NO.786 AUGUST 2022 LEONIE UPSTAIRS • KATSU • RESTAURANT DESIGN • MEAD
2 | Hospitality Contents AUGUST 2022 Features 26 // DELIS Two venues are reinventing delis with diverse menus. 32 // THE OLD FITZ Chef Toby Stansfield has a new gig at the iconic Sydney pub. 36 // DESIGN Operators weigh in on creating restaurants with personality. 42 // KATSU The dish utilises a globally appreciated technique — deep-frying. Regulars 6 // IN FOCUS Yakikami Wagyu and yakitori grill in Melbourne is putting top-quality meat first. 8 // NEWS The latest openings, books, events and more. 10 // PRODUCE The Meyer lemon is sweeter than your average citrus. 12 // BEST PRACTICE A look at the global staff shortage. 14 // BAR CART Thirst quenchers, slow sippers and all things beverage related. 16 // DRINKS The mead sector is small, but Stone Dog is putting the honey-based brew on the map. 22 // PROFILE It’s all about sake and snacks at Leonie Upstairs. 48 // EQUIPMENT Tips to use a ramekin for more than just sweet treats. 50 // 5 MINUTES WITH … Chef Joel Alderdice on returning to TarraWarra Estate. 22 26 36 //CONTENTS August
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Perusing the options in the pastry library at A.P Bakery.
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EDITOR Annabelle Cloros T: 02 8586 acloros@intermedia.com.au6226 JOURNALIST Aristine adobson@intermedia.com.auDobson ADVERTISING NATIONAL Simon York T: 02 8586 6163 F: 02 9660 syork@intermedia.com.au4419 GROUP ART DIRECTOR –LIQUOR AND HOSPITALITY Kea kthorburn@intermedia.com.auThorburn PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui jacqui@intermedia.com.auCooper CIRCULATIONS To subscribe please call 1800 651 instagram.com/hospitalitymagtwitter.com/HospitalityedHospitalityMagazineazine.com.auhospitalitymag422.facebook.com/ SUBSCRIPTIONAustralia:RATES 1 year (10 issues) = $99.00 (inc GST) 2 years (20 issues) = $158.40 (inc GST) – Save 20% 3 years (30 issues) = $207.90 (inc GST) – Save 30% SUBSCRIPTION RATES New Zealand: 1 year (10 issues) = Asia/Pacific$109.00 1 year (10 issues) = $119.00 Rest of World: 1 year (10 issues) = $129.00 41 Bridge Road Glebe NSW 2037 Australia Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419 Average Net Distribution Period ending September 2019 – 11,506
4 | Hospitality //NOTESEDITOR’ Hello Social
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TOKYO IN SYDNEY Tsukiyo’s taiyaki is attracting the masses in Darling Square.
Josh Niland and Curtis Stone teamed up for lunch at Saint Peter. Fish gilda, anyone?
PUBLISHER
@aristinedob THE DINING PUBLIC has grown to appreciate the simple things and the businesses that provide them over the past few years. There is no greater example than the deli. What was once a place to source necessities for a charcuterie board or a sandwich has become so much more thanks to a new wave of operators putting their own spin on the iconic concept. While cured meats still reign supreme, there’s plenty of newness to get your head around — of note is a sauce made from 20-plus ingredients that amps up a Reuben. Besides sandwich content, this issue also covers a profile on a (now) not-so-secret Japanese restaurant in Melbourne called Leonie Upstairs as well as a story on the intricacies of katsu. We also speak with newly minted Head Chef Tony Stansfield from Sydney’s The Old Fitz, who has recently launched two debut menus at the iconic pub. Lastly, I highly recommend you give our drinks feature a read to discover a beverage that’s a little different — mead. You may be thinking it’s strictly for medieval fairs, but there’s a number of places (and applications) to enjoy the honey wine. I hope you enjoy this issue — don’t hesitate to let me know what you think! Until next time, Annabelle Cloros Editor
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Japanese-born Roy Yu and his wife Emily opened their first yakiniku restaurant Wagyu Ya in Melbourne back in 2013.
Best of the best
Quality cuts are at the forefront of a Wagyu and yakitori restaurant in Melbourne.
WORDS Aristine Dobson “At the time, we were only allowed to sell Australian Wagyu, but top-quality A5 Wagyu is always from Japan,” says Yu. Kobe has always been the protein of choice for Yu, who praises it for its flavour and integrity. “Kobe beef is famous for its texture,” he says. “Most beef becomes hard when you put it in a fridge with a temperature of -2 degrees Celsius, but Kobe is still very tender.”
To sell or serve Kobe, operators require a special licence known as the Kobe Golden Calf Certificate of Authentication. “It took us one and a half years to get approved,” says Yu. “We filled out a form for them and they did background checks before we were provided with the licence, which has to be renewed every year.” With the formalities taken care of, Kobe beef is on the menu at Yakikami, which opened earlier this year. The restaurant is split into two unique dining experiences. “We have the yakitori robata side, which uses binchōtan charcoal to grill chicken, seafood and wild mushrooms, and there’s
WAGYU HAS LONG been revered in the culinary world. In Japan, Kobe, Matsusaka and Ōmi beef are the top three in the category. Kobe comes from a cattle strain known as Tajima, or black cattle, which are raised in Hyogo Prefecture.
6 | Hospitality //FOCUSIN Yakikami
While all Tajima cows are considered Wagyu, only a select few are categorised as Kobe according to quality criteria from the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association. Yakikami in Melbourne is just one of two Australian restaurants certified to serve Kobe beef — a serious drawcard for diners.
Hospitality talks to Roy Yu about securing an elusive supply of Kobe beef, working alongside a Michelin-starred chef and the two distinct offerings at Yakikami. A dish is only as good as the produce used to make it, with grilled proteins arguably one of the best examples of the notion.
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The yakitori hall makes up the other half of the restaurant and serves a paredback menu. Dishes cover freshly shucked oysters from St Helens in Tasmania, wild mushrooms (which are grilled and made into tempura) and chicken from Nomad Farms in South Australia. “Generally, people think yakitori is a cheap product or that it’s street food, but the production method is different,” says Yu. Whole chickens are divided into 12 different parts, with each element used for multiple applications. “One of our signatures at the moment is chicken ramen,” says Yu. “We use almost 30 pieces of chicken to make the soup.”
“Even the best meat is different if it’s not cut the right way.” Roy Yu
The two menus have been created by Michelin-starred Chef Hirokazu Sasaki from Niku Kappo Black in Tokyo. A team of nine work across the venue and are led by Chefs Koji Yoshikai and Soichi Yasutake, who cook in front of guests.
August 2022 | 7 //FOCUSIN Yakikami
Yakikami receive cuts of Kobe beef with varying marbling scores between 10 and 12, with Yu citing 11 as the ideal score. “12 is sometimes too fatty,” he says. “The best cut for Kobe is the tenderloin in the middle [of the animal].”
a chef’s table with 10 seats for the niku kappo Wagyu omakase,” says Yu.
Diners at Yakikami can choose from a casual meal or a chef-fronted experience, with both delivering on quality. “From entrées to the end, all the flavours match,” says Yu. “Every dish is connected — I guarantee you’ve never had an experience like this.”
Kobe Wagyu is served exclusively at the chef’s table, with each team member expertly trained in cutting and trimming the beef. “The cutting technique is very important, so all the chefs need to have at least eight to 10 years’ experience,” says Yu. “Even the best meat is different if it’s not cut the right way.”
The meat is cooked over Josper grills with no other seasoning besides salt and pepper. Guests can then choose from three signature dipping sauces that all have the same beef bone stock as a base. “There is truffle, butter shoyu and spicy pepper,” says Yu. “The beef bone stock is cooked for two days, which creates extra flavour.”
orShakenstirred?
Truffle time Leonards Bar & Bistro in Brisbane is celebrating truffle season on 4 August with a seven-course menu paired with Champagne, wine and cocktails. Debbie Oliver from Lady of Truffle Fine Foods will kick off the event with Dom Pérignon Brut Reserve before guiding guests through each dish. Executive Chef Jimmy Richardson has curated dishes including a Wagyu Karubi plate, Margra lamb rump with turnips and Vegemite and a melon and truffle sorbet. Tickets are $280pp. leonardsanddawn.com.au
The Cocktail Edit Alice HardieLascellesGrant ; $32.99 Acclaimed drinks writer Alice Lascelles has penned her second book The Cocktail Edit, which covers 12 classic cocktails. Each recipe features six twists, tips on creating different variations and advice on how to build the perfect bar setup. Lascelles also shares her expertise on choosing the right spirits and working with foundational equipment.
