How operators are preparing for a successful 2025.
32 // CULTURED BUTTER
Madeleine is doing things the French way.
MOZZARELLA
A note from the editor
HOSPITALITY IS BACK for another year, and it’s gearing up to be a big one for the sector. We’ve already seen a raft of new openings in the early weeks of 2025 and some food trends are fast emerging — I’m talking about fire-centric kitchens, Japanese hand rolls, and high-end Mexican dining (in the form of Lottie at The Eve Hotel in Sydney).
We are kicking off our 2025 coverage with a look at scampi caviar, which is a showstopper on the plate thanks to its vibrant blue colour. If you are a chilli fan, check out the produce section on the Carolina Reaper, which held the world’s hottest chilli record until the creator
PUBLISHER
Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au
MANAGING EDITOR
Annabelle Cloros
T: 02 8586 6226 acloros@intermedia.com.au
JOURNALIST
Laura Box lbox@intermedia.com.au
developed Pepper X, which took its spot. This issue, we profile one of the original omakase chefs in Sydney, Raita Noda, who talks about his new restaurant. Plus, don’t miss the drinks feature on ginger cocktails or the piece on the evolution of bar food, which charts how venues have gone from bowls of olives and nuts to more comprehensive offerings that allow guests to settle in for the night.
Until next time,
Annabelle Cloros Managing Editor
COMMERCIAL DIRECTORHOSPITALITY GROUP
Simon York T: 02 8586 6163 syork@intermedia.com.au
EIGHT YEARS AGO, Shark Bay Seafoods approached seafood marketing expert Umar Nguyen to see if she wanted to work with them on a new product: scampi caviar. She jumped at the opportunity — how hard could it be? They sent Nguyen simple instructions on how to defrost, remove impurities, salt, and package the eggs in tins. “But then I saw the eggs,” she says.
Female scampi keep their eggs on the outside of their bodies, hidden safely under their tails. When collected, there are often scales and dead or discoloured eggs, which are soft, white, and mushy. Sorting the impurities and inferior eggs from each batch is a taxing task, and while the product is one of a kind, the laborious nature of the work comes at a cost. But new technology has come into play, which has changed the trajectory of scampi caviar for good.
Nguyen is a chef by trade but decided to leave her kitchen job after becoming burned out by the nature of the work, which often resulted in missing family milestones. She joined a seafood wholesaler before launching her own business, The Fish Girl, a marketing venture aimed at growing consumer awareness of lesser-known seafoods. Her first client was Jason Simpson, the
general manager of Fraser Island Spanner Crab, who asked if she’d like to take on a national sales and marketing role for the spanner crab segment. “It allowed me to take products to chefs and stay connected to the industry,” she says.
The seafood expert then turned her attention to developing scampi caviar after initial discussions with Shark Bay Seafoods. The Western Australian company has been around for more than 40 years and is renowned for its sustainability focus and use of traditional fishing and by-catch reduction methods. It’s also one of just a handful of companies permitted to catch in Shark Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Shark Bay Seafoods catches scampi off the Western Australian coast in waters that are 200–1,000m deep. The vessels go out for two or three weeks at a time and quickfreeze the catch on board. The eggs vary in colour as the scampi are wild-caught, spanning from sapphire to cerulean. “What I learnt from the eggs is that every batch is different,” says Nguyen. “They come in all different shades of blue. The beautiful thing about selling this product is that while it’s the same, each time there are different shades of blue.”
In the first year, Nguyen and her team reached out to some of the top restaurants
and chefs in Australia. Initial responses were sceptical. “A lot of them said, ‘Good luck’. They thought it was a novelty item,” says Nguyen. Many chefs had never seen crustacean eggs packaged as a food item and rejected it, but one was particularly interested in the product. “It wasn’t until Josh Niland put it on some oysters that it went crazy.” The product fits well within Niland’s fin-to-tail ethos and challenged the status quo at the time, which saw chefs discard the eggs and then question why they were being charged for the extra weight.
Scampi caviar’s flavour profile is unique to other fish roes, bringing a point of difference to the plate. “It has an oceanic pop to it,” says Nguyen. “If you eat it super cold, a nice sea flavour comes through, and the flavour intensifies when it comes to room temperature.”
In its early stages, 100–200kg of eggs were harvested each year, which has now increased to 300–500kg. Nguyen says she hasn’t identified any competitors in the field, particularly not in Australia. “To access scampi eggs, you have to be a primary producer,” she says.
The niche industry is heavily dependent on Nguyen, and recently came under threat when she suffered carpal tunnel in her arm from the repetitive process
How new technology is helping the woman behind scampi caviar stay in business.
WORDS Laura Box
“It wasn’t until Josh Niland put it on some oysters that it went crazy.” – Umar Nguyen
of selecting the ideal eggs and cleaning debris. “I thought I was being weak and it was mind over matter, but my brain was warning me of danger,” says Nguyen. “I did a CT scan and the doctor said, ‘Whatever you’re doing, you need to stop’.”
Nguyen has sustained permanent damage to her left arm, suffered shoulder issues, and slipped two discs in her spine. Nguyen previously used tweezers to
manually remove impurities as well as dead or orange scampi eggs. The doctors warned Nguyen that if she didn’t take a break, she may need an operation which would force her to take months off work. “I got really depressed and I had to find a solution,” she says.
Last year, Arm Hub approached Nguyen to join their Female Founder Acceleration course. The six-month program is run in partnership with the Queensland Government and helps a small number of female founders of Queensland-based technology and manufacturing companies to develop technologies that will assist with the scaling of their businesses. The program helped Nguyen develop a machine that would reduce the need for tweezers.
The machine, which Nguyen affectionately refers to as “Bernie”, is crafted from a dental aspirator (the machine dentists use when they require suction). A tiny nozzle sized for scampi eggs is fitted on the machine, and allows the precise retrieval of the eggs. The nozzle is controlled by a custom hand grip and a foot pedal, which reduces the strain on Nguyen’s arms. “Instead of using tweezers and constantly lifting over the drum sieve and removing one egg at a time, we flatten out the eggs and move the suction to suck everything up,” says Nguyen.
Flattening out the eggs with a spoon or palette knife on a drum sieve allows Nguyen to identify impure and discoloured eggs, which she then suctions into a different container and disposes of.
Bernie’s assistance hasn’t seen a change in the speed with which Nguyen can prepare the eggs, but it has increased the accuracy and amount of time she can work for.
