NO.785 JULY 2022
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NO.785 JULY 2022
BAKLAVA • PLANT-BASED DISHES • O.MY • HOTEL RESTAURANTS
CONTENTS // July
Contents JULY 2022
28
46
52
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Y
CM
MY
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CMY
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Regulars 8 // IN FOCUS Insights from the 2022 Hospitality Leaders Summit. 12 // NEWS The latest openings, books, events and more. 14 // PRODUCE Bok choy is easy to grow and even easier to cook with. 16 // BEST PRACTICE Get food costs under control. 18 // BAR CART Thirst quenchers, slow sippers and all things beverage related.
4 | Hospitality
20 // DRINKS Pét nat may be centuries old, but the wine style is having a moment. 28 // PROFILE O.My is a self-sustaining restaurant in a league of its own. 64 // EQUIPMENT Japanese graters are small but mighty in the kitchen. 66 // 5 MINUTES WITH … Adriano Zumbo on his new high tea experience.
Features 36 // PLANT-BASED DINING Discover veg-centric creations across multiple cuisines. 46 // HOTEL RESTAURANTS Two establishments are changing the hotel dining game. 52 // BAKLAVA The Middle Eastern pastry is always a crowd-pleaser. 58 // SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE Clams are the hero ingredient in the iconic Italian dish.
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EDITOR’S NOTE // Hello
Social
Keep up with the Hospitality team
FEELS LIKE HOME The tarama on toast from Baba’s Place is a winner for me. @aristinedob
A word from the editor THERE’S NOTHING LIKE a classic, whether
This issue, we profile Melbourne’s O.My
it’s a perfectly cooked piece of meat, a crispy
restaurant run by siblings Blayne and
but fluffy potato or in the July edition’s case
Chayse Bertoncello. The kitchen plates up
— spaghetti alle vongole, which is the subject
dishes made from produce grown on the
of one of our features. In the same vein as
restaurant’s own farm, which sustains all
many foundational dishes, the ingredients
the fresh ingredients (sans proteins) for the
are but a handful, with the end product
innovative fine diner.
delivering every time.
30 UNDER 30 Industry up-and-comers take centre stage in August for Melbourne Food & Wine. @hospitalitymagazine
We also cover veg-friendly dishes across
The same can be said for baklava, the
multiple cuisines, talk pét nat with a producer
sweet layered pastry made with pistachios
and a beverage director and look at two
or walnuts. It’s gone in just a few bites,
hotel restaurants ushering in a new era for
but is incredibly laborious for chefs to make.
in-house dining.
Forty-plus pastry sheets are stacked on top of each other before being covered
Until next time,
in butter, filled with nuts and topped with
Annabelle Cloros
serbet (sugar syrup).
Editor
PUB GRUB The Strand in Sydney’s Darlinghurst knows how to do bistro food. @annabellecloros
Follow us @hospitalitymagazine #hospitalitymagazine
PUBLISHER Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au EDITOR Annabelle Cloros T: 02 8586 6226 acloros@intermedia.com.au JOURNALIST Aristine Dobson adobson@intermedia.com.au
ADVERTISING NATIONAL Simon York T: 02 8586 6163 F: 02 9660 4419 syork@intermedia.com.au GROUP ART DIRECTOR – LIQUOR AND HOSPITALITY Kea Thorburn kthorburn@intermedia.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au
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6 | Hospitality
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IN FOCUS // Hospitality Leaders Summit 2022
HLS in review The Hospitality Leaders Summit returned to Sydney with a line-up of inspiring speakers changing the industry for the better. WORDS Aristine Dobson MORE THAN 200 delegates attended
is in fact generated during service and
in May, reuniting for the first time since
“My biggest concern is that as a sector,
the 2022 Hospitality Leaders Summit
2019 to cover the industry’s most pressing topics. The event was held by Hospitality magazine at the Australian National
Maritime Museum in Sydney, with leading operators, chefs and professionals taking the stage for a range of presentations, panel discussions and Q&As.
Attendees heard from more than 26
encouraged operators to conduct audits.
suggest revising portion sizes. “Diners [in
to maximise productivity and provide staff
of doing business,” she said, going on to
the US] did not notice a reduction of 10 to 15 per cent,” explained McGrath. “If you
reduce your portion sizes 10 to 15 per cent, how much profit will you be making?”
A panel discussion with Soul Dining
that covered sustainability and food
Hospitality’s Anna Touhy and Love, Tilly
economy, delivery and tech platforms, wellbeing at work, social media and
Hospitality’s Justin Newton, Public
Group’s Matt Swieboda explored how
venues can appeal to multiple markets. Each participant shared their
branding as well as industry trends.
experiences running concepts that
kickstarted the day with a compelling
customers. “We always had the vision
Food waste expert Dianne McGrath
keynote on how businesses can apply sustainable practices to day-to-day
operations. “The choices we make can affect the food we are giving to our customers,” she told the audience.
McGrath said the majority of waste
8 | Hospitality
Production kitchens were also covered
during the panel, with speakers discussing
and Soul Deli’s Illa Kim, House Made
waste, staffing solutions, Sydney’s 24-hour
building for several experiences.”
we continue to believe food waste is part
speakers over the course of 12 sessions,
hosted by Anna Pavoni and Tawnya Bahr,
demographics and keep them in the
provide a realm of experiences to
of a multi-venue site,” said Newton on Hinchcliff House, which encompasses an underground bar, casual dining
the benefits of hiring additional facilities with a range of shifts.
Swieboda spoke on the rapid growth of
Fabbrica’s take-home pasta packs and how customers were able to connect with the brand during lockdown. “We wanted to
keep our staff employed and our customers engaged,” he said on the 2021 launch. Luke Butler from Hastings People
spoke on how delegates can navigate
staff shortages in the current climate, encouraging operators to provide not
only competitive wages, but additional
workplace benefits. “We need to create
an environment where people are much
better looked after as an industry and as a collective,” he said.
24-Hour Economy Commissioner
restaurant, fine-dining concept and a
Michael Rodrigues and Solotel CEO
making sure we could appeal to multiple
revitalising Sydney’s night-time economy
newly opened laneway bar. “It came from
Elliot Solomon sat down to talk about
Sammy’s Martin Hudak and BioPak’s
Gary Smith break down industry trends.
Checinski covered staffing and highlighted Australian Venue Co.’s recent efforts
when it comes to meeting their target of
employing 150 chefs. “As a large business, we are focusing on progression and
making hospitality a career or a pathway,” she said.
The audience also heard from Dalah
about Fishbowl’s recent expansion to 35
stores, which he attributes to the efficient
systems the business has put in place when it comes to food production.
“We always try to bring it back to basics,”
said Dalah. “Give people really good food
“Give people really good food and really good value and remember the customer is the after COVID-19. Solomon referenced the different types of experiences
venues can offer to patrons when
number-one priority.” – Nathan Dalah
it comes to 24-hour trading. “For
collaboration is my recommendation.”
back to the communities we’re in,” he
covered by Butter’s Julian Cincotta, Uber
something all-encompassing.”
Thorpe. In the session, panellists discussed
community venues, it’s been about getting said. “For bigger venues, it’s trying to do Solotel has bounced back as a group
post-restrictions and has been working
closely with local promoters and artists to
create bespoke events around celebrations
Delivery and tech platforms were
Eats’ Duncan Petit and Order Up!’s Clive
how venues can effectively utilise delivery and booking platforms for profit and to target new markets.
out economy”. When asked about the
effectiveness of pop-ups in the hospitality
sector, he further outlined the importance of community spirit. “Pop-ups are good for testing ideas, but deep-seeded
from restaurants was organic and that
composting, although similarly priced to landfill, is ultimately cheaper and more sustainable long-term.
Hudak, from the globally acclaimed bar
Maybe Sammy, shared his thoughts on
where the bar industry is heading. “Many of us are following trends from around
the world, but it doesn’t mean it’s going
to work here,” he says. “Don’t follow, try to create.”
He also suggested trialling and
are test [subjects] to see what’s working
the audience with a toolkit that businesses
how Sydney can position itself as a “going
Smith, who said 90 per cent of waste
wellbeing within the industry, providing
Gras, the businesses are recovering well,” Rodrigues provided useful advice on
Sustainable measures such as packaging
and composting were covered by
workshopping ideas to see what drinks
on the importance of mental health and
said Solomon.
customer is the number-one priority.”
Euda’s Scott Bidmead held a session
such as Mardi Gras and Vivid. “Since
restrictions have been lifted and Mardi
and really good value and remember the
can implement. Bidmead further outlined the details of the framework which
references the PERMAH model (positive emotions, engagement, relationships,
meaning, accomplishment and health) as its foundation.
The final panel session of the day saw
Fishbowl Group’s Nathan Dalah, Australian
resonate with customers. “All our guests and what’s not,” said Hudak, who was
behind the creation of the venue’s mini martini menu, which gives patrons the opportunity to try a number of drinks.
