen and all the people behind the products.”
Firla lists marron from Western Australia, Murray cod, Mayura Station Wagyu from South Australia and heirloom vegetables as some of the most exciting ingredients to appear on Ele’s debut menu. Zanellato is particularly proud of the Pearl and the Potato dish. “Pearl meat is one of the most luxurious ingredients in Australia in terms of seafood and we’re pairing it with potato, which is one of the most humble worldwide,” he says. “There is contrast in terms of the value of the ingredients, but also the textures and flavours. Another is Chardonnay Fresh to Frozen; it’s a pre-dessert with different grape products from verjuice to wine and grapes in all different textures.”
Diners can also expect ingredients to make more than one appearance, with marron heroed across two courses. “We’re using it in two different ways and showing how we can utilise all aspects of the produce rather than just the more wellknown components of an ingredient,” says Firla. “The menu platform has progression and it’s part of a story.”
The undercurrent of Ele revolves around the elements of fire, ice, water and earth, but they aren’t just present in the food. “We’re delivering the story from the aesthetic to the consumption of the product,” says Firla.
The aesthetic is largely conveyed by visual art installations that have been selected from The Star’s library of assets. “With regards to content, there’s some legal ramifications as far as trademarking and copyrighting,” says Firla. “We’ve used The Star’s platforms and [the content] is dedicated to Ele and won’t be used anywhere else in the venue. We are in the process of looking at implementing our own platforms, so there will be more of a story with the content in the future and it will be more personal and customised.”
As diners move from bar to table and table to counter, they are privy to Ele’s interactive components as the dining experience unfurls. “There are elements that are probably most notable for diners through visuals and the cooking process, but you won’t notice some of those things until you’re in different parts of the dining space,” says Firla. “We’re cooking on charcoal, but that’s not to say there won’t be a visual component you can reference for context.”
It’s been a huge effort from not just Firla and Zanellato, but the wider Star group to get Ele up and running. Thankfully, building the back-of-house team proved to be a relatively smooth process in the current climate. However, finding the right front-ofhouse workers proved a little harder. “Our main struggle is front of house, which is very difficult, plus there’s a huge shortage of wait staff,” says Zanellato.
“It’s a different concept, so it’s challenging,” adds Firla. “There’s good interest, but there’s not a huge volume of positions. It’s a small footprint and we need a willing and capable team.”
As the weeks tick down, excitement and nerves surround the opening. Ele is launching at a time where the city has relatively few restrictions, and there’s a buzz in the air when it comes to getting out and enjoying ‘normal’ life again. “My biggest concern is what the reaction will be to this concept that is quite new and unique,” says Zanellato. “There’s always an element of fear and the unknown when you open a business. I know Karl and I can deliver a good product, but the reaction from customers is what keeps me awake at night. People are going out more and I’m not concerned about the first few months, it’s more about how we make customers come back and continue to attract new guests.”
“It’s going to be something different and I think people will be very interested,” adds Firla. “Ideally, we have gone past all the bumps, and we can do what we really enjoy, and that is cooking for people who enjoy eating.” ■