“Not only does Bernie limit my pain, but she can keep going and not get tired, and she doesn’t get cold in the cold room,” laughs Nguyen.
For Nguyen, the development is a game changer and has allowed her to continue working with the unique product. Looking forward, The Fish Girl is cryptic, but she promises there’s more to come. “We still have another phase we’re going to work on this year. I’ll let you know when it’s ready.” ■
Entrée
The latest openings, books, and more.
EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros
The final piece
Naldham House is gearing up to open Cantonese restaurant The Fifty Six in February. The top-floor eatery is helmed by Chef Gerald Ong who joined after time working in Canberra and Hong Kong, where he cut his teeth with the team at The Chairman. Guests can expect Moreton Bay bug dumplings, Mooloolaba prawns with curry leaf and salted egg, and roasted meats. “I know Brisbane will love this restaurant,” says the chef. “The array of incredible local produce available will always feature on the menu.” The Fifty Six is the final Dap & Co venue to launch at Naldham House, joining The Brasserie and Club Felix, which opened last year. thefiftysix.com.au
Photography by Dexter Kim
Barragunda Dining opens in Cape Schanck
Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is a destination of choice for chefs and food fans alike, and now there’s a new addition to the evolving landscape. Barragunda Dining is located within the Barragunda Estate, which is set on 1,000 acres of native bushland. Food system advocate Hayley Morris has spent four years developing the concept alongside executive chef and farmer Simone Watts. The 40-seater is slated to open in late February and will serve a set menu that showcases ingredients sourced from the estate’s farm.
Roll up
Hart Bread
Richard Hart and Laurie Woolever
Hardie Grant ; $55
Described as “the guide to the intuitive art of baking bread”, former head baker of Tartine and Founder of Hart Bageri Richard Hart has put together a book that includes more than 60 recipes. Richard Hart Bread features bread-making techniques such as developing starters as well as a collection of guides for creating bagels, English muffins, burger buns, sourdough loaves, flatbreads, and more. The book is a must-own for all bakers looking to expand their skillset and learn from one of the world’s best.
Richard
Capella Sydney appoints pastry chef French-born talent Arthur Carré is now heading up the pastry team at luxury hotel Capella Sydney. The chef studied and worked in France before moving to Dubai and then Sydney in 2023, where he spent time at Mimi’s. Carré is working closely with Capella Executive Chef Gabriele Taddeucci to create seasonal menus and signature dishes that reflect global trends and hero local ingredients. “For 2025, my plan is to introduce a new vision for pastries and leverage my experience to create more refined and elaborate desserts and pastries within this incredible hotel,” he tells Hospitality. capellahotels.com
Golden Century returns to Sydney
After closing its Haymarket location, Golden Century has found a new home at Crown Sydney. The restaurant has made its comeback, and guests have poured in to enjoy signature dishes of XO pipis and steamed live fish once again. The yum cha service is expansive, comprising more than 80 options from xiao long bao and siu mai to rice rolls and fried prawn wontons. “We have always pu=t hospitality first and are so excited to open the doors to our beloved guests, including those who are familiar with our food and those who will be trying it for the first time,” says Co-Owner Billy Wong. goldencentury.com.au
New edition
China: The Cookbook
Kei Lum Chan and Diora Fong Chan
Phaidon ; $74.95
For those who like variety in their cookbooks, China: The Cookbook has readers covered with more than 650 recipes inside. Best-selling authors Kei Lum Chan and Diora Fong Chan are experts in all eight major regional Chinese cuisines, but also cover dishes from 12 minor regions in the iconic book. Keep an eye out for classic dishes including sweet and sour spareribs, Fujian rice, Jiangsu’s drunken chicken as well as special recipes contributed by leading chefs. The book is a rerelease and has been given a new red cover and gilt edging. Available from 11 February. phaidon.com
Starting fresh
Better people management systems for the New Year.
WORDS Ken Burgin
WHY ARE LABOUR costs the largest expense for most operators, yet staff systems still so old-fashioned? Start the year by examining rostering, job descriptions, performance reviews, recruitment, onboarding, and training.
Begin by updating job descriptions. Over time, responsibilities often shift and expand, making many documents outdated. Requirements for basic positions are customer service, food and beverage preparation, table and area maintenance, team collaboration, plus compliance and safety. Additional requirements for managers and head chefs include leadership and team management, oversight of the operation, staff recruitment and development, financial management, customer satisfaction, and managing compliance, safety, and relationships. Accurate job descriptions ensure staff know exactly what is expected of them, and with digital platforms, small changes can be tracked efficiently as everyone uses the same systems.
Performance reviews are next and should build on job descriptions. AI tools can quickly create a review from a basic document. Modern rostering and HR systems come with templates and systems for documenting progress and feedback. Too many business owners keep this task to themselves — it’s time to delegate it to your management team.
how you catch and impress the people you want working for you.
The onboarding process should confirm a person’s choice to join your operation. A structured, well-paced introduction can make new team members feel welcomed and prepared. Practical guides, such as training videos or digital manuals, should be accessible by phone or laptop. A designated mentor should also guide the process and answer questions. Get it right from day one and you will create the foundations for a productive, stable team.
This will be a new hire’s first experience with your training system, and it’s surprising how easy it is now to build a digital platform that streamlines learning. Online modules let staff learn at their own pace, whether it involves mastering a new POS system, food safety, menu knowledge, allergy training, or improving communication skills. Frequent mini-trainings maintain momentum without demanding too many group sessions, which can be difficult to schedule in a busy restaurant — Zoom and Google Meet are the new face-to-face.
By choosing userfriendly software, you free up time to focus on the human aspects of people management.
With new low-cost competitors in the rostering space, online systems are no longer an annoying expense. Modern managers and head chefs should be able to use them to control and be accountable for their weekly wage costs.
Does your recruitment need an overhaul? Relying on random advertisements or word-of-mouth attracts fewer qualified candidates. Modern HR systems allow you to list jobs on your website and manage inquiries quickly — they need same-day (sometimes same-hour) responses and systems to organise CVs and schedule interviews. Does your current system automatically text applicants when they submit an inquiry and direct them to a form to gather more information? This is
Take advantage of tools that link up every step of the HR chain. A single, integrated system can handle everything from recruitment and rostering to storing job descriptions, tracking performance reviews, and monitoring training progress. By choosing user-friendly software, you free up time to focus on the human aspects of people management such as coaching, managing the occasional difficulty, and recognising excellence. You’re also using the same systems that multi-unit operators use with success.