The day concluded with networking
drinks in the expo area which saw
attendees enjoy both alcoholic and non-
alcoholic drinks and canapés. Stay tuned for the next Hospitality event. ■
July 2022 | 9
IN FOCUS // Hospitality Leaders Summit 2022
Venue Co.’s Rachel Checinski, Maybe
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NEWS // Entrée
Entrée
The latest openings, books, events and more. EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros
Sibling rivalry Head down a flight of stairs from Akaiito on Melbourne’s Flinders Lane and you’ll find Ototo; a 60-seat bar and izakaya. Akaiito’s Executive Chef Winston Zhang is behind the menu which lists robata-grilled miso chicken with yuzu kosho and lime, vegetarian gyoza and Angus short rib with kimchi, pickled radish and bo ssam sauce. Bartender Lionel Ong worked with consultant George Leung on cocktails that are low on waste and big on taste. “Fruit is used in its entirety: pulp for purées, skins and cores for syrups, sodas and bases [with] the remainder submerged in house-flavoured spirits,” says Leung. akaiitorestaurant.com.au
The Bar has been set Icebergs’ Maurice Terzini has ventured into the hotel game to revamp the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay’s food and beverage program. The Bar is the first project to launch and pays tribute to some of its most iconic guests including Princess Diana and Elton John. Tableside service is on offer for drinks and an Italian–Australian menu. Cocktail highlights include a house martini and a yuzu spritz, with must-try dishes encompassing beef
An essential collection Cook: The Only Book You Need in the Kitchen Hardie Grant; $100 Chef Karen Martini shares a wealth of experience in her latest creation Cook: The Only Book You Need in the Kitchen. Readers can expect dishes for every occasion from mid-week meals to dinner party showstoppers and casual spreads. There are more than 1,000 recipes in the 912-page book, with Martini providing in-depth guides to ensure each plate is executed to perfection. Hailed as a “quintessential guide to cookery” by Guy Grossi and “delightfully cookable” by Yotam Ottolenghi, you can get your hands on it from 8 August.
12 | Hospitality
tartare and an American cheeseburger. doublebay.intercontinental.com Photography by Jason Loucas
You’ve seen the tubs and boxes, but Maldon has officially launched single-serve sachets for the most discerning guests. The 1g packs are filled with sea salt flakes from Maldon in the UK and are the ideal accompaniment for plates of bacon and eggs, fish and chips or anything else that needs seasoning. Packs of 2,000 sachets are available from mayers.com.au
Cumulus Inc. does brunch Winter isn’t so bad after all thanks to the launch of weekend brunch at Cumulus Inc. in Melbourne’s CBD. Iconic and debut dishes from Chef Andrew McConnell and the team will change week to week from now until the end of the month. Guests can sample everything from figs and burrata and Ortiz anchovies on toast to a breakfast plate full of pickled veg. Wash it down with a brunch cocktail and you’ve got yourself a good time. cumulusinc.com.au
Saint Peter goes big
Photography by Jo McGann
Paddington’s pint-sized restaurant Saint Peter is packing up and moving to new digs. Josh and Julie Niland will take over The Grand National Hotel (also in Paddington) later this year, which will see Saint Peter 3.0 upsize to a 45-seat dining room. “Guests will have a full view of our open kitchen, wood-fired grill and a window into our fish charcuterie cabinets,” says the pair. The à la carte restaurant will have a bar for the first time with a dedicated menu along with a 15-seat private dining room. Saint Peter Oxford Street will operate as usual until it closes in early 2023. saintpeter.com.au Photography by Rob Palmer
Manon opens in the Queen Victoria Building Sydney Restaurateurs Marco Ambrosino and Manny Spinola have breathed new life into the former Jet Caffe in the QVB. Manon is an all-day French brasserie serving coffee and pastries from 6am plus breakfast, lunch and dinner service. Thomas Boisselier has taken on the head chef role of the 140-seat indoor–outdoor restaurant after time working in Michelin-starred kitchens in Lyon, plating up dishes from a Brittany buckwheat crêpe to bone marrow tartine and steak au poivre. There’s also a 400-bottle wine list highlighting French producers and a range of aperitifs, too. manonbrasserie.com.au Photography by Nikki To July 2022 | 13
NEWS // Entrée
You got served
PRODUCE // Bok choy
The plant is frost-resistant
Also known as pak choi
Brown and yellow spots indicate level of freshness
First cultivated 3,500 years ago Can be used to make kimchi
A staple in Cantonese cookery Full of vitamins A and C
Usually cooked in a wok Qing cai (green vegetable) is bok choy in Mandarin
14 | Hospitality
PRODUCE // Bok choy
Bok choy A nutritious and delicious essential. WORDS Aristine Dobson
Origins
Leaves should be picked from the
Bok choy is native to China, specifically
outside of the plant and sliced with
the Yangtze River Delta, which is one
a sharp knife around 3cm above the
of the oldest agricultural regions in the
ground. The inner shoots that are left
world. In Cantonese, bok choy means
behind should continue to grow.
‘white vegetable’ and belongs to the Brassica rapa species which also
Flavour profile and appearance
includes turnips, collard greens, kale and
Bok choy is round and bulbous at the
various types of cabbages.
bottom and has long white stems with
The vegetable was brought over to
deep green leaves. Standard types of bok
Korea during the Joseon Dynasty where
choy can reach 30–61cm in length. Some
it was widely adopted for culinary uses.
varieties such as Shanghai bok choy are
Bok choy was later introduced to the
shorter and rounder in shape while others
United States and Europe. It is popular
are thinner and more elongated.
across Asia and widely available in
The overall flavour of bok choy is mild
Europe, Canada, the United States
and neutral while also having a slightly
and Australia.
bitter taste. The texture is crunchy, crisp and comparable to celery. Some bok
Growth and harvest
choy is watery when consumed.
Bok choy flourishes in the ground or in pots and is typically a fast-growing
Culinary applications
vegetable. Large clumps of dirt should
Bok choy is a highly versatile vegetable
be removed from the area before
but is often used in stir fries. Other
sowing. Seeds should be directly
cooking methods include steaming and
planted 6–13mm deep into rich, fertile,
boiling, which generally only takes a few
well-drained garden soil at least
minutes. The leaves are ready faster
15cm apart. The plants prefer to be
than the stem when cooked whole. Bok
placed in areas where rainfall creates
choy is usually seasoned with soy or
saturated conditions.
oyster sauces, sesame oil and garlic.
Maintenance throughout the growth
The vegetable is a welcome addition
stage includes watering every second
to soups and noodles, but can also be
day and regular weeding. Liquid fertiliser
consumed as is or alongside a bowl
should be applied every few weeks to
of rice. It is an ingredient commonly
promote growth. It is also important to
included in dishes such as wonton
ensure the plant gets full sun.
noodle soup and is also used to make
Bok choy is biennial and can be harvested after six or seven weeks.
kimchi. Sometimes, bok choy is added to curries. ■ July 2022 | 15
BEST PRACTICE // Controlling costs
Take action Why accurate food costing is a must in the current climate. WORDS Ken Burgin
Improve menu management
and weighing your top 20 items
the incredible jump in prices of dry goods, meat, seafood
It’s time to cut your menu size.
high-yield stocktake — there are
and vegetables. Even basics
Around 80 per cent of sales
always surprises when this is done
such as cooking oil, pasta and
come from 20 per cent of a
carefully. Focus on the fridge and
packaging have seen heart-
menu, which means you can
freezer which is where 80 per
stopping increases. A lack of
reduce the number of items by
cent of product value is stored.
accurate recipe costing means
at least a quarter. Eliminate
Implement security measures
many businesses sell items that
your least-profitable items and
such as locks and security
are barely profitable, so let’s
promote the profit heroes —
cameras to safeguard high-value
not waste a crisis — it’s time for
your recipe system will make
stock. Finally, put an end to quick
radical action.
the choices obvious. Move to
trips to the supermarket — a
online menus as they allow you
ban on emergency shopping will
as delivery times and frequency,
Update recipe costing systems
to instantly add or remove items
cause short-term pain but reap
rules about substitutions and
in line with price increases and
long-term benefits.
minimum orders, payment terms
Are you using recipe costing
produce availability.
NO NEED TO remind you about
by value every week for a simple
Around 80 per cent of sales come from 20 per cent of a menu.
and how you order. If you help
Call suppliers
reduce their costs, the savings
Make the time to have honest
should flow on to you.
goodbye to spreadsheets. Your
Double down on stock and portion control
system should have dynamic
Sort weekly purchase totals
Include the chef if you want to,
emergency’ will give you an
pricing where new prices are
from the biggest spend to the
but the meeting needs to be run
immediate payoff through more
constantly updated. Purchase
smallest and see where most of
by the business owner. Prepare
accurate costing, reduced
pricing scales and keep them
your money goes. Check portion
by summarising each vendor’s
stock holding and better prices
in the kitchen; they provide
sizes are being followed — if the
monthly and annual purchase
for many, if not most, of the
accurate information about
recipe says 150g of fish, it should
totals, which may be more than
ingredients you use. It also
portion costs. A combination of
not be 180g. Spot check item
you realised. Will they offer a
brings your staff in on crisis
software and scales provides
sales on your POS and ensure
better deal if you give them all
management and makes them
accurate insights into what’s
they match with usage numbers
your business for a year rather
aware of the actual cost of
happening with food costs —
shown by stocktake.
than spreading it between
running a business — the more
two or three suppliers? Work to
you can open your books,
eliminate their friction costs such
the better. ■
software? There are many options available, so say
your profits are built one recipe at a time. 16 | Hospitality
Do you find stocktaking too difficult? Commit to counting
conversations with key suppliers.
Focusing on the ‘food cost
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NEWS // Drinks
Bar cart
Thirst quenchers, slow sippers and all things beverage related. EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros
Garden party French distillery Citadelle has added Jardin d’été to its core range, a gin that heroes all things floral and bright. “We created Citadelle Jardin d’été pairing melon flesh and whole lemon with zests of yuzu and sweet orange,” says Founder Alexandre Gabriel. The gin sees the fruits combined with 19 signature botanicals, resulting in a juniper-forward spirit that’s perfect for a gin and tonic. Available from First Choice Liquor for $78. citadellegin.com
Say Fuji Fuji Single Grain whiskey from Mt. Fuji Distillery has arrived in Australia courtesy of Vanguard Luxury Brands. Fuji Single Grain is a blend of three types of grain whiskey each distilled according to different methods 234 feet above sea level in Japan. Fuji is multilayered with aromas of baked fruits plus hints of white grape and orange zest. “We have been building a library of worldclass whiskies for decades and are excited to be sharing this with Australia,” says Master Distiller and Blender Jota Tanaka. Available at good liquor stores for $180.