The Ovolo Hotel Group has introduced a range of zero-proof drinks across its portfolio of restaurants and bars. Group Beverage Director Andrea Gualdi (ex-Maybe Sammy) has created options for Alibi, Mister Percy, Lona Misa, Monster, Za Za Ta and The Inchcolm Bar. “We are moving away from the concept of mocktails by offering a creative alternative to alcoholic beverages focused on flavour and technique,” says Gualdi. “In the same way you don’t necessarily need meat to create a great dish, you don’t need alcohol to create a great drink.” ovologroup.com
8 | Hospitality //NEWS Entrée The latest openings, books, events and more. EDITED BY Aristine Dobson Entrée
Ovolo zero-prooflaunchescocktails
LOTI arrives in St Kilda
Opening a new door
Byron Bay welcomes Revel Revel Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival will make its debut from 10–13 November in the Northern Rivers. Chef David Moyle has curated the food and beverage programs which revolve around the best the region has to offer. “What this festival stands to achieve is so important for this community that has been rocked by so many challenges in the past few years,” he says. The event is set to take place across multiple venues in the area including Harvest, Rae’s on Wategos, Three Blue Ducks and Belongil Beach Italian Food which will host lunches and evening events. There will also be a seasonal produce market. revelbyronbay.com
Hospitality figures Elijah Holland and Cameron Northway have opened the doors to LOTI (Lady of the Ice) in Melbourne’s St Kilda. The restaurant’s menu is inspired by its seaside location and the natural ecosystem of the St Kilda Coast. Snacks and small plates include a skewer of butter-poached grilled scampi and a smoked yellowfin tuna mousse Cornetto, while larger plates encompass artichoke tarte tatin and whole lobster. Diners can cap off the evening with saffron ice cream or a burnt marshmallow sorbet. lotistkilda.com.au
Get the tea Chef Scott Pickett has launched a lavish high tea experience at The Continental Sorrento in Victoria, teaming up with Head Pastry Chef Kevin Gully to develop savoury and sweet treats. Highlights include pavlova with lemon myrtle meringue, salmon bagels, apple rhubarb and ginger trifle, choux pastries and spanner crab croissants. “High tea at The Conti will be an experience that brings a tradition into … our stunning light-filled Atrium [dining room],” says Pickett. “Start with bubbles and a finger sandwich then onto a cuppa with scones and cream.” thecontinentalsorrento.com.au
//NEWS Entrée
August 2022 | 9
Hunter Valley winery Mount Pleasant has revealed a newly renovated cellar door and vineyard along with a revised food offering. Head Chef Kyle Whitbourne has worked with Concept Hospitality’s Justin North to create a menu that accompanies the brand’s iconic wine offering. Guests can also choose from one of five themed wine tasting experiences including the Lovedale Semillon flight and the Maurice O’Shea flight, which consists of four types of vintage Shiraz. mountpleasantwines.com.au
vitaminSourceduringseasonwinterofC
High contentjuice In
Popularised by Chef Alice Waters and Martha Stewart Whole fruit can be consumedDeep yellow to orange in colour when ripe Tolerant to frost and cold climates
Frank N. Meyer was tasked with learning about farming practices in China and came across the fruit during a trip to Beijing in 1907. It’s said he spotted an ornamental plant outside of someone’s home and tried the fruit for himself, snipping cuttings that were later sent back to the US. The lemons were initially grown in California before they were planted in Florida and Texas. However, the trees were prone to the citrus tristeza virus and the fruit was not easy to transport due to its thin skin. The University of California released a virus-free version of the plant in 1975 called the Improved Meyer lemon tree, which is the variation grown today.
Origins The Meyer lemon is native to China and is also known as citrus x meyeri or xiangningmeng in Chinese. The fruit is a mix between a citron, a mandarin and a pomelo and is part of the RutaceaeAgriculturalfamily.explorer
Culinary applications The lemons can be used in the same way as any other citrus and are the perfect ingredient for salad dressings, cocktails and desserts. The lemons can be squeezed over proteins and vegetables or preserved in salt for year-round use when they are not in season. Chez Panisse Chef Alice Waters played a key part in popularising the fruit, using the lemons across her Berkeley restaurant’s menu, including in the iconic sherbet dish. Meyer lemons keep for around 10 days and can also be stored in the fridge to extend longevity.
Meyer lemon
WORDS Annabelle Cloros
Growth and harvest Meyer lemon trees can be planted in pots or in the ground. Trees reach up to 3m in height and are covered in thorny branches with dark green glossy leaves. White flowers with purple bases cover the plant, which requires at least six hours of direct sunlight per day and welldrained soil. Trees should be regularly pruned and fertilised to ensure maximum yield, with plants producing fruit in around two years. Fruit can grow between 5–8cm in diameter and is ready to harvest once it turns from green to dark yellow/orange in colour. Lemons can be picked by hand or with shears. Flavour profile and appearance Recognisable by its oval appearance, Meyer lemons are much rounder in shape than its counterparts. The fruit has a thin, fragrant, glossy peel that turns deep yellow/orange in colour when it reaches peak ripeness. White pith surrounds the flesh, which is segmented into nine dark yellow pieces. Meyer lemons have relatively few to no seeds and a sweet, floral flavour thanks to its low level of acid and high sugar content.
The citrus is far from sour.
10 | Hospitality //PRODUCE lemonMeyer
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Protect your business August 2022 | 11
BizCover offers an array of insurance options for hospitality operators.
//ADVERTORIAL BizCover
INSUFFICIENTLY TRAINED EMPLOYEES can be a drag on a café or restaurant at the best of times, affecting your productivity, safety and the overall wellbeing of your small business. Add a chronic labour shortage to the mix and small business owners could have a serious problem, as it now has the potential to heighten the risk of an insurance claim. Yet many in the hospitality sector are faced with the issue as a reported backlog in Australia’s visa processing means returning international workers have slowed to a trickle. Demand is increasing, with the number of hospitality postings up 104 per cent since February 2020. The industry has struggled to keep a skilled workforce operating. Essentially, small business owners find themselves in a catch-22 situation: they desperately need skilled employees to keep up with demand and maintain their business, but the available pool of workers could be a liability in the workplace. Slips, trips, mishaps caused by chemicals, spoiled food, electrical equipment — the list of potential accidents that could happen in a restaurant or café goes on and on. If a customer, supplier or a member of the public is injured or sustains property damage because of the negligent activities of your employee, you could be held liable. What can you do? One of the first things you could do as a small business owner is get protected. Public liability insurance is designed to protect you and your hospitality business if a third party is injured or sustains property damage because of your negligent business activities. Public liability cover is essential for restaurant or café owners as they protect businesses from risks they frequently face. Of course, many will already have this form of protection. But the question is, are you still adequately covered when the risk is heightened? Protect your business today From early and structured training to utilising technology, there are many ways you can reduce the risk of inadequately trained employees. But building a sustainable hospitality business amid adversity is not a substitute for protection. Accidents are often an inevitable part of life and can still happen no matter how much you prepare for them. Fortunately, BizCover has made sorting your insurance easy. With just a few clicks of a mouse or by making a phone call, you’ll get multiple competitive quotes. Select your preferred policy, and you’ll be covered instantly, so you can get back to building yourVisitteam. bizcover.com.au to get your insurance sorted today — it really is no drama. ■ Words by Ryan Johnson. This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording.
© 2022 BizCover Pty Limited, all rights reserved.
• Work with an immigration agent. The world of visas and work obligations is complex and constantly changing, especially with a new government. There’s a cost, but it’s much less than DIY and making mistakes — or remaining closed.
If you find a good person, you can take them on — flexibility is the name of the game.” Browne recommends ironing out a strategy to minimise any issues when bringing in new workers. “Have a good induction program that is staged and structured,” he says. “Ensure the new chef has a buddy who keeps an eye on them.
Glew further elaborates on factors operators need to think about such as how to deal with new workers when it comes to communication. “There can be subtle differences, especially for a chef coming straight into a senior role, when it comes to directing, giving feedback and reprimanding,” he says. “Talking directly may be rare in one culture and being blunt could be the base level of communication in another. Working out a new country’s way of working can take time. “It can also be a shock when someone goes from being a CDP with a team of 12 to being part of a three-person kitchen team. Overseas staff need to be part of a multi-level strategy with full-time, parttime, casual, trainees, local and overseas sponsored staff and working holiday makers.
Assist with initial accommodation and life-management components (banking, Medicare, etc.) and check in regularly to make sure they are ok. I think the new government will combine the different visa lists and eliminate the short-term list, giving everyone access to permanent residency through the transitional stream and a wider list for direct entry stream.” There’s a lot to consider, and like many things post-COVID, hospitality management now needs to find other solutions. Sponsored immigration is part of the new normal.
• Become a government-approved sponsor or nominator. The Department of Home Affairs website has the details.
• Understand your obligations. If workers arrive directly from overseas, they will need help to settle into a new country. You also need special registration with the tax department when you pay them.
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Attracting overseas workers necessitates a multi-pronged strategy.
Global approach
I recently spoke to Chief Recruiter Geremy Glew from Placed Recruitment and Migration Agent Justin Browne from Edupi who both reminded me staff shortages are globally widespread. But all is not lost. When you understand how to support visitors seeking permanent residence and work opportunities, there is a pool of potential workers to draw on. While it is more competitive and Australia is an expensive country to live in, you can make it work. There are several points to consider before looking to recruit overseas workers.