Once your core processes are refreshed, don’t wait another 12 months before re-evaluating them. Mark smaller check-in points in the calendar to confirm that each step is still working, and delegate some of these system checks to your management team. Ongoing improvements shape and build a culture that attracts and retains top talent, drives down labour costs, and provides consistently high service standards. ■
Bumpy exterior
Used to make hot sauces
Eating a Carolina Reaper has been described as like “eating lava”
The world’s hottest chilli until 2023
A hybrid of a Habanero and a Naga chilli
Currie’s hot sauces have appeared on Hot Ones
Has notes of cinnamon and chocolate
Carolina Reaper
The former world-record-holding chilli still brings the heat.
WORDS Annabelle Cloros
Origins
The Carolina Reaper was developed by American chilli breeder “Smokin’” Ed Currie, who began growing chilli plants and experimenting with crossbreeds after returning to his parents’ home state of South Carolina. The Carolina Reaper comes from the Capsicum chinense species and is a cross between the La Soufriere Habanero pepper from Saint Vincent in the Caribbean and a Naga Viper from Pakistan, which was gifted to Currie by a doctor. Officially coming in at over 1.5 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU), it was named as the hottest chilli pepper by Guinness World Records in 2013, a title it held until 2023 when Currie’s new creation Pepper X (2.693 million SHU) took over the top position.
Growth and harvest
Seeds for the Carolina Reaper are sold across the globe, but it’s not as easy to grow as other chilli plants. It’s best to grow it indoors, ideally on top of a seed heating mat which speeds up the germination process. Seeds typically sprout between seven and
10 days when they are kept in conditions between 26–32 degrees Celsius. The chillis can then be replanted in larger pots and moved outside two to three weeks after sprouting. Carolina Reapers require full-sun conditions and will develop branches and leaves before flowers appear. Lime green peppers will then grow and turn vibrant red in colour, which means they are ready to be harvested. The peppers should be picked from the stem to prevent any breakages in the fruit’s skin.
Appearance and culinary uses
The peppers are deep red in colour and have a gnarled, bumpy exterior with a distinct tail at the bottom. Carolina Reapers have a fruity taste with notes of cinnamon and chocolate, which are quickly dominated by a sheer, burning heat. One of the most common applications for the peppers is to use them to make hot sauce, however it’s highly recommended goggles are worn when cooking them indoors. Alternatively, the chillis can be dehydrated and made into a powder which can be used to add heat to food. ■
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Longer
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Bar cart
Thirst quenchers, slow sippers, and all things beverage related.
WORDS Laura Box
Across the ditch
Strange Nature is a grape-based gin made with the sole botanical of juniper. Sustainably crafted in New Zealand, it boasts a flavour profile akin to the region’s Sauvignon Blanc, with notes of zesty pineapple and grapefruit and herbaceous hints of green pepper and Makrut lime. The gin has garnered international acclaim and received a score of 98/100 at the International Wines & Spirits Competition 2024. $89.99. strangenaturegin.com
Summer bubbles
It’s not summer without an easydrinking sparkling wine. Stonyfell’s sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay NV ($25) delivers delicate aromas of fresh strawberries and citrus. The heritage South Australian wine brand has been in business for 166 years, and has played an integral part in the state’s history — stone from the original vineyard was used to build a large part of Adelaide. Late last year, the brand relaunched its products with a new, modern design that honours its current approach as well as its historic roots. stonyfellwines.com.au
Sober indulgence
Just in time for the aftermath of the silly season, Kakadu Kitchen and OzHarvest have released a new edition of the alcohol-free Conscious Drink ($30). Kakadu Kitchen has combined blueberries, native lemongrass, and saltbush to create a healthy wine alternative that supports Indigenous Australian-owned businesses. Refreshing, lightly sparkling, and designed to be served chilled, it’s best to get in quick — last year’s run sold out within weeks. kakadukitchen.com.au
Keep it clean
Holly McGrath and Daniel Benoy launched Clean Collective in New Zealand in 2016, with the brand quickly becoming one of the country’s leading independent liquor producers. Created without sugar, carbs, and preservatives, the vegan pre-mixed drinks have a loyal fanbase of health-conscious consumers. Now, the range of effervescent and vibrant RTDs have hit the shelves in Australia. Four-packs of pear and elderflower with vodka; passionfruit and mango with vodka; and pineapple with vodka are available for $23.99. cleancollectiveau.com
Make it a double
The Doom Juice team has done it again with the launch of its latest wild ferment 2024 Skins ($35). The team co-fermented Zibibbo, Riesling, Vermentino, and Fronti Blanc on skins in an open tank for 22 days. The result? A wild un-fined and unfiltered orange that is among their riskiest winemaking ventures to date. doomjuicewine.com
A SLICE OF ITALY
FROM EXTRACT AND juice to soda, beer, and syrup, ginger is one of the most underrated ingredients behind the bar. It’s the foundational element in classic cocktails including the Moscow Mule and the Ginger Rogers, but it comes at a price, often fetching close to $30 per kilogram depending on the time of year. With that said, it’s an ingredient worth splurging on.
Hospitality speaks to Matt Whiley from Olympus in Sydney and Pawaan Engineer from Melbourne’s Mill Place Merchants about showcasing ginger, paying homage to foundational drinks, and why ginger-centric options are resonating with guests in a major way.
Olympus opened in Sydney late last year to much fanfare — it’s now one of the hardest-tobook restaurants in the city, which is no mean feat in such a competitive landscape. The venue is the latest addition to Jonathan Barthelmess and Sam Christie’s hospitality group, which is best known for The Apollo in Potts Point. Like its sibling, Olympus is Greek by nature, but
Kick ons
Ginger packs a mean punch — especially when it comes to cocktails.
WORDS Annabelle Cloros
PHOTOGRAPHY Nikki To for Olympus; Bonnie Savage for Mill Place Merchants
showcases taverna-style dishes instead. Bartender Matt Whiley was brought on board to design the cocktail program at the Wunderlich Lane restaurant which was inspired by the Greek way of drinking. “The restaurant is based on a taverna, so it was about making drinks that talk to Greek culture but also making it super fun and engaging at the same time,” he says.
The Malaka Mule is a riff on a Moscow Mule, and was a last-minute addition to the drinks menu after inspiration struck mid-commute. “It came up pretty late in the piece and came to me when I was driving to work,” says Whiley. “Generally, drinks that have been around for so long are good and people like them. First and foremost, it’s about respecting the history of cocktail culture and then figuring out how to bring new elements into it.”