It’s a yes from me
vanguardluxurybrands.com.au
Pop a bottle
Yes You Can Drinks is a new player in the no-alcohol market, with its debut range covering three ready-to-drink
Bandini Prosecco is made in
products. The Spritz combines orange
Northern Italy according to
and rhubarb with a herbal base, with the
Denominazione di Origine
Dark & Stormy replicating the classic
Controllata guidelines, which
cocktail’s citrus and ginger flavour
means you know it’s going to be
profile. The G&T generates a warming
good. Bandini Extra Dry DOC NV
sensation identical to the original
($24) has notes of peach and
thanks to a signature botanical blend.
green apple along with citrus and
The team developed the drinks over a
wisteria, with the Rose Brut ($26)
12-month period and recently snagged
iteration featuring red berries, pear
several awards at the London Spirits
and citrus. The wines can be chilled
Competition. yesyoucandrinks.com
and enjoyed as is or mixed into a spritz — it’s bartender’s choice. bandiniprosecco.com
Three’s company Australian winery St Hugo has introduced the Single Vineyard Collection — an expansion of the maker’s fine wine range. The line-up includes the 2018 Barossa Valley Fabel and 2016 Barossa Valley Koch Shiraz as well as the 2018 Coonawarra Flint Cabernet Sauvignon. “They’re a true representation of where the grapes are grown; be it the soil, the aspect or the phenomenal age of the vines,” says Chief Winemaker Peter Munro. “Each vineyard tells its own story.” sthugo.com
18 | Hospitality
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DRINKS // Pét nat
20 | Hospitality
Pét nat has been around for centuries, but the wine style is as relevant as ever. WORDS Aristine Dobson
PÉT NAT IS an abbreviation for pétillant
The selection included three pét nats
naturel, which translates to naturally
produced last year that all sold out quickly,
winemaking (also known as méthode
The recent addition uses a blend of Italian
sparkling. It refers to a method of
ancestrale) that can be traced back to the 16th century.
Many believe the creation of the style was
likely an accident. In the village of Limoux in France, monks would bottle still wine
before it finished an initial fermentation. The process continued in the bottle, resulting in an effervescent, cloudy elixir.
Lauded Loire Valley Winemaker, the late
Christian Chaussard, reclaimed the style in the
1990s, ultimately kickstarting a revival. Pét nat has since increased in prevalence, especially in recent years, earning a reputation for being an on-trend option among drinkers.
Today, pét nat is a welcome addition to the
beverage menu and is an indication of the
ethos behind a venue. While it’s nowhere near as widespread as other styles, independent
but a newcomer has just hit the market.
Sangiovese and Zibibbo grapes along with Tinta Barroca, a Portuguese variety. “It’s a pale Rosé-style that’s picked early so the
alcohol is quite low,” says Corbett. “It has a crushed strawberry character and you
get savouriness from the Sangiovese and aromats from the Zibibbo.”
The defining characteristic of pét nat is the way in which it is made. While most wines undergo two stages of fermentation, pét nat only
experiences one. “The primary fermentation
finishes in the bottle,” says Corbett. “Towards
the end of the fermentation, as it slows down and the sugars reduce, you capture it in the bottle with a bit of the sugar and carbon
dioxide as the sugar gets eaten by the yeast.” There are many types of pét nat, but its
producers are focused on pét nat,
overall flavour is determined by disgorging.
and minimal-intervention techniques.
the bottom of the bottle,” says Corbett. “Pét
experimenting with different grape varieties Hospitality talks to Michael J. Corbett
from Vanguardist Wines about the intricacies of making pét nat and Sommelier Mem
Hemmings from Three Blue Ducks about its status among patrons and tips on how to optimise the wine on beverage lists.
The winemaker Michael J. Corbett is the co-founder of
Vanguardist Wines in Seppeltsfield, South
Australia. The brand launched in 2014 and has experienced great success with its La
Petite Vanguard range, which focuses on fruit purity. “It’s all certified organic fruit out of
the Riverlands, some out of Loxton and some out of Barmera,” says Corbett.
“If you don’t disgorge, you see all the lees at nats [often] have about 5–7ml of dead yeast cells and other cloudy compounds from the final fermentation which slowly settle after it’s finished. It can add complexity, texture
and volume to the wine as it sits because it continues to break down.”
Wines can be disgorged, but the process can
be skipped all together, with the lees left in the bottle. “From an ancestral point of view, they weren’t typically disgorged,” says Corbett.
“A lot of the hardcore pét nat or ancestral-style producers or punters expect them not to be
disgorged, but there are occasions where they need to be because they gush.”
Pét nat can be disgorged by hand or with
machinery. “You get the lees from the bottom July 2022 | 21
DRINKS // Pét nat
Au naturel
DRINKS // Pét nat
“There’s no rule; it’s a real nature of the beast.” — Michael J. Corbett
of the bottle down into the neck and then you
complete its fermentation, and the outcome is
is a complex process. I’ve disgorged half of my
of the beast,” says Corbett. “As soon as the wine
can also do it by machines with freezing, which
pét nats and left the others for different reasons. But when I disgorge, I’ve done it by hand.”
style’s territory, there are plenty of examples to
supermarket is clear at the top and cloudy at the
bottom, so when the wine gets to that point, I let it sit in the tank for a day or two.”
The clear liquid is then decantated into
Wines
classes
sells to
at P&V
restaurants
in Tuscany
Champagne by more than two centuries
22 | Hospitality
and the wines are super interesting for good or for bad,” says Corbett. “It’s been a gateway for younger people to get into wine.”
fermenting naturally at around 14 degrees
Liquor Merchants in Sydney before stepping
Mem Hemmings worked at P&V Wine +
Celsius,” says Corbett. “It’s just about watching
into the role of beverage director at Three
the temperature and sugar on a daily basis to see
how the ferment is going; you don’t want it to be too fast or too slow.”
Corbett likes to bottle the wine immediately at
around 12g of sugar per litre. “It’s a nice balance
sulphur to expedite the winemaking process,
pre-dates
growing availability. “The packaging is really fun
The sommelier
Vanguardist do not use any added yeasts or
widespread
try and patrons are certainly appreciative of its
heavier substances are left behind. “I let it start
choose not to leave the lees in the wine,” he says.
Pét nat
to experiment. With many venturing into the
another tank where lees is added and the
of giving enough bubble [without] gushing if I
Sangiovese is
lucky and most of mine ferment early.”
turned into juice in a pneumatic press. “I put roughly settle,” says Corbett. “Apple juice in the
runs wine
is bottled, it could be two months or 12. I’ve been
Pét nat is a wine that leaves room for producers
a bunch of pressed fruit in the tank and let it
Vanguardist
unpredictable. “There’s no rule; it’s a real nature
Pét nat’s early stages begin in a similar way
to any other wine. The fruit is collected and
Hemmings
It can be a waiting game for pét nat to
have rudimentary disgorging,” says Corbett. “You
which is a practice applied to all products. “All
Blue Ducks. As someone who is well-versed in wine, Hemmings says “people have gone pét nat crazy”. The sommelier believes the style
has found a permanent place on wine lists in Australia thanks to our affinity for outdoor
dining in the elements. “I think that kind of
beverage, which is expressive, youthful and
exciting, is really well suited to how consumers drink and dine.”
Part of pét nat’s appeal is its refreshing taste
yeast is either in the vineyard or floating around
and versatility when it comes to when and how
Champagne yeast with the natural sugars from the
dining experience,” says Hemmings. “It’s often
in the air,” says Corbett. “You certainly could use a
grapes, but we’re not adding any yeasts or sulphur to the pét nats. They’re all preservative-free.”
it’s enjoyed. “It’s a great way to start or end the
quite flavourful, which means it’s going to stand up well to being paired with food.”
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DRINKS // Pét nat consumed in its entirety shortly after it’s been
opened. “You can’t keep it for more than a day,” says Hemmings. “If you don’t sell it during the shift, it’s not going to be showing its benefits the next day. It’s not fair on the product, the consumer or the producer who made it.”
Selling a whole bottle isn’t always going to
happen, so Hemmings suggests using leftover
pét nat for cooking. “One of the ways to utilise your spent wine is making a reduction for a
cheeseboard or just giving it to your chefs to do something with,” she says.
Locality and sustainability are rightfully at the forefront of the industry, and pét nat’s
association with the natural wine movement
has increased its popularity among consumers. But not all pét nats belong in the natural
wine category, with some products made with
“One of the joys of pét nat is that it is quite a rustic style.” — Mem Hemmings
Pét nat also demonstrates the diversity and
innovation within the wine community, which is something many establishments are more
than happy to showcase to patrons. “One of the joys of pét nat is that it is quite a rustic style,” says Hemmings. “It’s way less measured and weightless, and the winemaker has to really know what they’re doing to nail it.”