• Realise it can be a transient workforce. Some will stay and many will go. They can also find another sponsor if there’s a better opportunity — they are not indentured only to you.
WORDS Ken Burgin STAFF SHORTAGES HAVE never been so desperate. It’s easy to look back to 2018 when hundreds of thousands of people arrived on work, student and holiday visas. Sponsoring overseas workers, with all its costs, has historically been seen as something for pubs and large groups rather than individual restaurants and cafés. But it could be worth taking another look if you’re having to close or restrict business hours due to lack of staff.
12 | Hospitality //PRACTICEBEST shortagesStaff
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Local company Fellr has added two non-alcoholic seltzers to its award-winning portfolio. Mango is a new flavour for the brand and joins watermelon in the zero-alcohol Fellr Free range. The drinks are made with natural ingredients and don’t contain gluten or sugar. Sold in a four-pack for $16 from select stores as well as online. drinkfellr.com
breakCoffee Cousins Matt and Mitchell Faulkner are behind Broken Bean, a coffee brewery and distillery located on the Central Coast in New South Wales. Broken Bean’s debut coffee liquor features a blend of beans sourced from Brazil, Ethiopia and India that are roasted before being turned into a cold brew liquid. The product is then combined with vodka and left to rest for 30 days before it’s packaged. Expect notes of dark chocolate and caramel praline. Available at Dan Murphy’s and select bottle shops for $60. brokenbean.com
companyThree’s
Zero-alcohol brand Non has packaged up three of its best-selling beverages into one box. The Everyday Range covers Non1 (salted raspberry and chamomile), Non3 (toasted cinnamon and yuzu) and Non7 (stewed cherry and coffee), which have all been designed to pair with food. “[It] is the most approachable entry to the Non world,” says Founder Aaron Trotman. “The 0.0 per cent ABV alternatives bring to you some of the best natural ingredients from renowned growing regions across the globe.” The brand will be donating up to $10 from each purchase of the $70 box to OzHarvest during August. non.world Collect the set Mr Black, Poor Toms, Archie Rose and Regal Rogue have teamed up with Cocktail Porter to create the ultimate ready-to-drink collection. The set includes a Mr Black espresso martini, a Poor Tom’s blood orange Negroni, an Archie Rose Bloody Mary with Frankie’s Fine Brine and a Regal Rogue wet martini. The cocktails have been made by award-winning bartenders and are ready to go; simply chill or shake with ice to serve. $75 from cocktailporter.com
14 | Hospitality
//NEWS Drinks Bar cart
Thirst quenchers, slow sippers and all things beverage related.
Feelin’ free
EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros
Stuck in the middle East Pole is sitting on the fence in a good way, offering an alternative to those looking for a mid-strength gin. “Our major challenge was achieving the flavour profile we wanted with just half the alcohol,” says Founder Dylan Alexander. “It needed to taste like regular gin, not just a watered-down version.” The Classic Dry gin is distilled in Melbourne with botanicals of juniper, coriander seed, whole lemon and liquorice root and sits at 22.3 per cent ABV. Available across New South Wales and Victoria for $65. eastpole.com.au
www.tryhubster.com.au
is
16 | Hospitality
areBraggotsmeadmixedwithbeer
the ingredients do the talking. WORDS Annabelle Cloros //DRINKS Mead Stone multi-headedCerberus,logoDog’sisadog The15,000producesmeaderyuptolitresannually
THE INCEPTION OF Stone Dog Meadery is one for the romance books. Founders Steve and Lavender Kirby met online in 1998, penning emails to each other before Lavender — an avid medieval fair fan — made the move to Australia. Steve (who has been involved in brewing personally and professionally since the age of 17), was more than up for the challenge when Lavender suggested he try his hand at mead. The rest as they say is history.
Australia’s mead circuit is small, but mighty — and growing. When Stone Dog started out, Steve estimates there were five businesses producing mead, only one of which was a dedicated meadery. Fast-forward eight years and the local footprint has now grown to around 30 players. After producing more than 20,000 bottles of mead, it’s safe to say honey wine is on the up and Stone Dog is onto a good thing.
Just like honey local mead producer letting 56kg of honey goes into each batch of mead
Hospitality speaks to Stone Dog Co-Founder Steve about the nuances of the brewing process, working with different honeys and letting nature do its thing. Mead is one of the earliest forms of alcohol, having been consumed by people all over the world for millennia. Generally known as honey wine, mead comprises just a handful of ingredients: honey, water and yeast, which are combined and left to undergo a fermentation process. Basically, it’s wine made from honey, not grapes. Steve Kirby tells the following story when asked to describe mead: “A bushman somewhere came across a tree stump filled with liquid, drank it, woke up two days later and said, ‘Jeez that was good, I’ll go and find another one’,” he says. “Beehives occur in tree hollows, and when a lightning strike destroys the hollow, the bees move on and leave the honey behind. With a little bit of rain, the honey will ferment naturally. It’s the only alcoholic beverage that can occur without intervention.” Kirby lives on a bush-block property in Tarago in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales. He and wife Lavender run chickens and pigs on their farm, which is also home to a 20-foot refrigerated shipping container — the nucleus of Stone Dog’s operations. “Mead was virtually unknown in Australia in 2014,” says Kirby. “I had a go at it and our caramelised orange blossom [Odin’s Reserve] took out gold at the Australian National Home Brewing Conference that year. From there, we spent the next five years building the market and educating people about what mead was. I travelled around Australia talking to home brew groups and going to conferences to try and get the word out.”
A
Stone Dog’s range is varied, but traditional. But most importantly, each brew is a sum of its parts. Kirby sources honey from keepers across the country, which means the meads have a unique flavour profile. “A lot of our time is spent sourcing good honey; we work with people who do pollination services, and they know exactly where the hives are.”
August 2022 | 17 //DRINKS Mead
An example is scotch thistle honey, which is the result of an untended infestation. “It isn’t a regular honey; you can only get it from places where the thistles haven’t been dealt with by the farmer,” says Kirby. Stone Dog sources macadamia honey from north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland and red gum honey from Wagga. “Semi-regional areas provide a unique flavour.”
Stone Dog brews mead in stainless-steel variable capacity tanks in the “fermentation house” — aka the shipping container. “We’ve had it since the start and it allows us to control the temperature and operate in a nice, clean area,” says Kirby.
To gauge a mead’s readiness, Kirby looks for stability, taste, sweetness and clarity. “We gauge stability by using hydrometers to measure the specific gravity,” he says. “We want the alcohol to be stable for at least a week and for the sediment to start to drop out.” The end ABV all comes down to the product itself — there’s no parameters. “The traditional meads sit between 10–18 per cent,” says Kirby. “Because we are small batch, we can let the honey and yeast work to where it wants to go rather than driving it to reach a certain point because we’ve printed 10,000 labels. Our batches all have their own unique flavours, and while the base will be the same, the alcohol percentages and residual sugars are different.”
Stone Dog also experiments with aromat additions such as chipotle chillis, pepper and cacao nibs. “I love star anise; we haven’t used it commercially yet, but we are developing it,” says Kirby. “The ingredients make something together that’s more than what you started with, if you get what I mean.”
While the type of honey may vary, the brewing process does not, and neither do the other key ingredients. Stone Dog uses Lalvin ICV D47 yeast, which is commonly used to make wines such as Chardonnay and Rosé. “It’s a bit strange to use a nice wine yeast for mead, but it gives the balance of esters and flavours while retaining the honey’s profile,” says Kirby. Nutrients are also added, which is critical when it comes to productivity. “Honeys are 99 per cent sugar; they don’t have the nutrients that yeast has to propagate properly,” says Kirby. “When we started, it was common for mead to take six months to a year to ferment out at 11–15 per cent. But research and processes such as TOSNA [nutrient regime], which is all about staggered nutrient additions, gives the yeast what it needs to propagate. Now, 13–15 per cent meads are produced in about eight to 10 weeks.”
The mead, which is made in 120–130L batches, is mostly left to its own devices during the brewing process, besides the occasional degas. “The process is pretty much the same across all of the meads and we take a hands-off approach,” says Kirby. “But when fermentation happens, a lot of carbon dioxide builds up in the brew itself and it can change the acidity if you don’t stir it up.”
“Because we are small batch, we can let the honey and yeast work to where it wants to go rather than driving it to reach a certain point.”
The launch of the Mead Australia organisation will also go a long way to ensuring and supporting the future success of honey wine in Australia. “Mead has changed so much here just in the time we have been operating,” says Kirby. “We have helped change the game.” ■
The brewer compares mead’s possible trajectory in the liquor sector to that of the global craft beer movement, which was once shiny and new. “We tend to say we are five years behind the craft beer industry — we follow on their coattails,” says Kirby. “The US has around 450 meaderies operating. They are also all through Europe, popping up in South Africa and there are a few originals in South America.”
18 | Hospitality //DRINKS Mead
A reflection of the practice is a sweet mead made with scotch thistle honey. “It got to 6.7 per cent and it just didn’t want to go any further,” says Kirby. “We gave it a lot of time and more yeast, but it said, ‘No, this is where I want to stop’. So we bottled it and it was a dessert wine with a unique scotch thistle flavour. Part of our core beliefs or thinking is what we produce should taste like what we are using — we want to showcase the honey.”