The cocktail is made with Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, vodka, aquavit, ginger syrup, olive brine, lime juice, and sparkling wine — a combination that reflects the fresh, vibrant makeup of the food menu. “We already had quite a few lemon drinks on the menu, so we looked at bringing in another citrus element,” says Whiley. “You feel like you’re outside at Olympus because of the roof and [these drinks] ultimately work well with the food.”
Whiley chose to use both vodka and gin in the cocktail, as both play different roles. “Vodka gives enough spirit profile and alcohol content without compromising the structure of the drink
“It gives you that warm, light burning sensation which people really enjoy.” –Pawaan Engineer
or overpowering the other flavours,” he says. “If I made it with just gin, it would overpower everything, so we put vodka in for balance.” The aforementioned components of the drink are combined together before they’re carbonated “so it’s consistently fizzy every time”. The bar team then fill a glass with ice, pour, and garnish the drink with olives “to bring out all the saltiness from the olive brine”. It’s been a popular order with guests so far, which is no wonder given its commanding name...
The Ginger Rogers was created by Bartender Marcovaldo Dionysos in 1995, who named the drink after the iconic American actress, singer, and dancer. Dionysos was inspired by the “Favourite Cocktail” from Jacques Straub’s 1914 book Drinks . It is one of the original tomes for bartenders and lists more than 700 recipes. Co-Owner of Mill Place Merchants Pawaan Engineer is a big fan of preserving the classics and didn’t hesitate to add the Ginger Rogers to the menu of the Melbourne bar.
The Ginger Rogers draws parallels to a Moscow Mule, and is made with gin, lime juice, fresh ginger, mint, and ginger ale. Engineer has traded out lime for lemon and ginger ale for ginger syrup to achieve a more impactful flavour profile. “Ginger ale can be a bit synthetic in nature,” he says. Making the syrup is costly due to the price of fresh ginger but is ultimately non-negotiable. “Ginger is not cheap these days, it’s incredibly expensive, but our bar is focused on the foundations and going back to basics. We make drinks that are the same as how the original recipes were written.”
Fresh ginger is first boiled down and combined with sugar to create a syrup which forms the base of the cocktail. Like most Prohibition drinks, gin is the spirit of choice in the Ginger Rogers. Engineer selected Widges Dry London gin, which is made in England, for its versatile profile. “It has a very clean, simple flavour that works easily in cocktails,” he says. Fresh mint is then added to a Collins glass followed by sugar syrup, small ice cubes, lemon juice, and soda.
Even if Engineer wanted to switch up the drink, he couldn’t — it’s the second best-seller at the bar. “It has the bite of ginger and a good balance of sweet and sourness from the sugar and the lemon,” says the bartender. “It gives you that warm, light burning sensation which people really enjoy. There are certain drinks we never change and it wouldn’t make sense to take them off because people enjoy them so much.”
As they say, you have to give the people what they want, and judging from the reception at both Olympus and Mill Place Merchants — it’s ginger cocktails. ■
Raita Noda
On working with family and why chefs should be owner–operators.
WORDS Laura Box
PHOTOGRAPHY Yusuke Oba
“IT’S IMPORTANT FOR me to look at every single customer and maximise their satisfaction,” says Raita Noda. “That’s the biggest point.” It’s a mentality that has driven the chef since he left Ocean Room to open Sydney’s first eight-seat omakase restaurant about a decade ago. Now, Noda is in the process of launching his next venture, a 15-seat restaurant on the edge of Surry Hills and Redfern.
Noda and his parents moved to Australia from Japan when he was 15. Upon finishing high school, he completed an apprenticeship at a Japanese restaurant in Sydney. After learning the ropes for a few years, he opened his first restaurant Rise in Darlinghurst at the age of 26. “I was running Rise for five years,” he says. “While I was running that business, I met the owners of Wildfire Restaurant Group, and they wanted to open a seafood venue, which was Ocean Room. I sold my business and joined them.”
Ocean Room was located in Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay alongside neighbouring restaurant Wildfire, until a major renovation in 2014 forced both venues to close. The shuttering gave Noda the opportunity to take pause and look back at the challenges he’d experienced running such an expansive restaurant. “I wanted to do a large-scale restaurant, but once I started [at Ocean Room], there were so many staff members,” he says. “What I wanted to deliver to the customer could not be done all the time. With the food, it was partly about how I controlled the kitchen, but even if I controlled it perfectly, we would still experience problems sometimes. It was the biggest frustration for me.”
Noda’s next venture was the complete opposite of Ocean Room, containing just eight seats. Raita Noda Chef’s Kitchen opened in the same year and is widely recognised as Sydney’s first omakase restaurant. The compact format provided the ideal setup for the chef, who wanted “100 per cent responsibility”.
It’s here where Noda began working with his son Momotaro, who trained as an apprentice alongside his father. The pair change the menu daily and operate all facets of the business from food and beverage service to explaining each dish to guests. Noda says some customers get nervous when going to high-end restaurants, so he set out to create an experience that was as welcoming and as casual as possible. “It is a finedining restaurant, but we want each customer to relax and focus on enjoying dinner,” he says.
The open kitchen allows guests to see the chefs prepare the dishes, and the service process helps combat any nerves. “Many customers give us good feedback because they feel like they’re not only eating dinner, but watching theatre,” says Noda. “Some people even say it looks like a sports match. There are many open kitchen restaurants, but you can’t see everything from your seat. At our restaurant, you can sit and see everything. Each individual dish is created right in front of you and delivered by us. The experience is a bit more fun.”
Things shifted for Noda in late-2023 when Toga Group approached him to gauge his interest in opening an omakase restaurant in the new Wunderlich Lane precinct on the edge of Sydney’s Redfern and Surry Hills. His decision to launch a new restaurant called R by Raita Noda was largely motivated by his son’s progress in the kitchen. “He’s doing really well, and he has [taken on] so much responsibility,” says Noda. “He was willing to do this new business in Wunderlich Lane, so that’s why I decided [to do it].”
It also was difficult to turn down a Koichi Takada-designed restaurant. Noda had seen Takada at work when the new owners of Ocean Room decided to refresh the restaurant. Yasumichi Morita was behind the redesign but needed someone to take on a project management role, which led to Takada stepping up. The restaurant’s new design was so wellreceived that it was entered into a competition. “Takada told me that was the point where he became famous and [it gave him] the opportunity to do more major jobs,” says Noda. “When I was leaving Ocean Room he said, ‘If you need help with restaurant design in the future, please contact me’.”