Like most sparkling wines, pét nat is best enjoyed chilled, which is why storage and refrigeration is crucial when serving. “Pét nat should be at
additives and preservatives. “Pét nat can be
produced by a commercial winery because it’s just a winemaking method, but it has become
synonymous with the natural wine movement,” says Hemmings. “People want to know where their food comes from and are drinking more
consciously. I think pét nat plays right into that.” Its alcohol content also strikes a chord with
drinkers looking for lower-ABV options. “They
come in at 10 to 12 per cent rather than 16 per cent and upwards,” says Hemmings.
sparkling temperature out of the coldest fridge,”
In addition to being an easy-drinking beverage,
the food fridge is totally fine.”
as an approachable option. “Food and wine are
says Hemmings. “If you don’t have a wine fridge, Lees and sediment are a given when pouring
pét nat, which can create an inconsistent
experience when serving larger groups. “You
can get variations throughout the bottle because there’s often sediment,” says Hemmings. “The
first glass you pour will be the most clarified and the last one can have all the sea monkeys and tricky bits in it. If I’m pouring it for a table of
six guests, I don’t want the first person to have
pét nat has positioned itself in the wine world
made to be enjoyed,” says Hemmings. “I think
the wine industry has been quite prohibitive for a long time and has been revered and put on a pedestal. People commonly think you can only drink red wine with your main or that a wine
isn’t good if it’s not aged, but I am all for pét nat with mains in winter or in summer — drink it anytime you want.”
Hemmings encourages patrons to keep an
a crystal-clear glass and the last to have all the
open mind when it comes to the style. “Drink
Because pét nat is typically a preservative-
you’re approaching it for the first time, don’t
sludge at the bottom.”
free wine, it tends to have a shorter shelf life.
The general rule of thumb is that it should be 24 | Hospitality
minimal intervention and others integrating
openly and drink diversely,” she says, “and if have any preconceived notions about what you’re expecting it to taste like.” ■
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PROFILE // Blayne Bertoncello
28 | Hospitality
PROFILE // Blayne Bertoncello
O.My Chef Blayne Bertoncello is taking a hyper-local approach to the nth degree. WORDS Monique Ceccato PHOTOGRAPHY Hugh Davidson and Kristoffer Paulsen
SOURCING LOCAL ISN’T just a trend; it’s an important, sustainable practice that’s found its way into kitchen operations for good.
Restaurants now turn to producers within their vicinity to fill menus
with the freshest ingredients and run more environmentally friendly kitchens with community in mind.
Blayne Bertoncello, owner and head chef at O.My in Melbourne’s
Beaconsfield, doesn’t just source local; he gives new meaning to the
term. All the vegetables you see on the restaurant’s menu come from a 3.5-acre farm located a short 15 minutes up the road in Cardinia.
The chef and farm operations manager speaks to Hospitality about the
trials and tribulations of running both a farm and a restaurant, the art
of cooking seasonally and just how far he wants to take the concept of ‘locally grown and made’.
Working the land is in Blayne Bertoncello’s blood. Born into a long line
of farmers, he’s always been passionate about growing and sowing. “My dad’s side are all Italian,” he says. “They moved here as a big group
and started up lots of farms together. Dad is a market gardener and my mum’s side were the first orchardists in Australia. I grew up gardening and it was a big part of what I was always wanting to do.”
But Bertoncello followed a less direct path into the familial trade.
At the age of 16, he took up an apprenticeship at Melbourne’s Nosh,
landing the head chef role after just a year on the tools. He spent four years with the restaurant before moving on. But when he turned 23,
Bertoncello decided it was time to hit the go button on the dream he’d had for many years. So he joined forces with his brothers Chayse and Tyson (who has since launched his own catering company I Like Too Much), to open a bistro in their hometown of Beaconsfield.
July 2022 | 29
PROFILE // Blayne Bertoncello
“We don’t have any running water on the farm, so we plan everything right down to the smallest detail.” – Blayne Bertoncello The 25-seat O.My opened its doors in 2013. “We basically started as an
à la carte restaurant where we did whatever kind of food we wanted,” says Bertoncello, who saw the venture as the perfect opportunity to combine his passions and knowledge. “There was a little garden attached to the
restaurant where we grew a few bits and pieces at first,” he says. “But we
would still have to go to the markets to buy the rest of the vegetables and meat. We went with the idea that we would be a local restaurant, so we
would only use products from people we knew or who weren’t too far away from the restaurant.”
Bertoncello had everything in place to support his ‘sourcing local’ ethos. But
it was just a stepping stone to fulfil a bigger objective — owning a restaurant sustained by its own farm. Thanks to a fortuitous relationship, the goal was well within reach and didn’t take all that long to achieve.
“Our bookkeeper is my brother’s father-in-law and he had a really big 3.5-
acre property,” says Bertoncello. “He was growing a lot of things there, but he
let us come in and take out what he was planting and basically helped us build our farm.”
It took close to three years for Bertoncello to get the farm to the point where
O.My could shift into the self-sustaining model it works off now. Everything on
the menu — with the exception of proteins and kitchen staples brought in from the likes of Corner Inlet fishers and Laucke Flour Mills — comes from the farm. “Progressively, we ended up only using what we grow,” says the chef. “We’re a small restaurant, so we didn’t have to grow a lot to make it happen.” Still, the farming figures are impressive.
Currently, the farm has 600 garden beds growing everything from the
pumpkins that inspired Bertoncello’s favourite dish ‘zero-waste pumpkin’ — accompanied by a praline made from pumpkin seeds — to the 20 different
types of sage that flavour it. “There’s around 800 varieties of plants we use,”
says Bertoncello. “We’ve got a vast amount of stuff and a lot of it’s perennial,
so it just keeps going and going. The more diversity we have in terms of plants and insects, the more the area works for itself rather than us having to apply chemicals and things like that.”
While Bertoncello heads up the operations on the farm, he isn’t the only
restaurant staff member who is hands on at the farm. It’s a right of passage
for O.My’s staff to work the land, who gain a whole new appreciation for the
produce they use in the kitchen when they spend time on the farm. “Because
we grow everything ourselves and it takes so much effort, we really don’t want
to waste it,” says Bertencello, who puts in the hard yards even before any seeds are planted. 30 | Hospitality
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PROFILE // Blayne Bertoncello “I sit down every year and put together
“There’s a lot of thought that goes into
a full planting list of everything I want,” he
the menu. We do the harvest and bring it
what doesn’t. We don’t have any running
dish from there,” says the chef. “We put
says. “I also consider what grows well and water on the farm, so we plan everything
right down to the smallest detail such as how far apart the plants will be from each other. It’s actually pretty intricate.”
The workings of the farm forced
Bertoncello to rethink how O.My serves
to the kitchen and then we work it into a
“I grew up gardening and it
[the harvest] all together on a big list on
was a big part of what I
Monday and we plan the actual menu
on Tuesday before we start prepping on
Wednesday. Then, there’s the harvest day
on Friday. So we kind of chip away at the menu all week.”
Even in the slower growing period of
the public. The restaurant was so heavily
winter, Bertoncello’s farm bounty remains
garden that an à la carte menu was no
pumpkins because they grow well,” he
reliant on what was coming out of the
longer a sustainable option. “We changed our menu over to degustation only,” says Bertoncello. “It helped us hold down a
more consistent idea of what we needed
to grow to be able to serve what we were going to plate that night. When people
order off the menu, they could pick one or two items out of 20 options, and then you don’t sell the other dishes.”
O.My’s menu changes daily, revolving
around whatever is bountiful at any
particular time. As such, the kitchen
repertoire is hugely varied and there’s
front and centre. “We produce a lot of says. “We also grow a lot of tomatoes
and zucchini and everything like that
during summer. They’re very important because we preserve them in different
ways — either in sauces or pickles — and it all gets used throughout the menu over the year as well.” Different preservation applications allow Bertoncello to
showcase produce from the farm when
it’s not necessarily in season,with pickling and preserving leaning right into the kitchen’s no-waste ethos.
As the restaurant approaches its 10th
no subscription to the idea of signature
birthday, Bertoncello has his sights fixed
the produce lines up well and we really
restaurant and farm onto one property
dishes. “If what we’ve got happening with like a dish, we might keep it on, but it
generally never happens as we’ve always got something new coming through,” says Bertoncello. 32 | Hospitality
on the next decade. “We need to move the where we will make wine and beer,” he
says. “Right now, we’re at the point where we’ve still got so much growth left in the
business; we haven’t even really started.” ■
was always wanting to do.” – Blayne Bertoncello
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FEATURE // Plant-based dining
Eating green Global cuisines have a lot to offer when it comes to veg-centric options. WORDS Aristine Dobson PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Crawford for Ma Pa Me; Steven Woodburn for Maydanoz
PLANT-BASED DINING IS well past the point of being a trend. Individuals are
making efforts to reduce their meat and
encompass deep-fried snacks, punchy condiments and lentil stews.
There are many avenues chefs can take
dairy intake — or forgoing its consumption
when creating plant-based creations that
responded, providing multiple options
Hospitality talks to Arman Uz from
all together — and the industry has on menus.
While the plant-based movement has
made waves in the Western world in recent years, the concept is nothing new for many people. In parts of the Middle East, South
extend beyond ready-made products.
Maydanoz, Gunjan Aylawadi from Flyover Fritterie and Alfan Musthafa from Ma Pa Me about foods across cuisines that are inherently plant-based.
America, Asia and Africa, plant-based
Turkish
been considered the norm.
into meat-heavy dishes such as kofte and
eating and cooking methods have long Vegetable-driven dishes from Turkey
focus on hardy shoots and greens, while Indonesia hones in on soy-based sauces, tofu, tempeh and fruit. Over in India,
vegan and vegetarian street food options 36 | Hospitality
Turkish food is typically pigeonholed
kebabs. But Chef Somer Sivrioğlu set out to challenge the misconception with his
most recent venue Maydanoz. The plantbased eatery recently opened its doors
and has seen Executive Chef Arman Uz
work with Sivrioğlu to craft a menu that’s reflective of home-cooked meals made
in Western Turkey. “80 to 90 per cent of the menu is vegetable dishes,” says Uz.
“We are cooking what our mums put on
the table as kids and what Turkish people really eat at home.”