While the growth of meaderies in Australia is slow, there’s no doubt progress is being made. “There are still meaderies popping up, but not at the same rate as before COVID,” says Kirby. “I know a few that haven’t survived, but there are more in planning.”
So, what is the best way to enjoy mead? The answer is farreaching. It can be chilled with ice and served tall, warmed up for a soothing sipper or reduced to make a syrup to drench cakes. “Everyone used to know mead as something that was super sweet that you only drank in winter,” says Kirby. “Our macadamia dry called Heading to the Desert is tasting like a baked Chardonnay and we are currently serving it warm to people at the market.”
Once the brewing process is wrapped up, Stone Dog uses a single-head vacuum filler to bottle the mead. “We’re still on the first unit we bought,” says Kirby, who also built a three-head pressure filler for session meads.
The brewer also suggests spicing mead with a bespoke combination of aromats, topping it with soda or tonic water or enjoying it in the same way you would drink a cider or a beer. “A session mead easily fits into the category,” says Kirby. “It’s so versatile these days — it’s not just a one-dimensional drink.”
– Steve Kirby
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The under-the-radar Japanese sake bar and restaurant has become a firm local favourite in Melbourne.
WORDS Aristine Dobson
//PROFILE UpstairsLeonie weplayfulsmaller,“Beingwecanbeabitmorewiththemenuandhowserveit.”KantaroOkada
ABOVE A GELATO shop in Melbourne’s Carlton, just across the way from Lincoln Square, sits Leonie Upstairs. The restaurant is one of the neighbourhood’s hidden gems and is the brainchild of Kantaro Okada, who describes it as an eatery that’s reminiscent of an izakaya found in Japan. The word izakaya comprises three kanji characters that mean stay, drink, place. Izakaya’s are casual venues that offer pared-back experiences for patrons looking to sip and graze their way through an evening. It’s also a concept that combines two of Okada’s greatest loves — sake and snacks. The owner wanted to create a local hideout for Carlton residents and cater to familiar faces. “We like being a little bit hidden,” he says. “All the special izakayas in Japan are also hard to find. They are very local, and all the customers are regulars.” Okada speaks to Hospitality about the venue’s extensive sake library, food and beverage pairings, temaki and providing suburbanites with a unique dining experience. Kantaro Okada is no stranger to the industry both here and overseas. He spent his early career as a café and restaurant consultant in Japan before touching down in Melbourne to open 279 under the Tsunagu Project. It was during this time when the idea for Leonie Upstairs first came about. “I’ve always wanted to do something with sake, so I did a small sake set-up there at night,” he says. “Once COVID hit, I stopped. But I found a space just in front of Lincoln Square park and basically fell in love with it. I walked inside and thought it was perfect for what I wanted to do, but bigger.” The two-level site provided an opportunity to create individual concepts within the same space: Japanese corner store and gelato shop Hareruya Pantry and restaurant Leonie Upstairs. “Hareruya opened first and Leonie opened two weeks after,” says Okada. “Hareruya serves bentos, Japanese gelato and a seasonal savoury dish (at the moment, it’s karaage). The concept is Japanese-inspired, and all the products are designed for people to grab and enjoy at the park.”
22 | Hospitality
While Hareruya has street presence, Leonie Upstairs is hidden in plain sight. “Leonie is always closed [during the day], and you’d only
Leonie Upstairs
Okada is a self-described sake enthusiast and is proud of the vast rotating selection at Leonie Upstairs. “We work with around eight different importers and distributors to find really good sake,” he says. “We have more than 15 sakes on the floor, which is quite rare to see in Melbourne.”
August 2022 | 23 //PROFILE UpstairsLeonie find the space if you already knew about it, but a customer at Hareyuya can find it by peeking upstairs,” says Okada. “You enter via a big steel back door inside the shop. We don’t have a main front entrance, so you have to walk past a queue of people waiting for gelato to get to the side entrance and walk up to a very ambient space with pale, tender finishes.”
Leonie Upstairs seats around 30 guests and runs two sittings each evening, meaning the venue operates on a smaller scale. “20 seats are dedicated to reservations and then we have a space with sofas and high tables for walk-ins,” says Okada. “The temaki counter, or sushi bar, only seats groups of two.”
Okada’s wife Hitoe leads the kitchen and uses a mixture of Japanese elements and local vegetables for dishes, which change seasonally. “All of the base recipes are the same, but the
Each style has its own unique flavour profile and mouthfeel based on the methods used to make them. Okada breaks down the different styles of sake: “You can have super savoury and umami-based sakes, rice-y sakes, floral sakes and really fruity and citrusy sakes,” he says. “Nigori sakes are cloudy and red sake is made from red rice.” Aged and fermented variations are also on offer. “Kijoshu is a unique type of sweet sake where they speed up the fermentation process while Koshu is aged.” Expertly trained staff curate sake flights or provide recommendations to guests. “There are some sakes that are amazing, but may not work well with the food,” says Okada. “We ask customers if they’re planning on having a couple of sakes or if they’re just having one throughout the night. If they’re having two or three, they can always start with something a bit more floral and sweet then have something more savoury when the food comes.”
Bookings are limited to eight people and Okada wouldn’t have it any other way. “We can also be consistent with having people every night of the week, which is very beneficial businesswise,” he says. “The cap definitely makes service more consistent because we know what we’re dealing with rather than having different big groups coming in.”
Launching a restaurant geared towards a limited number of patrons was an intentional decision that allows for smoother operations and a more flexible offering. “If we were catering to 400 people, we would be very efficiency conscious,” says Okada. “Being smaller, we can be a bit more playful with the menu and how we serve it.”
The venue works with consultant and ‘sake mentor’ Melissa Mills from Sake Connect, who is also a judge for sake competitions. Mills has collaborated with the team to curate a diverse range of options. “There’s a full spectrum of sake,” says Okada. “We have sparkling sake along with your standard daiginjo and ginjo.”
The ProjectTsunaguisalsobehindLeBajoMilkbarinNorthMelbourne 19thduringsushiTemakiwasinventedthecenturyinTokyo Katori sake is made koshihikariwithsushirice Iburigakko is from the PrefectureAkitainJapan
“The pickles and ferments go with a sake called Katori,” says Okada. “It’s less polished than any of the other sakes we have, so it’s quite umami-heavy and really adds to the matching. It’s also special because of the process they use, which is just a wild ferment, so it’s a bit funkier.”
Leonie Upstairs has quietly nestled into its surrounds and has a community-minded approach. A wall has now been covered with the work of local artists at the restaurant. “We are part of the neighbourhood, and I really felt we were supported by the locals and our regulars during lockdown,” says Okada. “We were so grateful they helped us, so we’re always looking for ways to do something in return. We didn’t want to make it all about us.”
The snacks category covers smaller plates and broths, which are ideal for sake pairings. “We come up with the dishes [by thinking about the] sake first,” says Okada. “Our carpaccio uses Hokkaido scallops (about 12 pieces), which we lay out before it’s flavoured with a yuzu vinaigrette, dill, dried shiso leaves and grapefruit. The dish was inspired by a particular sake that has a big pomelo/ grapefruit flavour to it.”
Another example is the smoked ferments plate, which encompasses an assortment of smoked daikon pickles (iburigakko), egg tartar, miso cream cheese and parmesan crisps.
There are many benefits that come with running a small business, but one advantage is having the ability to get to know everyone who walks through the door — or ascends the staircase, in Leonie’s case. “We cater to people who know what they’re expecting, and we’d rather have intentional customers,” says Okada. “Spontaneous customers are great if they love being a little bit adventurous, but we’re not your typical Japanese restaurant.”
There are endless filling options to choose from when it comes to temaki. “A popular combination is uni (sea urchin), sea grapes and umami bitters,” says Okada. “You also have Hokkaido seafood temaki with fresh salmon, salmon roe and Hokkaido scallop in the oneGuestsroll.” can also order a temaki set where they are given all the components for a DIY experience. “The homestyle temaki set is where you get a box filled with fresh seafood, veggies, rice and nori,” says Okada. “It’s an interactive dish where people can choose their own combinations.”
The menu at Leonie Upstairs sees bite-sized dishes split up into three sections: snacks, temaki (hand roll sushi) and sweets. “It’s all on the snack side; we don’t have any mains, so it’s kind of like tapas,” says Okada. “You get more choice throughout the whole experience. You can order eight to nine different things per sitting. We can cater for very short stays and it’s quite fun that way.”
“We have more than 15 sakes on the floor, which is quite rare to see in KantaroMelbourne.”Okada
■
24 | Hospitality //PROFILE UpstairsLeonie ingredients change,” says Okada. “[For example] the steamed veggies with anchovy butter change daily; sometimes we have squash, baby eggplant or a variety.”