In the following years, Takada has completed numerous award-winning projects. “I knew he was very famous, and that he’s not doing small
An omakase is a meal where dishes are selected by the chef Noda pairs local ingredients with traditional Japanese methods
venues anymore,” says Noda. “But I contacted him and said, ‘I need to find someone to do the restaurant’s design’ and he said, ‘Of course I can do that for you’.”
“Each individual dish is created right in front of you and delivered by us.” – Raita Noda
Building a new restaurant from scratch was appealing to Noda, especially at this point in his culinary career. “At my previous restaurant, I couldn’t do a major renovation, so we just did a bit of fine-tuning,” he says. R by Raita Noda has been built from scratch and is set to open its doors in February. Momotaro will join Noda as sous chef while taking on more responsibility than at Raita Noda Chef’s Kitchen. He says the concept behind the new restaurant’s design is inspired by a rainy day in Tokyo, with the design team creating a more cohesive space that surrounds the chef team. “The biggest difference will be the U-shape of the kitchen and the countertop for customer seating,” says Momotaro.
The sous chef says the restaurant will use mainly local ingredients and produce to create a Japanese menu targeted at an Australian market. The philosophy, technique, and flavours will be traditionally Japanese, even if the dishes don’t look traditional.
Noda says that owning his own restaurant sets his business apart in an industry that largely depends on investors and partners. “At many other omakases, there is a business owner who sponsors the chef to run the restaurant,” he says. “If you find the right venue, have an idea of what you really want to do, and know how to spend money, a chef can become the owner–operator of the business. I want more younger people to try... but it is a bit of a gamble. If you’re not going to try, you’re not going to be able to find real enjoyment as a chef.”
Noda used his experience at Ocean Room to devise a business plan with the goal of creating a “model case” for how a chef can open their own business. The philosophy is something Noda is imparting on his son. Noda didn’t want Momotaro to be a chef, “because I know how difficult it is in this industry, but he was willing to. I told him, ‘You have to work under me first and see how you go’.” The chef hopes his son will eventually open his own business in the current location of Raita Noda Chef’s Kitchen. In the meantime, perhaps driven by having a son in the industry, Noda is considering leasing the premises to someone new. “It’s a good place for young chefs to start.” ■
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Raising the bar
The food programs at bars are now rivalling their restaurant counterparts.
WORDS Annabelle Cloros
PHOTOGRAPHY Jo McGann, Parker Blain, and Earl Carter for Apollo Inn
GONE ARE THE days where guests dropped by a bar for a pre- or post-dinner drink — now, there’s no need to rush off to make a 7pm reservation thanks to a new guard of establishments serving food beyond olives and cheese. Venues like Joji in Sydney and Melbourne’s Apollo Inn are leading the charge, offering patrons a one-stop-shop for the evening.
Hospitality speaks to Joji’s Paul Farag and Apollo Inn’s Colin Mainds about putting together complete culinary offerings, the changing bar landscape, and why the market no longer demands — but expects — a full food menu.
Joji has been the talk of Sydney since it opened at the tail end of 2024. The venue is the first bar concept from Esca Group, known for its portfolio of restaurants including Aalia, Nour, Henrietta, Lilymu, and Ito. So, it was only right food would play a significant role at Japanese-leaning concept Joji, which is located atop the Cartier building in the CBD. “Jumping into our first bar — and for us always being restaurant-focused — we couldn’t imagine a venue without food,” says Group Executive Chef Paul Farag. “We feel like people are changing the way they’re going out and it’s not the same as it was 10 years ago. We wanted to adapt and give people an offering to stay on for longer than they normally would if it was just a bar.”
The team worked on the concept for “quite a while” and set out to launch a space that provided a light, fun atmosphere as well as an extensive food menu inspired by the drinks offering. “We focused on Japanese influences with the drinks and followed suit with the food,” says Farag. “The food is not traditional (like everything I do), and it’s a bit of an amalgamation of Sydney’s current dining scene.”
Farag travelled to Japan for R&D purposes before Joji launched and deliberately steered away from fine-dining venues in favour of local yakitori spots and izakayas recommended by friends living in the country. “I said, ‘Take me to where you guys eat’, and these places weren’t on ‘best’ lists or anything like that,” says the chef. “It allowed me to get inspiration from the traditional elements and also see how far I can push the envelope.”
The menu at Joji is split up into raw, not raw, robata, and desserts, with 90 per cent of customers ordering something “whether it’s just a bowl of fried lotus chips or edamame” — but that’s not the norm. “What has surprised us has been the amount of people coming here and having a full meal,” says Farag. “We’ve been selling a lot more food than we thought, which is something we weren’t anticipating.”
The kitchen team has grown by six chefs since opening to accommodate the customer demand for food, with the team working within a relatively compact kitchen. “It’s probably the smallest kitchen we have in the group,” says Farag. “We had a lot of constraints with this building when we first designed the kitchen, so it’s very minimal in terms of equipment — it’s a flat top, a Robata grill, and a small combi oven. I come from a world of making it work and adapting, so we’ve had a few menu changes since opening and removed things that weren’t really selling.”
The most-ordered dish so far has been the scallop and bug sando with kimchi mayo, followed by the beef tartare with potato hash and nashi pear, and the edamame. Another dish that’s been making the rounds on TikTok is the curry bread, which Farag based on a dough recipe from Aalia. “I can’t have a meal without bread, so I developed a dough infused with curry which is fried and piped with a hot sauce.”
There are no specific food and beverage pairings at Joji as most
Chilled seafood is a large part of the menu at Apollo Inn
Joji has a Robata grill for skewers
Apollo Inn serves its signature martini ice cold
Curry pan is one of the top-selling dishes at Joji
of the food and drinks naturally complement each other. The approach ties in with the Joji experience, which is rooted by an underlying theme of ‘choosing your own adventure’. “People have options to eat in different styles, so they’re not just conformed to things on sticks,” says Farag. “Joji’s been an interesting learning curve for us all, and I think there will be more evolutions of the brand coming up. There’s a market there for bars serving food.”
Apollo Inn is part of the Trader House group and is the bar offshoot of neighbouring restaurant Gimlet at Cavendish House. The Melbourne venue delivers an old-world experience to patrons — think chilled martinis and equally as chilled seafood. And that’s just scratching the surface. “If you’re going to go to a venue operated by Trader House and Andrew McConnell, the expectation is that the food is going to be pretty good,” says Executive Chef Colin Mainds. “When you go to bars, there’s a focus on drinks and the food is often an afterthought or a simple snack offering. When you’re drinking, we yearn for more a lot of the time, so we wanted to match the two together.”