Part of the coastline in Western Turkey
sits alongside the Aegean Sea, which
provides an ideal environment for fresh produce. “Vegetables are grown on the
Aegean coast and the climate really allows that,” says Uz. “We take guidance from
the region, and because olives grow there, a lot of the vegetables [on the menu] are cooked in an olive oil base.”
Uz says economic and sociological
factors have shaped much of Turkey’s vegetable-driven options. “In Turkey,
vegetables are really cheap and meat
ingredients such as sundried vegetables and
before stuffing them with rice. The
Turkish people were [also] nomads and
“Sundried vegetables, pickles, preserved
the flavour.”
is really expensive,” says the chef. “The
would travel with livestock so they could get milk, cheese and yoghurt out of their cows or sheep, so they’d try not to eat them.”
The seasons dictate the offering at
Maydanoz, which means the menu
pastes are harder to come by in Australia. vegetables and tomato paste from Turkey
bitterness of the eggplant totally changes
tastes different,” says Uz. “We use lots of
Maydanoz’s menu is divided into three
Turkey. Turkish people have lots of produce
dishes seen in a traditional Turkish venue
capsicum paste and dried vegetables from
in summer, so they sun dry it, pickle it and prepare it for winter.”
Such items are integral to the
sections. Diners usually start a meal with
known as a meyhane. “Meyhane translates to bar,” says Uz. “The old meyhane menus have lots of vegetable dishes and not that
evolves every few months. “We see what
development of flavour profiles. Uz
says Uz. “The menu today allows us to use
hero ingredient in quintessential dishes
including houmous made with chickpeas
“Sun-drying adds a totally different
of cacik. “Cacik is like Greek tzatziki,
is available and what we can do with it,” cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cavolo nero,
cauliflower shoots and spinach, but things will change soon.”
Fresh vegetables are locally sourced
from a supplier, while herbs are selected from the Sydney Markets. Other Turkish
references sundried eggplant, which is the such as Imam biyaldi (stuffed eggplant). dimension,” says the chef. “Eggplant is picked in the high season, sundried on
a string and sold at the Turkish markets in Auburn. You soak them in hot water
many meat options.”
The menu begins with cold dips
and carrots along with a modern variation but I’m using coconut yoghurt instead of sheep’s yoghurt so itʼs vegan,” says Uz.
“It can be topped with grilled cucumber or meat.”
July 2022 | 37
FEATURE // Plant-based dining
“We are cooking what our mums put on the table as kids and what Turkish people really eat at home.” — Arman Uz
FEATURE // Plant-based dining The second part of the menu hits a warmer
note with dishes such as mum’s spinach where
the leaves are pan-fried and served with Brussels
sprouts and fava bean purée topped with fioretto (cauliflower sprouts).
Aegean-style dishes comprise the larger plates
section of Maydanoz’s offering. “We have cavolo
“People in many parts of India only eat plant-
based food and don’t even consider eating meat. There are very few non-vegetarian options and pretty much all the meat-based options can be tailored to become vegetarian.”
nero and leek pie with vegetables, which is a
Flyover Fritterie started as a hole-in-the-wall in
A key aspect of plant-based cooking is finding
space in Redfern. The venue specialises in both
great dish,” says Uz.
new and innovative ways to present produce. Home recipes from Turkey allow Uz and the
team to introduce lesser-known Turkish foods
to local diners. “I make a lot of mum’s dishes at a restaurant level,” says Uz. “It’s a win-win: for
us, it’s putting something new on the menu and it’s also a surprise for the guests who try things they’ve never seen in a restaurant before.”
Indian There is a long history of vegetarianism in India. “It’s mainly religious for a lot of people,” says
Owner of Flyover Fritterie Gunjan Aylawadi. “A
lot of animals are considered gods or deities and we pray to them, so we can’t eat them.”
Aylawadi is vegetarian and says India’s food
landscape is abundant when it comes to options. 38 | Hospitality
“It’s a heavily plant-based culture,” she says.
Sydney’s CBD, but recently moved into a larger vegan and vegetarian Indian street food. “It’s
mainly vegan, but we have vegetarian options, too,” says Aylawadi. “There are a few recipes with ghee, which is unavoidable due to the nature of those dishes.”
Traditional items you’d see in India have been
modified to cater to dine-in service, but the
premise is the same. “Our focus is street food,
but in a way that is consumable for the audience we’re working with,” says Aylawadi. “Things are
presented in a manner that is more contemporary and easier to eat in a café setting because not
everyone’s familiar with certain ways of eating as they are in India.”
The menu largely centres around a spiced
fritter: the pakora. “It is basically whatever
vegetables are in season,” says Aylawadi. “You
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/en-au
FEATURE // Plant-based dining
“People in many parts of India eat only plant-based food and don’t even consider eating meat.” — Gunjan Aylawadi
chop them up, make a batter with chickpea
flipped over for the cool season and we have
quick fry. We really wanted to show all the other
take fresh spinach and kale to some batter
flour, dip your vegetables in and give them a
things Indian food does well, and fried food is a gateway into any cuisine.”
While many customers come for the pakora,
the khichri bowls are equally in demand. The lentil-based stew is commonly eaten
and fry until crispy and serve it with chutneys and yoghurt, which is something we wouldn’t
typically do in summer because we would make a cold version.”
Another chaat variation uses roasted sweet
with pakoras and additional side dishes. “It’s
potatoes and demonstrates crafty cooking
lentils, rice and vegetables,” says Aylawadi. “We
potatoes and put them in a bit of salt, which is
considered India’s national dish and is a stew of serve it with pickles, condiments, chutneys and the vegetable fritters.”
Each component is served separately in India,
but Flyover has compartmentalised each item
in one neat package. “In India, they are served
methods and techniques. “We take the sweet
a very common way of doing things in India,”
says Aylawadi. “We use all sorts of techniques; whatever brings the most flavour out of the vegetables we’re working with.”
The ingredients Aylawadi selects are staples in
in small katori bowls and we know how much
Indian cookery. The restaurant is never short on
fritters,” says Aylawadi. “Here, we serve it in
of spices over here that have a dual role; they
pickle to use with the lentils, rice, khichri and a bowl with the right amount of pickle and
khichri you need to eat, so none of the flavours are overpowering.”
Seasonality is of the utmost importance to
Aylawadi and is integral to Flyover’s overall
ethos as a restaurant. “My parents would tell me
spices and variety is crucial. “We have a library cool the body down in summer and warm the
body up in winter,” she says. “It’s just about how
to combine them. In winter, there’s a lot of black cardamom, cinnamon and chilli. In summer,
there’s more cumin. Things keep moving and changing every few months.”
if something’s not in season after every month,”
Flyover Fritterie’s menu provided Aylawadi with
grown in [India] that are in season for maybe
the vast nature of Indian cookery. “People really
she says. “There are many hyper-local vegetables a few weeks.”
An example is the chaat. “Our menu has
40 | Hospitality
a winter greens chaat,” says Aylawadi. “We
the opportunity to educate her customer base on enjoy coming in and they make an effort to
understand the story behind why we pick certain
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FEATURE // Plant-based dining ingredients over others or how certain lentils are
memories, which are interwoven throughout the
week,” she says. “People constantly tell us about
grandpa and me,” says Musthafa. “It’s a family-
completely different to what we had the previous something they miss from summer and how we should absolutely bring it back. They have also
started to understand vegetables taste best when they are in season.”
Indonesian Ma Pa Me is an Indonesian and South-East
Asian restaurant that launched in Brisbane’s
South Bank late last year. It’s the brainchild of
Alfan Musthafa who trained in Nusa Dua, Bali, before coming to Australia. The restaurant has
a categorised menu with one section dedicated
to vegan dishes. “In Indonesia, we have a lot of
plant-based food,” says Musthafa. “I didn’t have any difficulty creating plant-based dishes for
the menu because it’s what I had when I was a kid.”
Musthafa uses the word “nostalgic” when
asked to describe the offering at Ma Pa Me. Many of the dishes are inspired by family 42 | Hospitality
venue. “The name Ma Pa Me means grandma, oriented restaurant. My grandparents were
farmers and they used to take me to the farm
every morning when I was a kid. It’s how I fell in love with food and fresh produce.”
Vegetarianism
Jackfruit is
in India can be
often used
traced back to
as a meat
the 5th century
substitute
Ingredients such as coconut, palm sugar,
peanuts, soy and chilli are foundational in
Indonesia. Together, they make the sauce for
gado gado; a mixed salad comprising steamed potato, cabbage, beans and fried tofu. “It’s a
house-made sauce with roasted peanuts blended
with sambal, which is the secret ingredient,” says Musthafa. “We cook it [together] with coconut cream, soy and sugar.”
The sambal at Ma Pa Me is made in-house
and is a vegan take on a traditional recipe. “It’s basically a traditional sambal ulek without the shrimp paste,” says Musthafa. “Our sambal
is plant-based and is just chilli, garlic, onion, coriander seeds and tomato.”
The pakoras at Cacik is
Flyover Fritterie
$20 at
are made
Maydanoz
to order
foodservicegf@goodmanfielder.com.au www.gffoodservice.com
.au
FEATURE // Plant-based dining Although the majority of the dishes on the menu are plant-
based by default, a highlight is a vegan rendang which substitutes beef for jackfruit. “Rendang is the most popular Indonesian
dish,” says Musthafa. “People know rendang, and I wanted to
create something with the same flavour that was plant-based, so I decided to use young jackfruit and the result is amazing.”
Musthafa also makes his own rendang curry paste for the dish.
“We use a lot of herbal spices such as ginger, galangal, turmeric, coriander seeds, cumin, fennel, chilli, garlic, onion and coconut
cream,” says the chef. “We cook it over the wok for five hours and then add palm sugar.”