Temaki sushi, or cone-shaped sushi, is a staple at Leonie Upstairs and is favoured in Japan for its rustic style. “It is what we would enjoy at home in Japan, you probably won’t see it in many restaurants there,” says Okada. “It’s a home-style dish that’s achievable because you can just buy fresh sashimi at the supermarket. But I thought it would be nice to feature the dish in a restaurant setting.”
Sandwiches are one of the main attractions at a deli and are the ideal vessels for cured meats, pickles and condiments. There are Delis producing sandwiches, coffee, sweet treats and more are on the rise.
WORDS Aristine Dobson PHOTOGRAPHY Jem Cresswell for Frank’s Deli
What was meant to be a temporary gig led to something with mass appeal. “From day one, we had huge lines out the door,” says Wilton. “By the time we had done it for a year, we still hadn’t received approval for the French restaurant, so we decided to focus on Hector’s because it was so popular.”
26 | Hospitality //FEATURE Delis
DELIS OR DELICATESSENS have gone through a major evolution. The concept has roots in Germany where retail-only spaces sold pre-prepared foods, cured meats, cheeses and specialty products. The stores later spread to the US and were popularised by European immigrants in New York. From there, delis progressed to include takeaway and dine-in options as well as broader offerings that covered sandwiches, soups, salads, baked goods and beverages. There are many interpretations of delis, but the common thread is comfort food done well. The shops are certainly having a moment in Australia’s hospitality scene, with chefs and small business owners creating their own modernised spins. Hospitality talks to Sammy Jakubiak from Frank’s Deli and Dom Wilton from Hector’s Deli about setting up shop and why deli food is here to stay. There is bound to be a deli in every New York neighbourhood. In most instances, they are family-owned businesses that are community spaces where people either gather to eat or purchase food to go. Sammy Jakubiak sampled the best the city had to offer during a trip with her brother Alek and partner Ben Kelly. It prompted the trio to open Frank’s Deli (named after Kelly’s grandfather) in Sydney’s Waverly upon returning home. “We spent so much time eating at all the delis, so the inspiration was straight off the back of that,” says Jakubiak. Jakubiak saw parallels between deli fare and the food she ate growing up, which is now on offer at Frank’s. “The food we enjoyed on our travels had similarities to [food from] my Polish background,” she says. “We thought we’d do what we know and love, and we were excited about the menu because it’s things we all enjoyed eating or that were part of our family traditions.” For Melbourne-based Chef Dom Wilton, the opening of Hector’s Deli happened by chance. After stints in fine dining, he intended to run a French restaurant with wife Vanessa Bossio and cousin Edward Ring, but a delay in permits led to a change of plans. “We found a site in Richmond on Buckingham Street that was a little corner shop,” says Wilton. “We wanted to do something easy, approachable and recognisable where there was no spin or twist.” Wilton drew on his own personal experiences when coming up with the idea for Hector’s. “I remember sitting around a table and I said, ‘A deli to me growing up was like a corner store that sold sandwiches’,” says the chef. “I knew I wanted to have ‘deli’ in the name and I was sitting there with my cousin and I said, ‘What was your dog’s name?’ and he said, ‘Hector’. I said, ‘Perfect’.”
One-stopshop
Wilton also lists the classic fried chicken sandwich as a crowd favourite. “Our fried chicken sandwich uses a potato bun that we developed which we steam so it’s warm when you eat it,” he says. “The chicken thigh is brined and crumbed in panko before pickle mayo, tarragon butter and crispy lettuce is added.” “It’s hitting the next generation and creating new habits for young people in an approachable way.” Sammy Jakubiak
August 2022 | 27
all sorts of sandwiches on the menu at Frank’s Deli, but a classic Reuben was nonnegotiable for Jakubiak. “The only thing I wanted on the menu was a Reuben,” she says. “It is the quintessential sandwich and it’s what everyone should want to eat if they want a Jakubiak’ssandwich.”Reuben uses Wagyu brisket pastrami from LP’s Quality Meats, housemade sauerkraut and pickles that are all layered between caraway rye bread from Brickfields Bakery. The point of difference is the Frank’s sauce, which contains more than 20 ingredients. “It’s a version of a Russian dressing,” says Jakubiak. “I started out in catering and burger pop-ups, so it was something I developed over the years for burgers that I thought would go very well on theTheReuben.”saucealso makes an appearance on the Breakfast Sammy which sees folded scrambled egg combined with American cheddar. Customers have a choice of adding brisket pastrami, polish speck or braised miso mushrooms. “We grew up eating what my dad called the Jak muffin from our surnames,” says Jakubiak. “We were going to put it on the menu, but our family were like, ‘We want something more exciting’, so the Breakfast Sammy was born from that. It is obviously a bit of a namesake, but it’s the family breakfast sandwich and our second bestSandwichesseller.” were always the primary focus for Wilton. “When we opened Hector’s Deli, we only did five sandwiches because we had 27 square metres of space, but we also wanted to pour our energy into something we thought would be super delicious,” says the chef. The most-ordered sandwich is also a pastrami-centric creation which has the option to include a house sauce. “It’s thinly sliced smoked brisket with sweet mustard, pickles, sauerkraut and dill pickles from Westmont on toasted light rye,” says Wilton. “We have a signature sauce called the Hectic sauce which is a mildly spiced mayo.”
//FEATURE Delis
Wilton has always stuck with a streamlined menu, but the venue has a broad offering when it comes to beverage options. “The coffee program is becoming more developed and we’re doing some fermented pineapple drinks and specials that are like smoothies,” he says. While the team is kept busy with the progression of Hector’s Deli, they are keeping everything in-house. “We roast our own coffee and we come up with bread recipes that are contract baked,” says Wilton. “We are starting to develop [more] baked goods and we’re working our way into salads.”
“We’re not trying to do anything too fancy; we’re just trying to elevate the classics.”
The retail section also stocks pantry items from the likes of Condimental, Lulu’s Remedy, Hotluck Club and Moon Mart. “A lot of [chefs] were out of work during COVID, and they took the time to start up their own brands and products,” says Jakubiak. “We really wanted to support people who were doing cool things and having their products on our shelves is really important. Our customers love it.”
On a sweeter note, Frank’s Deli is known for a caramel-laden treat called the Brunswick bun. “It’s like a focaccia and a brioche dropped in caramel,” says Jakubiak. “It’s spiced with cinnamon and cardamom and it’s rich, but light and fluffy.”
Anneliese Brancatisano is behind the bakery selection at Hector’s and has worked with Wilton to reimagine familiar favourites. “The brief was to look towards Baker’s Delight, Brumby’s Bakery and those types of places and elevate their offerings,” says Wilton. “We’re working on bacon and tomato slices, apple fritter cinnamon rolls and butter tarts. A lot of the inspiration came from Canada (my wife and operations manager is Canadian), so it’s also sort of Tim Hortons-inspired.”
Delis have always symbolised locality and community, two things that are essential in the current climate. “Because of COVID,
28 | Hospitality
Delis were initially developed to deliver a wide range of options from retail goods to homemade meals. And Jakubiak is doing the same by offering ready-made products to customers. “We usually keep our shelves well stocked with pâté, terrines and cheeses,” she says. “We also make Polish salad that you can buy by the tub and we do a weekly pasta and lasagne.”
Dom Wilton Aside from sandwiches, Frank’s and Hector’s both sell baked goods. “It’s nice [for customers] to grab some of our housebaked items,” says Jakubiak. “We do a blueberry cornbread with polenta and two different flavours of focaccia daily: one of them is potato, rosemary and confit garlic and we also do a seasonal option.”
//FEATURE Delis
30 | Hospitality //FEATURE Delis
everyone’s become much more suburban and I think people really enjoy a local place,” says Jakubiak. “No matter what kind of deli it is, there is an element of, ‘Someone here really cares about what they’re doing’.”
Today’s businesses are rewriting new chapters while carrying on traditions. “Many of us went to delis with our parents when we were young that were family-owned businesses and our parents had their own rituals of buying things they liked,” says Jakubiak. “A new wave of people in the industry are opening up these cool little delis with their versions of these products and the sandwiches they like to make. It’s hitting the next generation and creating new habits for young people in an approachable way.” Wilton echoes the sentiment, and has helped
shift the public’s perception of what a deli is through Hector’s. “We’ve been open for around five years and we knew the word deli had next to no significance other than what it meant to me personally growing up,” he says. “Back then, the response was immediately confusing; people were expecting us to serve cured meats and they didn’t know how to interact with the idea of a deli being a sandwich shop. But it allowed us to build the idea organically and the immediate community to decide what we are from there.”
While there are many definitions of a deli, the notion of inclusivity is globally shared. “The theme across what we do here is familiarity and accessibility,” says Wilton. “We’re not trying to do anything too fancy; we’re just trying to elevate the classics.”
■ The pastramibrisketWagyufromLP’sQualityMeatsisbrinedforoneweek cheesecakeFrank’sDelimakesBasquewithcitruszest TheatsandwichchickenHector’sDeliis$16 The DelicatessenNewdelioldestinYorkisKatz’s
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32 | Hospitality //FEATURE FitzOldThe
Toby Stansfield is just getting started at a Sydney hub for chef talent.