Mainds describes the menu as fluid, with the format suiting the “ebb and flow of a night on the town”. Oysters, caviar, and seafood-based dishes are at the heart of the food program here, which tie in with both the drinks menu and the Euro theme of the bar. “We need the flavours to be clean and packed with good seasoning, but nothing is overwhelming or going to destroy your palate when you’re sipping on Champagne,” says the chef. “Victoria has bountiful seafood and it’s natural for us to lean towards cooking seafood.”
The seafood focus also suits the venue’s small kitchen space, which is located next to the bar. While there is a dedicated chef working each dinner service, wait and bar staff also step in and prepare food when needed. “We do a lot of training together, so
“Having some well-crafted snacks of varying weights to complement the drinks makes for a more well-rounded experience.”
– Colin Mainds
they can give us a hand,” says Mainds. “It’s another skill set for them which is great, and it’s a team situation where everyone can do everything.”
When it comes to fan favourites, the prawn club sandwich has become the signature dish of the bar and a mainstay on the menu, which changes with the seasons. “We run specials as well so there are new items every time guests walk through the door,” says Mainds. “Lots of people come in on a weekly basis, so it’s nice for them to try something new.” The crème caramel is another crowd pleaser and was the very first dish the team decided on. “We started from the bottom when we were writing the menu and we said we must do a caramel, but we didn’t want to do an individual portion. We wanted it to be more like a flan and have it on display, so guests walk through and can eye it off.”
Mainds estimates 90 per cent of customers order something from the food menu, with the majority selecting two to four dishes. “You can come in and feel like you’ve had a decent meal,” he says. “I think it’s becoming much more commonplace for bars to offer quality food. It doesn’t have to be a long menu, but having some well-crafted snacks of varying weights to complement the drinks makes for a more well-rounded experience.” ■
Annual ambition
Café and restaurant owners share their marketing, expansion, and innovation plans for 2025.
WORDS Laura Box PHOTOGRAPHY
Armelle Habib and Abigail Varney for Market Lane; Kate Shanasy for Reed House; HiSylvia for OGI.
THERE’S A SENSE of optimism in the air as we enter the New Year; inflation will slow, interest rates will lower — or at least continue to stagnate — and consumers will have the confidence to increase their patronage of restaurants, cafés, and bars. Nevertheless, the early months of the year are notoriously unpredictable for the industry, but they do provide a window for business owners to strategise for the coming year.
In Melbourne, Market Lane Coffee Co-Owner Fleur Studd, Reed House Co-Owners Rebecca Baker and Mark Hannell, and Officina Gastronomica Italia Owner Claudio Casoni are gearing up for 2025. They talk marketing plans, sustainable growth, staffing, and maintaining relevance in an evercompetitive industry.
Setting up shop
Rebecca Baker and Mark Hannell from Reed House are relative newcomers to the owner–operator scene. The pair opened their first Melbourne restaurant in late-2024, with Hannell heading up the kitchen and Baker leading the front-of-house team. After a strong start, the pair are now surveying what’s working for them,
what new business owners should be thinking about, and what their goals are for 2025.
Baker met Hannell while working at Ottolenghi restaurant Nopi during a stint in London. The couple moved to Australia a few years later, working in Melbourne and then Byron Bay. Eventually, they decided to return to Melbourne and set up a restaurant together.
“Our business partner [Michael Bascetta] told us about Reed House,” says Baker. “We were like, ‘If they’ll have us, this is the one we want.’ And it went from there.”
The couple have been in the industry for around 15 years, and Hannell says their combined experience in management positions has allowed them to build up their industry knowledge. “Day-to-day running and procedures weren’t a huge surprise to us because we’ve been in management for a good portion of our careers,” says Baker.
“But there were a lot of hidden costs we didn’t really think about,” adds Hannell. “Even the big term deposit for opening. We didn’t know what a term deposit was.”
“We were exceedingly naïve,” laughs Baker.
“Looking ahead, only well-structured and effectively managed businesses will be able to thrive in this evolving landscape.”
Claudio Casoni
Understanding the back end of financials and managing cashflow proved to be a learning curve. “You don’t get to do that when you’re managing somebody else’s business in the same way as when it’s yours,” says Baker. For new owners, Baker shares some advice: “Any time you can spend educating yourself on the financial side of things, whether it’s just figuring out how Xero works... will save you a lot of time and pain in the future.”
In a city like Melbourne, there’s both quality and quantity when it comes to restaurants, meaning establishing a niche is crucial. For Reed House, the venue itself dictated its future. The bluestone heritage building dates back to 1859 and was used as a minister’s residence and a boarding house. Influenced by the building, the owners established a contemporary Australia restaurant inspired by British brasseries. Ensuring the venue’s authenticity has also contributed to its unique personality. “Becs and I don’t hide who we are,” says Hannell. “We’ve got rock music on, and you might come in and hear The Clash or Queens of the Stone Age playing. We want to make staff feel comfortable and don’t want anyone to hide their quirks.”
“We’re not built for stiff-style service, and it wouldn’t feel authentic if we tried,” adds Baker. Hannell says they’re planning to build up the venue’s events portfolio as well as collaborate with other restaurants, chefs, and winemakers. “We have a private dining room upstairs, so utilising that will be key for revenue, especially
for end-of-financial-year parties. It’s something we’re going to put a bit of cash into and develop a nice offering,” says Hannell. “We also want to plug in the time and energy to getting guest chefs and winemakers to do pop-ups.”
Hiring strategies will continue on as per usual, with the management team sticking with processes they know work well. “We actively invest in people with experience,” says Baker. “We wanted to build a strong starting team. It was a small core unit, but we wanted to spend the money on people with experience, which helped us when we first opened.”
Apart from the loss of one kitchenhand and one chef who took a head chef role elsewhere, the core opening group remains at Reed House. “We’re proud of having a team that’s bonded together, it’s really cool for us,” says Hannell. Continuing to invest in employees is a major priority for the duo. “Not only does it help retain staff, but it builds their base knowledge, which in turn develops the knowledge of all staff and makes the venue stronger,” says Hannell. “That’s the game plan for this year.”
While January can be a quiet period, it provides an opportunity to slow down and make sure procedures are firmly in place. “We haven’t had a lot of time to actually do that yet, so this is the time where we get to make sure everything is built,” says Baker.