Musthafa relies on specialty Asian grocers in the Brisbane area
for staples such as bok choy, gai lan and choy sum, but when it
comes to tofu and tempeh, it’s a community effort. “We cooperate with local producers to get them,” he says. “There are a few
people in the Indonesian community who make tofu and tempeh themselves at home.”
As the market for plant-based food continues to grow, it has
become important for chefs to diversify menus. It’s something that
has come naturally to Musthafa, who has managed to shine a light on Indonesian cookery in the process. “When we decided to make a plant-based menu, I just took dishes from my childhood,” he
says. “It goes back to the [reality] that most of the food my family cooked was already plant-based. When we serve it at Ma Pa Me,
people love it, and I’m playing around a little bit in the kitchen to create new dishes as well.”
The chef reveals future plans to show off his creativity through
an epic vegan experience. “In the next few months, we’re going to host a vegan degustation event,” says Musthafa. “We’re
planning to create six to eight courses that are mostly plant-based Indonesian dishes.” ■ 44 | Hospitality
“I didn’t have any difficulty creating plant-based dishes for the menu because it’s what I had when I was a kid.” — Alfan Musthafa
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FEATURE // Hotel restaurants
“We try to please every palate, so the food offering is a mix between familiar and something different.” – Massimo Speroni
46 | Hospitality
FEATURE // Hotel restaurants
Home and away Two new restaurants are raising the bar when it comes to hotel dining. WORDS Annabelle Cloros PHOTOGRAPHY Nikki To for Loam
HOTEL RESTAURANTS HAVE come a
is more modern and it’s a quirky place,” he
afterthought. Early forms of such
star hotel.”
long way from being an accommodation establishments were largely the domain of
says. “It’s a little younger than a classic fiveSperoni is behind the food offering at Jana
guests who would order from a menu that
Restaurant and Bar and Rooftop at QT; two
and a Caesar salad. But hotel restaurants
is open for all-day dining on select days of the
listed all the classics: think a club sandwich of the here and now have taken a local
approach from the get-go and are holding
their own as much as any other eatery in the ever-changing landscape.
Dining in luxe towers is big business in the
States and Asia, with celebrity chefs attracting both tourists and locals. And while hotel
restaurants are by no means a micro market
here, the opportunity to usher in a new era for the category is ripe for the taking.
Hospitality speaks to executive chefs
Massimo Speroni from QT Hotels and
Resorts and Heidi Flanagan from Ace Hotel about launching shiny new concepts with universal appeal and all that comes with
spearheading restaurants that just happen to be part of hotels.
Massimo Speroni is no stranger to the hotel
restaurant game. The Italian-born chef spent five years at Bacchus in Brisbane’s Rydges
South Bank before he made the move to New South Wales — specifically Newcastle; the
location of the latest QT. Rydges and QT are part of the same hospitality group, which
made the move an easy one for the chef. “QT
very different concepts within the hotel. Jana week and is a mix between a casual Italian
trattoria and a fine-dining experience, while
the Rooftop operates from 4pm on weekdays and 12pm on weekends for drinks plus an izakaya-inspired menu. “We try to please
every palate, so the food offering is a mix
between familiar and something different,”
says the chef. “We’re aiming to cater to 50 per cent locals and 50 per cent tourists.”
Produce naturally plays a big role on the
menu, with the team supporting growers
who are located as close to the restaurant as
possible. “We are working with Pukara Estate for olive oil and lamb, which is amazing, and we are buying eggs, honey and chicken from Little Hill Farm,” says Speroni.
Launching an all-in-one eatery is a specific
type of beast, with Jana starting the day with breakfast service before moving into lunch
and dinner depending on the day. “I start with the season when designing the menu and
what produce is available at the time,” says
Speroni. “We will put new dishes on every two to three months.”
The breakfast menu covers local pastries
along with more substantial savoury options July 2022 | 47
FEATURE // Hotel restaurants
“The restaurant is an extension of the sunken lounge area, and you almost forget there’s a hotel tower above your head.” — Heidi Flanagan
such as tempeh salad with purple potato and
Shoestring fries are tossed with rosemary salt
salmon bowl with eggs and herb salad and
avocado and lemon, too.
a shoyu and sesame dressing, an Ora King
of course, avocado toast. But Jana’s iteration
The food offering at Rooftop was designed
of the classic dish sees avocado teamed with
with the beverage offering in mind, which
shallots and shiso instead.
and Japanese whisky. Speroni has honed in on
Meredith Dairy goat’s curd, crispy quinoa,
Italian influences are front and centre on Jana’s
lunch and dinner menu, which has an impressive grill section as well as carb-centric dishes. “We
have a great selection of steak from Wagyu 9+
to dry-aged rib eye from Jack’s Creek and three
revolves around an extensive range of cocktails seafood and crudo at the top-level venue, with Oscietra caviar and blue scampi roe served
with blinis and sour cream and salmon sashimi dressed with golden sesame and ponzu.
It’s a big step above your average bar food
pastas for mains,” says Speroni. “I’m Italian and
fare. “It’s not a proper restaurant, but you can
familiar flavours. But if you just want to have a
“There’s a lot of crudo and we have a fish taco,
my chef de cuisine is Italian, so we’re bringing in steak, we offer that option, too. You can have a quick meal or a two-hour experience.”
The chef tips the beetroot with spiced vinegar,
order a few dishes to share,” says Speroni.
gyoza and sous vide octopus as well — it’s very different from the restaurant.”
amaranth and Kris Lloyd buffalo curd cannolo
Heidi Flanagan began her culinary career
crudo with kombu dashi and natural yoghurt. Al
before she moved to London and “gained some
as a highlight along with the Hiramasa kingfish dente risotto with seasonal mushrooms, Grana
Padano and marjoram is one of the pasta options,
with spaghetti teamed with green peas, sunflower seeds and basil and squid ink gnocchetti with
cuttlefish, bisque, Champagne lobster, mussels and dill rounding out the offering.
Guests can choose from six steak options that
span a range of cuts from oyster blade (Riverine) and hanger (Bass Straight) to sirloin (Jack’s
Creek), tri tip (2GR), rib eye (Jacks Creek) and scotch fillet (Westholme). One of the best parts
under the tutelage of Peter Doyle in Sydney
life experience”. Stints at a sushi bar in Ibiza
followed before the chef returned home to open three Keystone Group venues. It was Flanagan’s
next move that would kickstart her journey with five-star hotels. “A position became available at
Como, and I worked as an executive chef at two properties in Bali and then moved to Turks and Caicos,” says the chef. “I then opened Origin at
the Shangri-La Singapore and returned home at the onset of COVID-19.”
It wasn’t long before Flanagan was snapped up
about ordering a steak for a main are the sides
by Ace Hotel to spearhead Loam in the chain’s
are paired with walnuts and goat’s curd, with
was recruited by a former colleague and didn’t
guests can tack onto their order. Grilled carrots broccolini hit with smoked shoyu and sesame. 48 | Hospitality
and there’s a mixed leaf salad with tomato,
first Australian location in Surry Hills. The chef hesitate to join a company whose ethos aligns
OF
ORIGI N
•
OTECTED PR
SIGNATIO N
DE
•
NEW LOOK
www.congafoods.com.au
FEATURE // Hotel restaurants
Jana sources
Loam
eggs
has a
from local
sibling
Newcastle
restaurant
farms
in LA
Speroni uses
Avocado
olive oil
flatbread is on
from Pukara
Loam’s menu
Estate
from day to night
with her own personal values. “The Ace
at home before thanks to its international
influences on display from a portobello
we have a corporate structure, it’s very
up to us to educate people on how to
and crunchy slaw to market fish with sweet
brand is quirky and bespoke, and while
individual,” she says. “Ace is entrenched in giving back to the community, and being
an ambassador for a company that’s true to its core is really exciting. I had also stayed
at Ace in New Orleans and Shoreditch and felt it was a good fit for me. I like the fact
it’s steeped in design and that each property
reputation as a hub for everyone. “It’s
use the space,” says Flanagan. “Dining in hotels isn’t big here, but our space is so
nice to hang out in. The restaurant is an
extension of the sunken lounge area, and you almost forget there’s a hotel tower above your head.”
The culinary footprint at Loam naturally
has its own DNA.”
starts with breakfast — think familiar fare
of Ace’s Downtown Los Angeles venue,
house muesli; a rye waffle with fruit and
Loam Surry Hills is the sister restaurant
with the younger sibling simultaneously paying homage to the original concept
while taking its own path. “Los Angeles
and Sydney are alike in so many respects,
not just in terms of climate, but clientele,” says Flanagan. “We did a fair bit of work
with Chef Ari Taymor who helped me with the direction of the menu, which was a
labour of love to get it to where it is now. But Loam is a Sydney restaurant built
around what the food scene demands and while they are aligned in spirit, they have their own identities.”
The restaurant swung open its doors
in May in line with the hotel, serving
breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu is
very much morphing as the weeks tick by, with the team finding its strengths and taking on feedback from diners.
Ace is far from a conventional hotel and
is likely to pull in local patrons who may have never set foot in a hotel restaurant 50 | Hospitality
tonkatsu burger with Japanese mustard
corn, zucchini noodles and lemon butter and a classic beef burger with lettuce,
blue cheese mayo, pickles, tomato jam
and gruyere on a potato bun. The point is, there’s something for everyone whether guests want to share multiple dishes or have one for themselves.
There’s also plans for the launch of
with a twist. A concise menu charts Heidi’s
weekend brunch, which will see the
mascarpone; a chia and sorrel pudding
the kitchen. “We’re the new kid on the
with coconut and mango; a breakfast roll; baked eggs, and of course, avocado toast.