– Toby Stansfield
August 2022 | 33 //FEATURE FitzOldThe
WORDS Annabelle Cloros “It’s about making it fun and keeping the classics alive.”
Moving into the production side of the business was a deliberate move for the chef, who wasn’t quite ready to get back into restaurants right off the back of lockdown. “I wanted to get away from hospitality for a while after COVID,” he says. Stansfield spent much of his time in the production kitchen thinking about the big picture and the elements that make successful venues successful: managing people, recipe development and nailing down food costs. “It was about making sure the recipes were as good as they could be as well as being cost-effective, which is the name of the game,” he says. “It was retail-based, so I was dealing with different things. But I would say leadership skills were at the forefront of my learning experience there. There’s the obvious stigma around restaurant work and the culture that goes with it, but it wasn’t the case there. The learning curve was how to deal with people, really.”
Toby Stansfield basically grew up in Queensland, and it was here where his journey in kitchens began. The budding chef started his apprenticeship at the picturesque Sails Restaurant Noosa before wrapping up the formalities during a three-year stint at Rockpool 1989 in Sydney. “I finished at Rockpool and took on a sous chef role (followed by a brief stint as head chef) at Yellow before I went to Monopole as head chef for about a year,” says Stansfield. The chef took some time off during lockdown in 2020 before he joined the Love, Tilly Group later in the year to launch Fabbrica in the CBD. The all-inone destination for sandwiches, pasta, cheese, wine and other good things kickstarted the development of a new type of venue that needed a dedicated production kitchen. “I spent about a year there and opened their production kitchen, which was what I was doing for the last eight to nine months before moving to The Old Fitz,” says Stansfield. “We supplied all the venues in the group [Ragazzi, Love, Tilly Devine, Dear Sainte Eloise] with butchery items, bread and pasta and we worked with them to build new products we could provide.”
THE OLD FITZROY Hotel in Sydney has been around for more than 150 years, making it one of the city’s oldest pubs. The two-storey Woolloomooloo venue enjoyed a low-key reputation among locals until 2019 when fine-dining gun Nicholas Hill turned the food offering on its head. Skip ahead to late 2020, and the hotel changed hands. This time, it was acquired by Odd Culture Group who recruited Anna Ugarte-Carral to the role of head chef. Ugarte-Carral continued cementing the venue’s position in the culinary landscape until June this year, when she handed over the reins to Toby Stansfield. Hospitality speaks to the new recruit about switching between kitchen environments, lessons learned during his time working for leading restaurant groups and the legacy he hopes to achieve at The Old NewFitz.Zealand-born
The Old Fitz has two dining areas — Bistro Fitz and the pub — which each have their own menus. Stansfield’s arrival signalled a new era for the overall culinary offering, which is far-reaching when it comes to influences and techniques and low on limitations. “To be honest, there wasn’t much of a brief, which was refreshing guard
With routine comes comfort, and Stansfield was content spending some time away from restaurant kitchens — for the most part. “It was good to get out, but I did miss the people and the thrill of it,” he says.
New
When Anna Ugarte-Carral decided to call time on The Old Fitz, the chef began reaching out to friends and connections to see if there were any takers on the prized position. “She asked a friend of mine who wasn’t really ready for that commitment yet. He then asked me if I wanted to do it, so I threw my hand up in the air. It was a spur of the moment thing, but I took the plunge, met up with Anna and it all kicked off from there. It was something new and exciting for me — a good change.”
The chef frequented The Old Fitz for a drink and a snack “here and there” over the years, but the ultimate drawcard came down to two things: “It’s one of the only gastro pubs in Sydney and it has a good following,” says Stansfield, who started his new gig while working at Fabbrica over a busy couple of weeks. “It was a bit tricky at the start, but I got through it. I had a solid crew here when I started, so it all worked out pretty well.”
Naturally, a pasta dish is one of the highlights. “There’s a semolina trofie, which is an ode to the original Genovese one with green beans and potato,” says Stansfield. “There are no beans, but the potato is in the dough to keep it in line with the classic.”
■ //FEATURE FitzOldThe
All fresh starts come with their fair share of challenges, and Stansfield’s obstacles are largely shared by most chefs. “Everyone has been supportive of my vision and what I want to get done here, but I haven’t had much of a crew with the kitchen to be honest,” he says. “Most of the staff have moved on or gone part-time, which happens with a change of head chef or maybe it was time for them to move on. It has been tough because of how difficult it is to find staffButnow.”theteam has rallied to get The Old Fitz off the ground under Stansfield, who says his launch menus couldn’t have gone any better. “It’s all I can ask for,” says the chef. “It’s hard to run service without having that many hands, but we have done a good job. I just want to give people a fun and elevated pub experience. I know it’s never going to be a fine-dining restaurant, so I want to deliver a well-executed menu, work away and try to make something out of the pub.”
The chef lists the rooster roll as a good example of the ethos, which is resonating with diners. “It’s an ode to Red Rooster and is something I grew up having every so often when I went surfing, so there’s nostalgia there for me,” he says. The Old Fitz’s version sees confit chicken combined with roast chicken mayonnaise, gravy and dill — a luxe take on the fast-food version. Not to forget the Diane sauce for the steak. “It’s the ultimate steak sauce out there and has been received really well.”
The pub side is naturally all about foundational dishes found in establishments country-wide, but versions that are a little more refined than your average fare. “I wanted to keep it fairly pubby with steak, fish, chippies and all those things you can eat with your hands,” says Stansfield. “It’s about making it fun and keeping the classics alive.”
While the pub menu follows a familiar path, Bistro Fitz is where Stansfield’s expertise hits the hardest. The offering is split up into snacks, mains, sides and desserts, with each category filled out with plenty of options. Diners can begin a meal with Sydney rock oysters, taramasalata with crunchy salad leaves or crudités with sauce gribiche before moving onto larger plates. “I like to mix and match ingredients that aren’t ‘normal’,” says the chef. “It’s not stock-standard cuisine; you can try a bit of everything because it’s all different.”
— there wasn’t a particular style they [Odd Culture] wanted me to follow,” says the chef. “I have a broad skill set in cooking and haven’t stuck to just one cuisine, so I cooked the things I wanted to for the launch menus. My Executive Chef James MacDonald [ex-Hubert] guided me on what worked and what didn’t.”
The menu, like most, will evolve with seasonality, but recent weather challenges are wreaking havoc on restaurants. “Everything that is usually abundant isn’t … it has been tricky finding things that are exciting but also affordable because of the rain or the dry spells,” says the chef. But future dishes patrons can expect to see soon will ring a bell. “I want to take Australian classics but twist them. I will do something with fairy bread and maybe create a celeriac turnover. It will be like an apple turnover, but I’ll use celeriac as the puff pastry.”
34 | Hospitality A crêpe cake is an dessertidealfortwo Fino suppliesFoodsarangeofcheeses BreadOrganicBar is behind The Old bakeryFitz’srange vegetarianStansfieldworkedatrestaurantYellow
The spatchcock is another chicken shopinspired dish. “It’s marinated in a chipotle dressing and then gets roasted and charred,” says the chef. “It’s basically a charcoal chicken kebab on a plate.”
//FEATURE Design theSettingscene From layout to décor, operators are thinking about interior design as much as food and beverage. WORDS Aristine Dobson PHOTOGRAPHY Jason Loucas for The Bar 36 | Hospitality
The Bar’s interiors complement its service and offering, which sees martini trolleys take the floor, as well as a menu that highlights luxe ingredients. Terzini was inspired by iconic international drinking destinations during the early stages of The Bar’s development. “We try not to do too many moodboards and we really go with product first; it dictates the design,” says the restaurateur. “We referred to the great bars, whether it be the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel or La Reserve in Paris. They’re a little bit conservative in their appeal, but are also at the forefront of drink-making and quality.”
Maurice Terzini has spearheaded a number of venues over the course of his hospitality career. The restaurateur is behind venues such as Icebergs Dining Room and Bar in Bondi and CicciaBella in Parramatta Square. Terzini has curated spaces with mass appeal and his most recent venture The Bar is no exception.
Agnes covers a ground-floor dining area, a mezzanine with a private dining room, a basement and a wine bar. Each aspect of the “I didn’t want any stainless steel visible or anything modern in the kitchen, so all the benches are all made out of natural stone.”
Ben Williamson
Located in the InterContinental Double Bay in Sydney, The Bar opened in June and has become a new destination for guests and locals. “Hotel bars are pretty special in their own right; they are open to everyone more so than other exclusive bars,” says Terzini. “When I travel, I always go to hotel bars. The French and the English do it better than anyone else.”