Growth and relevance
2025 marks 16 years since Fleur Studd, Jason
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Finding the most effective programs to keep workflows efficient and employees happy is tantamount to business success and staff retention. For Sydney Restaurant Group Owner Bill Drakopoulos, cashless tip payment platform OnTheMonee has reduced paperwork and improved operations.
“We think this is a gamechanger for the hospitality industry,” says Drakopoulos. “[It has] allowed us to spend less time on administration and more time on our core business, which is operating outstanding venues and delivering memorable experiences for our customers.”
Cash tips have decreased over the years, and the rigmarole around divvying up digital currency is becoming more noticeable. OnTheMonee is a revolutionary tip payment solution designed to streamline admin and reduce complexity. Businesses can set how they want tips to be calculated, which are then delivered to employees instantly.
Popular venues using the program include Melbourne’s Movida, Coda and Tonka, Bacash, Polperro Winery, Entrecote and Hopper Joint, and the European Group, alongside Neil Perry’s Sydney restaurants. OnTheMonee has recently launched Moore, a rewards program offering discounts from thousands of restaurants as well as other brands. Since launching 12 months ago, more than 100 venues around Australia have signed up to OnTheMonee and over 3,500 employees are now receiving their tips digitally.
“The magic of staying relevant lies in being clear about what you want to achieve and not compromising on your core values.” Fleur Studd
Scheltus, and Jenni Bryant opened the doors to the first Market Lane store in Melbourne. Over the last decade and a half, Market Lane has slowly but steadily expanded to 10 locations. The management team shares the belief that growth must be deliberate and considered for it to be sustainable. “Market Lane’s growth has been very organic,” says Studd. “We have gradually opened new locations in our favourite pockets of Melbourne/ Naarm when the neighbourhood and community have felt right, and crucially, when the timing has been right. We have never overtly chased growth, or grown for growth’s sake, but one of the benefits of expanding has been creating opportunities for our wonderful team and having the resources to invest time and effort into things that we care about like sustainability, our people, and culture.”
Studd points out that it’s important to spend time recalibrating and ensuring the correct structures and resources are in place to support a new location’s team. For smaller businesses looking to expand, Studd keeps it simple. “Do it for the right reasons,” she says. “Be clear about what you are wanting to achieve, and what
you are willing to compromise or not compromise on.”
For older businesses looking to maintain relevance, Studd says it’s important to stick with core values when making difficult decisions. “We are committed to using business for good, celebrating great coffee, and helping our communities flourish. Our values have informed how we buy coffee, the people we work with, and how we do business. I think the magic of staying relevant lies in being clear about what you want to achieve.”
Optimising operations
Owner of Officina Gastronomica Italiana (OGI) Claudio Casoni is ensuring his restaurant continues to push ahead. “Our primary goal for 2025 is to protect profitability by optimising operations, maintaining quality, and adapting to market conditions,” he says. The restaurant opened in spring 2023, offering guests an authentic Italian experience that puts “good old-fashioned hospitality” front and centre.
In 2024, Casoni focused on reviewing and enhancing training tools for waitstaff, aiming to increase average spend per table. “The results have been encouraging, with clear improvements in both sales and customer satisfaction,” says Casoni. Gift vouchers were a key sales driver for OGI and proved effective in increasing purchases and attracting new customers. Looking forward, Casoni says he plans to begin investing in email marketing to further connect with his audience, deliver personalised offers, and encourage
repeat business. He predicts that curated special nights, such as themed dinners or exclusive tastings, will continue to gain popularity “as customers seek unique dining experiences”.
Staff training is a big priority at the start of each year and provides time for employees to upskill. “Training is more critical than ever due to the general lack of skills, particularly in communication, among staff,” he says. “However, retaining good workers is becoming easier as the labour market has begun to stabilise and recalibrate.” Management also use this period to conduct operational reviews. “It’s a valuable time to strategise and prepare for busier months ahead,” says Casoni.
The operator recognises the past year has provided obstacles for the industry to overcome. “We face significant challenges, including post-pandemic inflation on supplies and speculative price hikes in the building industry,” he says. To continue running his business sustainably, Casoni is honing in on managing costs and prioritising investments. “The hospitality industry has become increasingly challenging over the past three years. Looking ahead, only well-structured and effectively managed businesses will be able to thrive in this evolving landscape.”
A set of shared values connect the operations of Reed House, Market Lane, and Officina Gastronomica Italiana. As we get further into 2025, it’s evident that success for these businesses is as reliant on staff training, collaborations, and trial and error as it is on authenticity and sticking to core values. ■
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Churning man
Cultured butter business Madeleine was built off an idea, a trip to France, and a mission to appreciate daily rituals.
WORDS Annabelle Cloros
JACK GAFFNEY LONG had an interest in dairy before moving to France for a whirlwind two-ish years. The country is revered for its cattle including Froment du Leon, Bretonne Pie Noir, Normande, and Montbeliarde, which produce milk used to make some of the all-time great cheeses; Emmental and Gruyère are just a couple. But Gaffney’s interest always lay in butter, and where better to learn the craft than one of the birthplaces of artisan-made dairy products.
Gaffney speaks to Hospitality about working on dairy farms in France, returning home to launch Madeleine cultured butter, and the differences that come with taking a traditional, hands-on approach.
In a world that encourages cutting corners, Jack Gaffney chose to do the opposite. He moved to Montpellier in France during the pandemic for 18 months and tied the knot with his wife. He paints a picture of the period — daily cheese spreads at 5pm and taking cheese courses, “but there was something about butter in general that captivated me,” he says. “I went over there with the idea that cheese is a complex product, not fully understanding butter could be in the same realm of complexity.”
The discovery prompted a location shift to Brittany, where the couple lived in a van and worked on a farm which had a herd of just 12 cattle. “It’s so localised in France,” says Gaffney.
“We would call it a micro dairy here, but it’s a normal way of existence over there.” Gaffney visited different dairies and took part in a “crash course”, which involved absorbing as much intel as possible from people who had spent their entire lives working on farms. The experience also entailed a six-month stint on a goat farm in Provence. “We made different goat milk products and it was great fun — goats are just amazing.”
But all good things must come to an end, and the purchase of a home in Waburton, Victoria, resulted in the couple moving back home at the start of 2022. “I already had the idea for Madeleine before going to Brittany,” says Gaffney. “I started to look around the Yarra Valley for a space and eventually found one in Lilydale.” It’s here where Gaffney started Madeleine, a cultured butter business named after the daily rituals we often take for granted. “A madeleine is just a sponge cake, it’s not the most life-changing thing you’re going to encounter. But in the moment, it’s so perfect to have a little innocuous item with a coffee in the morning. It completes the moment and makes it special. I hoped Madeleine butter would do that, even if it’s just spreading it on some bread as someone runs out the door.”