“Our take on avo toast isn’t actually toast; it’s a flatbread,” says Flanagan. “It’s a
vegetable pulp and nut and seed flatbread with avocado crush, coriander, lime,
macerated tomatoes and shaved fennel
with a pomegranate sumac dressing.” It’s
a dish that transcends breakfast, securing a spot on the lunch and dinner menu by happy mistake.
Loam’s day-to-night offering is very
much driven by veg-leaning dishes that will change according to seasonality. “I
find a lot of people like to eat clean, so we have the option to add proteins including
introduction of a curated offering from block and people are trying the food and providing feedback, which is really great for us as a team,” says Flanagan. “Once we get a little more traction that we’re
open for lunch on the weekend, I think
we will become a busy little restaurant on Saturday and Sunday and we will look at more of a brunch offering. I hope that it
will take on a world of its own and become a restaurant people want to come to.
It’s going to have a great legacy moving
forward and that’s something entrenched
in me. Having been overseas for so long, I feel like I’m home. It’s been great to sink my teeth into something.”
fish or chicken onto dishes such as the
Jana and Loam are just two of the many
a seaweed pasta soon and I’m working on
country, with old and new establishments
salad,” says Flanagan. “I’m going to put on a house moussaka.”
Loam’s menu sees a range of culinary
hotel restaurants that exist around the
ushering in diners via the lobby and straight into memorable dining experiences. ■
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FEATURE // Baklava
52 | Hospitality
FEATURE // Baklava
Layer by layer Baklava is the darling of Middle Eastern pastries. WORDS Aristine Dobson
A COOKBOOK WAS published in the 13th
to a friend’s house or it can be a gift
fresh and of the highest quality. Filo pastry,
some 400 years. One chapter charted a
symbols of Turkish culture.”
element of baklava, which means choosing
century relaying Persian dishes dating back sweet treat with an almond paste filling
for someone,” he says. “It’s one of the Whether it is store-bought or
encased in delicate, thin layers of pastry
homemade, baklava is hard for anyone
be the earliest written record of baklava.
desserts where you cannot say no if
steeped in honey, which is now believed to The dessert is ubiquitous throughout the
Mediterranean and the Middle East and can be found in countries such as Syria,
Egypt, Greece and Turkey, where it evolved during the Ottoman Empire and has since been a national treasure.
There are multiple iterations of baklava
across the globe made in different shapes with various nutty fillings and flavoured syrups. Hospitality talks to Murat Ovaz
from Yagiz and Efe Topuzlu from Malika
Bakehouse about the importance of baklava in Turkish culture, mastering filo pastry, filling options and layering sequences. Baklava is shared at large or small
gatherings in Turkey. It has a rich cultural history and is a key part of traditions that
have been passed down over generations.
So much so, it’s common for households to
have trays of the sweet ready to be handed out to visiting friends and family.
Malika Bakehouse Executive Chef
Efe Topuzlu believes baklava is a must-
have for special events. “You can have it for many different occasions like going
to turn down. “Baklava is one of those someone is offering one to you,” says
Murat Ovaz, chef and owner of Yagiz in Melbourne’s South Yarra.
Ovaz hails from Zonguldak located in the
Black Sea region, which is six hours from
or yufka in Turkish, is the foundational
the right flour is key. “If you use regular
baker’s flour — which we tried earlier — it just breaks apart when you open the
dough,” says Topuzlu, who imports flour from Turkey. “We use the brand Soke,
which make a hard, textured flour for
extra crunchiness. The equivalent would be durum wheat flour.”
Topuzlu use around 2–4kg of flour
Istanbul. He describes his own memories
to make multiple batches of baklava
my cousin’s or neighbour’s houses as they
includes water, oil, milk and eggs. “The
and experiences of the pastry. “We’d go to prepared the dinner table and have baklava after,” he says. “Even if they didn’t prepare
a meal, they’d give you a glass of tea with a piece of baklava. You must have it at your home; it’s a sign of hospitality.”
The Malika team in Sydney’s Botany
produces batches of baklava three days a
week in 50cm x 30cm trays. All pastries are made under Topuzlu’s supervision. “Not
anyone can just go and make baklava,” he
says. “We have a person from Turkey doing all of it. I can make it with hand-rolled
pastry, but the ones in the shop are made by professionals of baklava.”
The core components of baklava include
pastry, filling and syrup. It’s deceptively simple, but all the ingredients must be
throughout the day. The dough also
eggs have to be room temperature, so you should take them out of the fridge,” says
Topuzlu. “If you use cold eggs, it ends up breaking apart.”
Once the ingredients are combined, the
dough is kneaded until it begins to “take
shape” before it is left to rest for two hours
before being rolled out. The process can be done manually, but bespoke machinery is
used for convenience when making larger
quantities. “It has to be as clear as possible and almost see through,” says Topuzlu.
“When you raise the yufka, you should see through the back of it.”
Yagiz bakes six batches of baklava almost
every day for dine-in and takeaway orders.
“The smallest tray we make has 28 pieces,” July 2022 | 53
FEATURE // Baklava
“Baklava is one of those desserts where you cannot say no if someone is offering one to you.” – Murat Ovaz homier and that’s why I do it; there are more chunky bits.”
Other variations are made into a range of forms. “There are
maybe 10–15 types of baklava with different shapes and fillings
and some people make sugar syrup with milk,” says Ovaz. “There is rolled baklava that looks like a cigar filled with pistachio.”
Topuzlu tips hazelnut as another go-to filling, but nothing beats
pistachio. “We do walnut, but pistachio is always a crowd-pleaser,” he says.
Malika also experiments with options such as chocolate. “Our
chocolate version has become very popular,” says Topuzlu. “We put melted chocolate inside the layers and put it on top with sugar. Chocolate and baklava are the best together.”
Assembling baklava is a laborious task, with chefs precisely
layering sheets of pastry. “Traditionally, 40 layers is the minimum,” says Topuzlu. “You put 22 layers on the bottom then you add the
filling and put another 20 layers on top. The filling is in the middle and on the top for decoration.”
To create a crispy texture, each layer is dusted with wheat
starch, coated with butter and sprinkled with salt. “You always says Ovaz. “The biggest batch we do is double the size of that and usually we do a big tray and two small trays on weekends.”
Approximately 200 pieces of baklava are sold over weekends,
which is testament to its popularity. According to Ovaz, “no
one says no to baklava when they see it on the menu”. In the beginning, the pastry was made in-house, but Yagiz had to
outsource it to a supplier to keep up with demand. “We have
a Turkish shop here in Brunswick and they supply the pastry,” says the chef. “It’s pre-rolled into a pastry sheet and it has cornflour dust in the middle.”
The sheets are stored and protected to ensure they don’t dry out.
“You have to keep them moist, so it doesn’t dry out,” says Ovaz.
put wheat starch on each layer with salt and butter,” says Topuzlu. “The butter gives it a lot of flavour when it cooks.”
Ovaz uses 50 layers overall when making his baklava and places
the filling in the bottom half. “You start with the bottom layer,
brush it with butter and dust it with walnuts and [repeat] for the second, third and fourth sheet until you reach the 20th layer,” he says. “After that, you’re not using walnuts anymore, just butter. The walnut filling is on the bottom and the top.”
The chef suggests brushing every inch of the pastry with butter.
“Butter needs to touch every single spot on the tray, and you need to brush it well,” he says. “It doesn’t mean it needs to be soaking,
but the butter has to cover the pastry otherwise the baklava won’t be crispy.”
Baklava fillings come down to two main options: walnut or
Like any other baked good, the cooking time varies depending on
is more commercial. There’s different types and different shapes
a golden-brown hue which generally takes around an hour. Malika
pistachio. “I’m a walnut person,” says Ovaz. “In Turkey, pistachio of baklava in every window, but most of it is pistachio. Walnut is 54 | Hospitality
the oven and other environmental variables. The aim is to achieve cooks baklava in two stages. “The temperature is 220 degrees
Hospo news straight to your inbox For the latest hospitality news, subscribe to the weekly newsletter. And get yourself a free digital marketing guide!
FEATURE // Baklava
Malika
Yagiz serves
makes
baklava with
Biscoff
maras ice
baklava
cream
Baklava is
Round
often enjoyed
trays can
with Turkish
also
tea or coffee
be used
Celsius for 10 minutes and then we drop it to 180 degrees Celsius for [another] 20 minutes to half an hour; you must keep your eye on it,” says Topuzlu.
Ovaz uses a standard kitchen oven as opposed to professional
equipment to achieve the right texture. “We put it in the oven at
190 degrees Celsius without the fan for around half an hour,” he says. “It must be a dry oven. We use a drop-in oven underneath the stove because if you use a combi oven, it will blow up the pastry and you won’t get a nice golden colour.”
Simple syrup (şerbet in Turkish) is the finishing touch and is
usually made before or during baking. The recipe only requires
sugar and water which are combined and brought to a boil over
“Traditionally, 40 layers is the minimum.” – Efe Topuzlu
the stove. “The simple syrup has to be equal parts,” says Topuzlu. “If you use three glasses of water, you add three glasses of white sugar, otherwise the syrup can crystallise.”
Lemon juice is added to Topuzlu’s syrup to prevent any
issues with the sugar. The syrup is cooled until it reaches room
temperature before being poured over the baklava after it’s taken out of the oven.
The simple syrup at Yagiz is made using 200ml of water and
300g of sugar for a smaller tray of baklava. A different approach is taken to finish off the dessert: “The baklava and your sugar syrup need to be very hot,” says Ovaz, who removes the tray from the
oven in the last two to three minutes of cooking to drain off any excess butter. “You put the baklava back in the oven, reheat it, take it out and then pour the sugar syrup on top.”