A QUALITY RESTAURANT experience encompasses much more than the food on the plate and the drink in the glass. The interior of a venue generates the first impression, setting the mood as soon as a patron steps foot in a space. Successful operators have long considered every detail within a venue from light fixtures to paint colours and furniture. Whether it’s an established restaurant or a hotel bar, creating a coherent theme goes a long way to relaying a venue’s story. Hospitality speaks to Agnes’ Tyron Simon and Ben Williamson and The Bar’s Maurice Terzini about working with designers and artisans to create ambient spaces with personality. When Tyron Simon and Ben Williamson teamed up to open their first restaurant together, they came up with two different concepts after landing on wood-fired cooking. But the decision was ultimately made when they came across a space in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. “We wanted to do a wood-fired restaurant,” says Simon. “By chance, we saw this beautiful, semi-dilapidated, abandoned building next door to where we were having a meeting.” The site was a former milk factory and had distressed bricks, which reflected the rustic nature of wood-fired cooking. “When we walked in, it was almost as if the cuisine was determined by the state of the building, which was quite shambolic,” saysConvertingSimon. an old warehouse into one of the city’s top fine diners was no easy feat, with the whole process taking around four years before Agnes opened its doors in early 2020. Simon, Williamson and Co-Owner Bianca Marchi worked with Sally Corones and Jennifer Hudson from Amok Studios to bring the concept to life. “The physical environment of Agnes was designed to complement, not to deter from, the true hero of the project — the art of wood-fired cooking,” reads Amok’s project submission for the Eat Drink Design Awards. “The materials and finishes palette, carefully considered planning and the hierarchy of design elements all contributed to creating the desired dining experience.”
Navigating the layout of a site is the first step in the design process. The Agnes team wanted to maintain the integrity of the building, which became one of the main requirements of the brief. “Something that really drew us to the space was the series of different levels and interesting shapes you don’t normally find in modern builds,” says Simon. “The design of the restaurant was dictated by the building.”
August 2022 | 37 //FEATURE Design
There are endless ways to approach fixtures and furnishings, which are all ironed out according to a venue’s identity. Simon opted for a minimal colour scheme at Agnes. “Dulux Monument Grey was emblazoned in my brain,” he says. “We thought if we “We try not to do too moodboardsmany and we really go with product first; it dictates the design.”
The stone finish is accompanied by wrought iron and cooking equipment forged by local Blacksmith Robert Everingham. “He usually builds beautiful wrought-iron gates, window frames and doors for homes, and that’s what we wanted for the kitchen,” says Williamson. “Amok Studio were looking for him to do the window frames for us and noticed he was building wood-fired barbecues out of wrought iron during a meeting at his warehouse.”
The Bar is not only an homage to historic hotels, but a tribute to the InterContinental’s former days as The Ritz-Carlton. Terzini and the design team accessed the InterContinental’s archives, which house close to 40 years’ worth of items. “The Ritz was one of Sydney’s most glamorous hotels, so a lot of special treasures were put away and almost forgotten about,” says Terzini. “We were able to tap into all those resources and beautiful props, which was great.”
Vases, decanters, servingware and silverware have all been given new life at The Bar. “When you go into the InterContinental and into The Bar, there’s silver everywhere,” says Terzini. “It gives a sense of elegance and glamour, and we wanted a little bit of decadent elegance as well.”
The open hearths and wood-fired ovens are the heart of the kitchen, which sees chefs cook over flames. “They were custom made for us by a company called Beech Ovens,” says Williamson. “They do wood-fired and tandoor ovens internationally and they built the ovens for us and the custom brick hearths, which are like open fireplaces.”
Experiential design studio Alfred, based in Surry Hills, was selected to assist with the fit out. The firm specialises in projects from semi-permanent pop-up installations to bars and restaurants. “I’ve worked with them before on a number of different projects; they designed Re- in South Eveleigh and they’ve done a lot of work with me at Icebergs,” says Terzini. Most restaurants prioritise functionality over aesthetics when it comes to the kitchen, but Agnes fortunately has the best of both worlds. “I didn’t want any stainless steel visible or anything modern in the kitchen, so all the benches are made out of natural stone (such as a composite granite), which is very heat-resistant,” says Williamson, head chef. “I wanted it to feel like it was 200 years old … the way things would have been done pre-industry.”
The Bar is a pop-up at the InterContinental, which necessitated a different design approach for its residency in the hotel’s dining hall. “It could last six months or two years, so we treated it more like a set design rather than a full makeover,” says Terzini. “We used pretty much everything that was in there; we reupholstered or repurposed it all in some way.”
The bold scheme’s textures and materials work together to express the overarching theme of the space. “We wanted it to be really lush and a little bit over the top,” says Terzini. “It’s got a jazzy, piano man/piano bar sort of vibe, so there’s lots of velvet, carpet, tablecloths, lamps and silver. It’s dark and a bit mysterious.”
Maurice Terzini
38 | Hospitality //FEATURE Design
venue works around an open kitchen. “The larger area, which is now the main restaurant dining room, was the only space with enough floorplan to have a kitchen and a dining room,” says Simon. “We really wanted wood-fired cooking to be the centrepiece, so you couldn’t put it on another level.”
For Simon and Williamson, the motivation behind Agnes was to bring something new to Brisbane’s dining scene. “Brisbane was always perceived as being behind the southern states as far as restaurants,” says Simon. “Whether it’s a specific chair or cutlery choice, it really does make the customer experience.”
Terzini has taken a completely different route to accent pieces, using a mixture of photography and art at The Bar. “We found lots of signed photographs from celebrities who stayed at The Ritz,” he says. But there are pieces from Artist Vicki Lee which add a contemporary touch to the space. “There are two big paintings behind the bar, which are quite special,” says Terzini. “They’re uniquely her [Lee] and it’s great because we worked with someone who is a good friend.”
When it comes to hospitality design, conceptualised venues deliver environments that are evergreen in nature. “The InterContinental is based on glamour, decadence and beauty,” says Terzini. “That sense of luxury hopefully enhances people’s experiences. The vibe of getting dressed up and going out for a drink is what we have tried to achieve.”
40 | Hospitality //FEATURE Design made everything in a neutral colour that it would allow the rest of the building to shine. Everything from our cabinetry, tables and chairs to banquettes have all been powder-coated in Monument Grey to emphasise the bricks and the wooden trusses and beams.”
The decor is also pared-back, with the restaurant swapping pictures and paintings for botanical arrangements and natural displays. “We use different woods such as ironbark, peach, apple, cherry, pecan and macadamia, which we always have on a shelf in the kitchen, so we use them in the arrangements,” says Williamson. “Used pieces of charcoal from the oven have an aesthetic value, and we use them as art in the venue.”
Lighting is used to highlight culinary techniques at Agnes as well as generate ambience for diners, who feel like they are beside a campfire. “We wanted to have dimly lit directional lighting, so it wasn’t too flooded,” says Simon. “We wanted the focus to be what was on the table and what was happening in the kitchen. But it is very dark apart from that. The way the light casts onto the tables makes you feel like it’s fire light or a candle on the table, but it’s a little more focused.” It took around two weeks of trial and error before the duo found the right lights for the restaurant. Plates of food were placed under different bulbs to see how they would look from a guest’s point of view. “We were returning bulbs that weren’t perfect and changing them for another set,” says Simon. “The end result is quite dramatic.”
■ cookingEveringhamRobertforgedwood-firedtoolsforAgnes arrangementsAgnes’anddisplayschangeweekly tableclothsLinenareusedatTheBarfortexture The InterContinentalbecameRitz-CarltontheDoubleBayin2014
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42 | Hospitality
Jun Shimada has owned Kadoya in Brisbane for 17 years. The Mary Street restaurant, which has more than 25 years of history, is a staple in the city’s Japanese food landscape. Shimada describes katsu as a combination of Western and Japanese culinary Sando, bento or donburi? Katsu is an all-rounder for good reason. Annabelle Cloros
Crunch supreme //FEATURE Katsu
WORDS
Hospitality speaks to Markus Andrew, Takako Enomoto and Jun Shimada about how they prepare katsu, frying tips and tricks, and most importantly, how the fried cutlet is best enjoyed.
Tonkatsu is one of the most common applications in Japan and sees pork loin or fillet served alongside a mountain of shredded cabbage and a namesake sauce (usually Bull-Dog). Alternatively, the cutlet is stuffed in between bread for an on-the-go option or featured in a bento box. Here in Australia, katsu is a hit for patrons of many restaurants — three of which are Dopa Donburi and Milkbar in Sydney, Tamura Sake Bar in Melbourne and Kadoya in Brisbane.
THE THING ABOUT katsu is that it can delineate many things, be it meat or vegetable. The dish consists of an ingredient that’s floured, egg-dipped and covered in panko crumbs before it’s deep-fried and served with accompaniments; typically rice, miso soup, some type of sauce or curry. Basically, if it’s covered in panko, it’s katsu.
“In Japan, katsu is usually pork and there are onlyrestaurantsmanythatservekatsu.”TakakoEnomoto
Dopa is a unique concept in Darling Square Sydney and is a hybrid donburi and milkbar destination. The eatery has a large selection of rice bowls — including pork katsu — and a long list of add-ons for custom creations.