Madeleine is a one-man show, with Gaffney splitting his time between his full-time job as a copywriter and butter-making. He produces between 30–45kg of butter per week, and begins
The butter can be added to a cheeseboard
The fermentation time is altered depending on the product
Jersey cows are revered for their highquality milk
Gaffney sources Celtic salt from France
the process with Jersey milk, which he selected for its high yield. “There’s a rough calculation you can do for butter-making,” says Gaffney. “For every 10 litres of milk, you get one litre of cream and 50 per cent of that is buttermilk. Some breeds will give you less than 40 per cent cream, but I’ve been able to get above 42 per cent.” Gaffney uses dairy from Gippsland Jersey, which works with farms that allow cows to largely graze on green grass throughout the year. “It’s an important factor when it comes to quality. Cost is an issue, but I’m happy to wear it for the quality of the product.”
Once the cream is received, Gaffney ferments it over a two-day period. “It’s the cultured part of cultured butter,” he says. “We add different cultures at different ratios [depending on the type of butter being made]. The bacteria finds the lactose in the cream and uses it to create energy to reproduce. The byproduct of that process is lactic acid, so the lactose gets used up which means the pH starts to drop.”
Diacetyl is an organic compound that develops during the process and is also found in Chardonnay. “It’s already present in the cream, but you develop more of that compound through the culturing process and get a richer, deeper flavour which comes with the lowering of the pH.”
Gaffney uses a barrel churn to agitate the cream until it splits into solid and liquid —
butter and buttermilk. The butter is then washed with water to remove any remaining buttermilk before it goes into a purposebuilt malaxer based on an original Gaffney bought second-hand in Burgundy. “Malaxing is unique to how I make butter, but it’s effectively the kneading and massaging of the butter to remove the last of the buttermilk,” says Gaffney. “It helps develop the deeper aromas and flavours.” The butter is then portioned and shaped using paddles and pats, “so you get those distinct lines”, says Gaffney, “each block is slightly different”. It’s then packaged and refrigerated.
Madeleine’s range continues to grow — Gaffney plans to roll out 12 limited releases this year on top of the core collection of salted and unsalted, signature cultured, smoked salt, and seaweed, which was inspired by his time in Brittany. “It’s quite common there,” he says. “We’d get a stick of seaweed butter, a crusty baguette, and a bottle of cider and shuck oysters on the beach. It was about wanting to recreate those moments back here. I came across a smoked dulse seaweed and thought it would be interesting with red gum smoked salt.”
The Outback cultured butter required a little more time on the development front. “I ordered a bunch of different herbs and spices and leaned into an earthier version,” says Gaffney, who chose to combine bush
tomato with wattle seed, desert oak, pepperberry, saltbush, and Murray River pink salt. “When I put that combination together, it tasted like the image of the Outback I have in my mind. It was familiar but still unique.”
But for everyday moments, the salted cultured butter is a staple for a reason. “It’s designed to be a butter for the home,” says Gaffney. “You can cook with it, use it on sandwiches, or just enjoy it by itself, so I wanted it to be the best in that respect.” It has a level of richness which is enhanced by Celtic grey marine mineral salt sourced from the west coast of France. “It has low sodium content, high minerals, and a great flavour that doesn’t just taste like salt.”
It’s early days for Madeleine and Gaffney, who hopes to expand the business in the future. “It’s not my full-time job, so I don’t have enough time at this stage and my equipment is a limiting factor as well,” he says. “I need to buy bigger and invest, but it’s not an easy thing.” Working and partnering with restaurants is also on the cards as well as the continuation of weekly Farmers Market appearances in Victoria. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone else producing butter to this calibre in Australia, which is something to be celebrated — ideally in the form of a butter-slathered baguette. ■
“It was about wanting to recreate those moments back here.” – Jack Gaffney
Kay-Lene Tan
FROM THE DAY I met LK Hospitality’s CEO Stephen Nairn, we had great synergy and immediately understood each other on a professional level. That initial chemistry was really important. We share the same vision of where we want Yugen and Omnia to go in the next three to five years.
I was born in Melbourne, but my family moved back to Singapore when I was three years old. I spent my formative years in Singapore. After graduating from Singapore’s At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy, I landed a job with Joël Robuchon at his flagship restaurant. I was there for two years before moving on to Jason Atherton’s Pollen Restaurant at Gardens by the Bay with my mentor Andres Lara.
In 2013 I had the opportunity to return to Melbourne for a stint at The European. I soon found my way to Tonka and Coda with Adam D’Sylva, where I worked for eight years, progressing from head pastry chef of Tonka to group executive pastry chef and finally head chef during my last two years there. I learned a lot. I never thought a pastry chef would end up running the pass and a kitchen full of savoury chefs. It was a great opportunity.
After a stint at The Ritz-Carlton Melbourne, I took a year off to step back, refocus, and find inspiration. I think it was good for me to stop and work out what I wanted to do with my career. It was during this period that I was head
hunted for the role of executive pastry chef at LK Hospitality’s Yugen and Omnia.
Omnia and Yugen have amazing reputations in Melbourne. The menus are incredible, and the chefs are amazing. Working across two venues where both offerings are so different felt like a great opportunity for me to enhance and build on my skill set while exploring a different cuisine to Tonka. Yugen’s South East Asian and Japanese concept is where I feel most at home, while Omnia gives me the chance to work with incredible produce.
I’m comfortable with creativity, so preparing for the role meant a lot of reading and research. It’s been really fun to create new concepts through the group. Recently, I conceptualised an Asian-inspired dessert buffet table for the group’s function space, Bromley. It gave me a chance to get inspired by my roots. We included black sesame macarons, kaya choux buns — which bring back great childhood memories of kaya toast — mandarin ginger bonbons, and mango tartlets.
The role has presented me with the challenge of growing into a group that is constantly evolving. It’s been about getting to know Yugen and Omnia’s front- and back-of-house teams and the pastry team as well. At the end of the day, we work in a peopleorientated business. The previous pastry chef, John Demetrios, did incredi =ble things. Hopefully I can continue growing the foundations he put in place. ■
The Melbourne-born, Singapore-raised chef on her new role as LK Hospitality’s executive pastry chef.
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