Baklava offers layer upon layer of decadence and is incredibly
rewarding when it’s executed properly. The dessert symbolises
community in Turkey and brings people together no matter the occasion. “We offer baklava to whoever comes to visit us,” says
Topuzlu. “It’s what I see from my family, and they probably saw
it from their families. You offer baklava in good times with good memories.” ■ 56 | Hospitality
OUTT OF YOUR Y MENU
www.nestleprofessional.c
om.au
FEATURE // Spaghetti alle vongole
58 | Hospitality
FEATURE // Spaghetti alle vongole
Gone clamming A plate of pasta reminiscent of a trip to the sea. WORDS Annabelle Cloros
THE VERNACULAR OF Italian cuisine is rooted
core menu at Seta, it runs as a special and is
example than spaghetti alle vongole; a dish
popular dish,” says Incardona. “Many chefs like
in simplicity. And there’s arguably no better
comprising just a handful of ingredients. But
it’s one that’s transportive, conjuring memories of seaside trips or perhaps thoughts about the origins of the star ingredient — clams.
Translating to spaghetti with clams, there’s
not much else to spaghetti alle vongole, which means it’s one of those dishes that requires
a guaranteed boon for the kitchen. “It’s a very myself think it’s so common and is something
you don’t really want to recreate again. Some
Vongole
Fresh chilli
means
or dried
very easy to make the clams chewy if you don’t
clam in
flakes add
Italian
heat
No.3
White wine
people might not want to cook it because it’s
use the right technique and do it the proper way. But customers really like it.”
patience and a high level of skill to get right.
Neapolitan cuisine has always heavily drawn
sand to steaming them before the point of
for more than 400 years. The Mediterranean
From soaking the clams in water to draw out chewiness, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Hospitality speaks to Head Chef Davide
Incardona from Seta Sydney about the nuances between clams in Italy and those used in
Australia, the pressure points of the cooking
process and why chefs should always keep pasta water on the side.
on seafood, with clams used in various dishes is home to several species of clams, but
vongole verace is prized in a pasta application. “Vongole verace are the most common and are
clams on the list. The next day, De Filippo told
his sister he made spaghetti alle vongole fujute (escaped clams). The story would go on to be
published in a cookbook authored by his wife,
who said he was adamant the parsley provided a taste of the sea.
Italian-born Davide Incardona has made
The distinct flavour profile of spaghetti alle
a taste of provenance. While clams accessed in
it comes to appearance, the eating experience is
naturally very different. “The microclimate in the Mediterranean makes clams much richer in salt
and flavour,” says Incardona. “But Diamond Shell clams are similar to verace vongole in size.” Seta
sources Diamond Shell clams from New Zealand, which have a beige-coloured shell and a “mild, sweet ocean flavour … characterised by its sweet, fresh sea spray aroma”.
Most producers soak clams after harvesting to
countless plates of the dish which is “typical in
allow them to expel sand or sediment, but chefs
on the head chef role at Seta in Sydney’s CBD in
safe. Incardona leaves the clams in salted water
Napoli” over his 20-year career. Incardona took
December last year after time at Bel & Brio and
stints across Europe working in lauded kitchens. While spaghetti alle vongole isn’t on the
the clams
soup, lasagne and many different dishes.”
Australia are comparable to those in Italy when
parsley and chilli. As you’ll notice, there are no
with vongole
than other types of clams and can be used in fish
stage actor Eduardo de Filippo. The actor made had in his kitchen: spaghetti, tomatoes, garlic,
help open
Incardona. “They’re more salty and less chewy
vongole comes down to the clams, which offer
the dish post-show using the few ingredients he
is used to
is ideal
found everywhere in the Mediterranean,” says
The man behind spaghetti alle vongole’s rapid
ascent to staple pasta is none other than Italian
spaghetti
should undertake the process themselves to be
for three to four hours to ensure nothing grainy
makes it to the plate before washing them again. “It’s one of the most important steps,” says the
July 2022 | 59
FEATURE // Spaghetti alle vongole chef. “You need to take your time to make sure all the sand is gone.”
There are several regional variations of the
‘sauce’ component of spaghetti alle vongole. Bianco is the classic, with the addition of
tomatoes and basil seen in the south of Italy and Sardinia going heavy on the chilli. In Liguria,
it anywhere in Australia,” he says. “We choose it because they respect tradition in the production
process and the amount of gluten in the pasta is perfect for creating sauces, especially for a dish like vongole. If you don’t add cherry tomatoes
or any other ingredients that help make a sauce, you need the gluten to emulsify with the water.” Like the dish says, spaghetti is the pasta of
baby clams no bigger than a fingernail are used.
choice. Incardona recommends no.3 or no.4,
much to the dismay of purists. “Definitely no
pasta is fine as long as it’s not too thick,” says the
And over in America, some even add cheese, cheese,” says Incardona.
Seta sticks with the foundational recipe, which
begins with heating olive oil in a pan over a high
but other options can be used. “Any kind of long
chef. “You can use tagliolini. Thin pasta is better; thick pasta is too hard to mix.”
heat before garlic and white wine is added. “You
Once the vongole are added and the wine has
and doesn’t leave much flavour in the dish,”
the water from the clams, which forms part of
just need to use cooking wine as it evaporates
says Incardona. “It’s used to generate steam and quickly open the clams because you don’t want to overcook them — it’s the main reason for the wine.”
A pot of salted boiling water should also be on
evaporated, Incardona covers the pan to expel the sauce. “I move the pan, so the steam opens
up the vongole, which are ready as soon as they
open,” says the chef. “If you go one minute over, the clams become chewy.”
The rest of the dish comes together in a
the go by now, especially when the cooking time
flash after this point despite it being around
pasta from an Italian brand called Verrigni. “We
added to the pan along with cherry tomatoes,
for the pasta is factored in. Incardona uses dry get it from one supplier because you can’t find 60 | Hospitality
a 25-minute task in total. The cooked pasta is which only need to be lightly cooked. “You
“The microclimate in the Mediterranean makes the clams much richer in salt and flavour.” – Davide Incardona
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FEATURE // Spaghetti alle vongole
“The amount of gluten in the pasta is perfect for creating sauces, especially for a dish like vongole.” – Davide Incardona want to cook the spaghetti with the vongole for about six minutes to create a thicker sauce where the gluten and the water come
together,” says Incardona. “The tomatoes also give some colour to the sauce and then you add parsley. We add black pepper or chilli
for taste, but it’s always one or the other. I use fresh chilli, but you can also use chilli flakes.”
In a dish where every second counts, there’s no room to hide.
But the overarching note of the eating experience is no doubt the salinity of the ocean from the clams, and arguably, the parsley
if you take de Filippo’s word for it. “It has a mussel saltiness but a lighter flavour,” says Incardona. “The main thing you get from vongole is the sea.”
Much like cacio e pepe, pomodoro or arrabiata, spaghetti
alle vongole is beloved in Italy and across the globe for its
intelligibility. Each component of the dish is recognisable to the
eye and the palate. Basically, you know exactly what you’re going to get: acid and sweetness from the cherry tomatoes, richness
from the olive oil, brininess from the clams, heat and pungency from the garlic and chilli and herbaceous bitterness from the fresh parsley.
Spaghetti alle vongole is emblematic of highlighting the best of
the best and taking the time to nail each component of the dish. As aptly put by Incardona, “It’s a classic.” ■ 62 | Hospitality
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5 MINUTES WITH ... // Adriano Zumbo
Adriano Zumbo The celebrated pastry chef on launching a new high tea experience at QT Sydney.
QT SYDNEY WAS looking to do something
with vanilla and fruit flavours including
crafted especially for the high tea. These
My brand has been quirky and fun from
a QT twist.
served with strawberry and lemon myrtle
a little different for its high tea offering.
the start, whether it’s the flavours I use or
strawberry and passionfruit and giving it The high tea arrives in a black three-
the names I give my cakes. I think QT is
tiered cubist-inspired tower with each dish
the team has been fantastic with bringing
menu will evolve over the months, but I’ve
like that, too. We are a great match and QTea to life.
We want guests to feel relaxed and
excited and to just have fun. It’s not your
nan’s high tea and breaks the mould from
what you’d expect from traditional hotels.
There is great food, great drinks and a great atmosphere. It’s a moody and beautiful location that allows you to completely
immerse yourself in a New York-style look and feel, but still enjoy the intimacy of
being in the heart of Sydney’s bustling CBD. As time goes on, I am hoping to add more
theatrics from the pastries to how they are served to guests.
The dishes and flavours I’m creating are
largely based on seasonality and top-quality local produce. We are starting off classic 66 | Hospitality
hiding inside its own black square. The
It’s not your nan’s high tea and breaks the mould from what you’d expect from traditional hotels. started with favourites I know people will love as well as a few new creations. We have classics including my
Zumborons (macarons) and the passionfruit tart and then we have bespoke dishes
include a savoury twist on a classic scone
jam; a heart-shaped cake with a red glaze
and pistachio and raspberry centre (one of
my favourites) and a white-glazed yuzu and sesame vanilla cake.
On the savoury side, expect Champagne
lobster rolls with coconut, chilli and lime mayonnaise; goat’s cheese tarts with
asparagus and caramelised tomato and a
play on a Caesar salad (spoiler: it’s like san choy bau).
To drink, Perrier-Jouet leads a selection
of 60 Champagnes from QT’s awardwinning wine list and the tea menu
includes a bespoke blueberry macaron blend by Zumbo.
QT is full of diverse amazing people that
connect to the brand and make it unique,
which is what I want to shine through. This right here is my passion, and I’m excited to continue to elevate the offering as I meet and interact with customers over time. ■
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