August 2022 | 43 //FEATURE Katsu techniques and offers three types of katsucentric dishes at Kadoya: katsu curry, bento and katsudon. “I think people really like deep-fried food,” he says. “We have pork and chicken, so people have a choice. But in Japan, it’s pork 99 per cent of the time. Pork katsu curry is the most popular order and katsudon is more of a quick lunch-time meal.”
The preparation process for katsu remains the same no matter the protein or vegetable. It’s a time-consuming process for chefs who follow a flour, egg, breadcrumbing formula before each service commences. Kadoya’s chef team starts with pork loin and uses a fork to tenderise the meat. Any extra fat is also trimmed off during the early stages, which ensures a uniform product during frying. “If you don’t do this, the fat will just get harder and it won’t keep its shape,” says Shimada. “It’s a bit of work, but good food has to be prepared properly.”
Chef Markus Andrew is on the same page as Shimada when it comes to katsu’s backstory. “We did a research trip before starting Dopa and katsu is one of those Westernised Japanese dishes,” he says. “It’s more of a cooking method because you can make it with chicken, minced beef (which is really popular) or pork. The Japanese have it in an array of things, and while we have it in a restaurant setting, they have it in a bento or a sandwich.”
Over in Fitzroy, Tamura Sake Bar has taken a varied approach to katsu. Head Chef Takako Enomoto started the bar with her husband Fumi Tamura after closing a live music restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD. “We thought we should create a more authentic vibe and start a small bar,” she says. Tamura is open for lunch and dinner, serving both a full menu and a dedicated lunch selection, which is where katsu is on show via sando and curry applications. “In Japan, katsu is usually pork and there are many restaurants that only serve katsu,” says Enomoto. “But here, it’s more casual and we use chicken and eggplant.”
The cooking time all comes down to the size of the cutlet, with Andrew estimating it takes between four and five minutes at 170–180 degrees Celsius, using experience and other indicators to know when to take the katsu out of the canola oil. “It depends on the thickness, but golden brown is the colour we are looking for,” he says. “You also hear fizzing when the water from the pork expels into the oil.” The pork’s temperature is checked before it’s left to rest. It’s all about eggplant and chicken at Tamura, with Enomoto evenly cutting chicken breasts to size before following the crumbing process. “I use a rough panko because I don’t like it to be too fine,” says the chef. “We fry it in vegetable oil, and it takes around five minutes to cook.”
//FEATURE Katsu
During peak times, the kitchen partially cooks the katsu to keep up with demand. “We deep-fry it again when it’s ordered, so it’s twice-cooked.”
“The fluffy texture of the panko is what sets katsu apart from schnitzel it’s different altogether.”
Between 30 and 50 pork loins are then coated in flour, egg washed and covered in panko crumbs. “We use 8–12mm panko crumbs for the right texture,” says Shimada. “We don’t usually stick with a particular brand as long as it stays crunchy after frying.”
Markus Andrew
44 | Hospitality
The cutlets are fried in canola oil, which is changed daily. It’s a considerable cost for the business, but one Shimada knows is appreciated by Kadoya’s customers. “It used to cost $35 per 18L and now it costs $76,” he says. “But I change it every day to make sure there is no smell. It also goes a long way when it comes to the taste of theTheproduct.”oiliskept at 170 degrees Celsius with the katsu cooked for around three minutes until it reaches a golden brown colour. The cutlet is checked for firmness before it’s taken out of the oil to finish cooking while resting. “We do this so the meat is soft inside,” says Shimada, who also examines the colour to determine if the pork is adequately cooked. The cutlets are then cut into eight pieces — “a good size for the mouth”. Borrowdale free-range pork loin is the protein of choice at Dopa for its juicy traits and rich flavour. Andrew takes 150g portions that are lightly tenderised “to make sure it retains its form” before covering in flour, egg wash and panko. “It’s important to make sure it’s coated properly in panko,” says the chef. “The fluffy texture of the panko is what sets katsu apart from schnitzel — it’s different altogether.”
It’s a choose-your-own adventure once katsu has been given the deep-fried treatment. Sauces play a key role in the tonkatsu experience alongside cabbage and rice. “One of the most common is Bull-Dog sauce with Heinz tomato sauce — that mix is a good combination,” says Shimada. “Then there is goma (creamy sesame) dressing, which is a dipping sauce and the other is called daikon oroshi (grated radish), which has a soy sauce base.”
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Kadoya’s donburi comprises rice, chicken or pork katsu, takuan (radish pickle) and salad leaves, but katsu curry is one of Shimada’s top ways to enjoy the crispy cutlet. The restaurant has used the same recipe for more than 20 years, which sees different curry pastes blended together before carrot and onions are added in and stir-fried. “It’s much milder and sweeter than Thai or Indian curries,” says the co-owner. “It’s closer to a soup and it isn’t too thick.”
The curry is served with rice, salad greens and another type of Japanese pickle called fukujin zuke. “The pickles are an important part of Japanese curry,” says Shimada. Dopa’s donburi starts with rice and is built up with scrambled egg, shallots, seaweed and condiments such as Japanese yellow mustard, “which is another Western–Japanese way of cooking”, says Andrew.
46 | Hospitality //FEATURE Katsu
As well as making Japanese curry in-house following a traditional recipe, Tamura’s katsu curry features a zesty salsa on top for contrast. “The curry is very authentic, but we serve it with a coriander, capsicum and red onion salsa for freshness,” says Enomoto. “The chicken katsu is crispy and juicy, and the curry isn’t too strong, so it works when you have it with the salsa — it’s a goodThemixture.”bar’skatsu sando is also not to be missed.
Dopa’s katsu set comes with miso seaweedsoup,saladandpickles
katsushokupanTamuramakesforitssando
Katsu curry isservedcommonlywithtsukemono
Scrambledeggisacommonaddition
Enomoto makes shokupan, a Japanese milk bread renowned for its pillowy texture, which is the ideal foundation for the sandwich. “It has katsu, cabbage, lettuce, mayonnaise, mustard and tonkatsu sauce on it,” says the chef. “It’s very popular during lunch and we do a quarter size at night so people can try different dishes.” A good katsu all comes down to adequate coating, the right panko crumbs and cooking it to the point of crunchiness but not dryness. Whether it’s teamed with fresh veg, bonus seaweed or a combination of sauces, it’s a worldwide hit.
Diners can customise a donburi by choosing from a long list of sides covering eggplant and tofu teriyaki, miso salmon, seaweed salad or even extra katsu. “Some people order it for double protein,” says Andrew. The chef tips katsu as the “perfect medium” to team with Japanese curry, which sees the two components come together on the plate. “The British brought curry to Japan, so it has a much milder flavour,” he says. “It’s almost gravy-esque and is very subtle with a hint of spice.”
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I’ve learned valuable skills and knowledge from all these venues and discovered it’s important to put as much care into making a sandwich as a degustation. I grew up in Healesville and completed my apprenticeship at TarraWarra Estate 11 years ago under my friend and mentor Robin Sutcliffe. It makes my return special as I already knew some of the senior team.
One of the things that appealed to me the most about coming back is that it is one of the most beautiful properties in the Yarra Valley and you can’t help but feel immense joy when you’re there. The wines made on-site are delicious and the local produce is exceptional.Theteamdynamic has been great. The restaurant operates by each department doing what they do best and having mutual respect. I deeply appreciate the quality and care the gardeners and viticulturalists put into the property; the high service the front-of-house and cellar door teams provide and the execution of the wines by the winemakers. As for the kitchen, I’ve been working on fostering an environment where everyone has a voice. I want people to come to work and feel like they are progressing professionally and are having fun doing it. I have changed the menu at TarraWarra to suit my cooking strengths and passions. I learned in mostly European- and Mediterranean-leaning kitchens, so I’d say my food style is generally flavoured in the same manner, which suits the wines we produce. We offer two set menus; a plant-based one and another with animal products.
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Joel Alderdice
The newly minted TarraWarra Estate head chef has returned to where it all started.
50 | Hospitality //...WITHMINUTES5 AlderdiceJoel
I STAGED AT Attica for three months earlier in my career, and when I left, Ben [Shewry] told me to keep learning my craft and to not stop at fine-dining restaurants. The advice led me to my next jobs at a burger joint, a pub and a café/wine bar.
One of the dishes we are serving that represents my ethos is Buxton trout which we brine and cook at 55 degrees Celsius in a steam oven. The trout is then completely covered in a crumb of lemon-scented tea tree, lemon zest, pepitas, chives, finger lime and topped with Buxton trout roe, balsamic pearls and flowers from our garden. It’s served on a base of mixed brassicas from Timbarra Farm and a soubise made from leeks. Everything in the dish is locally sourced and combines classic and modern techniques. It sounds like there is a lot going on, but the balance of flavours is comparable to the way our Chardonnay drinks — citrusy yet rich, complex yet subtle. As a restaurant, we work closely with winemakers — about 50 metres I reckon. Claire Halloran and Adam McCallum make the wine on-site and we do our best to make sure we are serving them at optimal condition with food that complements it well. It’s easy for me because we make a great range of wine from sparkling to Rosé and Chardonnay to Pinot, Shiraz, Merlot and Nebbiolo.
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