Hospitality October 2023

Regulars

6 // IN FOCUS

Exploring Oaxacan cuisine with Manuel Diaz from Nu’u by Nativo.

10 // NEWS

The latest openings, books, and more.

12 // PRODUCE

Culantro adds insant freshness and bitterness to dishes.

14 // BEST PRACTICE

Ken Burgin shares his tips for navigating summer.

Contents

OCTOBER 2023

16 // BAR CART

Thirst quenchers, slow sippers, and all things beverage related.

18 // DRINKS

How three drink specialists are using beer in cocktails.

22 // PROFILE

Kolkata-born Ahana Dutt on fronting Raja in Sydney.

52 // EQUIPMENT

The terrine mould is a must for pâté.

54 // 5 MINUTES WITH … Mark Williamson from Chez Blue.

Features

28 // JACKSONS ON GEORGE Head Chef Steven Sinclair on what to expect from the new and improved venue.

32 // RAGU

Two chefs share their versions of the iconic Italian dish.

40 // SANDWICHES

The lunchtime staple is getting the chef treatment.

46 // SUMMER WINE FORECAST Expert picks from four sommeliers.

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A note from the editor

THE WARMER WEATHER has officially arrived, and I know I’ve been reaching for fizzy whites and light reds. It’s one of the best times of the year for sommeliers who are preparing to welcome the festive season with drops from emerging producers — but it can be difficult to keep on top of each and every trend. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with a feature on the wines you need to know about according to four sommeliers.

The October issue also delves into using beer in cocktails, why ragu remains one

PUBLISHER

Paul Wootton pwootton@intermedia.com.au

MANAGING EDITOR

Annabelle Cloros

T: 02 8586 6226 acloros@intermedia.com.au

DEPUTY EDITOR Amy Northcott anorthcott@intermedia.com.au

DISCLAIMER

of the most popular pasta dishes across the country, and how chefs are giving the culinary treatment to the humble sandwich. Ahana Dutt from Sydney’s Raja restaurant in Potts Point is the subject of our profile this edition, and we have a first look at the new Jacksons on George in the CBD — think three levels of drinking and dining with a Maurice Terzini touch.

Until next time,

Annabelle Cloros Managing Editor

ADVERTISING NATIONAL Simon York

T: 02 8586 6163 F: 02 9660 4419 syork@intermedia.com.au

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“Oaxacan food is the epicentre of what we as Mexicans call ‘our cuisine’.”

– Manuel Diaz

A taste of Oaxaca

Sydney’s Nu’u by Nativo is shining a light on the flavours, ingredients, and techniques of southern Mexico.

WORDS Amy Northcott

PHOTOGRAPHY Nick de Lorenz

OAXACAN-BORN CHEF MANUEL Diaz opened Nu’u by Nativo earlier this year with his partner Diana Farrera as a means to cure homesickness. The restaurant and mezcal bar is located in Sydney’s Inner West and is the duo’s second venue, joining taqueria Nativo. Nu’u by Nativo champions Oaxacan cuisine and serves a menu based on traditional recipes and cooking techniques from the area. “We tried to keep it as close to the original recipes — we don’t want to hide who we are since that is the real magic of traditional cuisine,” says Diaz. “The authentic traditional flavours from home are so specific and it was a challenge I wanted to take on.”

The Michelin-trained chef says Oaxacan food is incredibly intricate and differs from what most would know as Mexican food. “Some of the cuisine around the world is sold to be easy and cheap, but Oaxacan cuisine in general is very complex,” he says. “Recipes call for dozens of ingredients and you really only master them after years [of work].”

Oaxaca itself has a large indigenous population and is home to around 16 of Mexico’s 68 recognised indigenous groups. The cuisine is made up of local ingredients, indigenous traditions, and sees dishes made with traditional utensils. “Oaxacan cuisine comes from the earth, from our ancestors, and it is really artisanal,” says Diaz. “The techniques used are ancestral and close to our roots.”

Diaz’s menu at Nu’u features an array of Oaxacan dishes including the venue’s signature enmolada which sees corn tortillas filled with chicken picadillo and mole sauce. “Our mole is a sauce, although we would say it is more like a dish on its own,” he

says. “It is traditionally made with more than 40 different ingredients including Oaxacan chocolate, dried chillies, plantains, nuts, and apricots.”

The team uses traditional Oaxacan cooking clay pots to make the mole. “The pots give the mole a slightly different flavour profile and changes the way the ingredients roast,” says Diaz. A stone metate is another traditional cooking tool used in the kitchen to grind spices. “[The metate] is a stone piece which you use to roughly grind spices or maize using a stone pestle,” says Diaz. “We also use it for some salsas, such as the molcajete salsa that we use for our potatoes.”

Memela del mercado also demonstrates the intricacy of Oaxacan cuisine. “It’s made with five recipes which is common with Oaxacan dishes but it’s somehow simple at the same time,” says Diaz. The dish sees a masa (maize dough) base and a meat filling that varies according to different areas alongside beans, cheese, and salsa. Nu’u’s uses pork as the protein of choice: “Cecina is a thin cut of pork that is usually marinated with dried chillies and spices,” says Diaz. “We make our cecina in-house with my family recipe.” The chef also adds roasted bone marrow to the seasoned black beans to create a deeper flavour and complement the other elements of the dish.

Diaz’s take on Oaxacan food provides a window into the ingredients, flavours, and memories of his home. “Most of the dishes are more than just food, they are stories about my life, my family, my friends, and places that are important to us,” says Diaz. The chef has hopes the cuisine will become more recognised in the near future. “Oaxacan food is the epicentre of what we as Mexicans call ‘our cuisine’.” ■

MEMELA DEL MERCADO

Ingredients

Memela

200g maize dough (masa)

160g pork shoulder

10g queso fresco cheese

1 avocado

20g watercress

1 raw garlic clove

Bone marrow beans

300g cooked black beans

1/2 bone marrow

50g white onion, sliced

Salsa verde

100g fresh tomatillos

50g white onion, diced

2g salt

10g coriander

Mexican spices

2g Mexican oregano

2g salt

1g black pepper

2g dry epazote

Cooking oil for frying

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Divide the masa into two parts and make two balls. Use a rolling pin or a tortilla press to flatten to 1mm thickness.

2. Place the bone marrow in the oven and roast for 90 minutes or until the marrow is brown and separates from the bone.

3. In a pan, add oil and diced onions and cook until translucent. Add in the bone marrow and then the cooked black beans. Season the mix with salt and ancho chilli spice.

4. Cut the pork shoulder into 3mm slices and rub with garlic and Mexican spices.

5. Grill the pork slices until fully cooked then dice into 1cm squares.

6. For the salsa verde, blend tomatillos and coriander until roughly chopped. Put in a separate container and add fresh diced onion and season with salt.

7. In a pan, heat cooking oil to medium-high heat and pan fry the maize discs until they turn light brown. Remove the discs from the pan and blot excess oil with a paper towel.

8. Dice avocado into 1cm squares.

9. To serve, place one maize disc on a plate and spread a layer of the bone marrow beans on top before adding the diced pork and watercress. Place the diced avocado on top, grate the queso fresco, and garnish with market flowers.

Entrée

The latest openings, books, events, and more.

EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros

The Farm Table

Julius Roberts

Penguin ; $55

You may recognise Julius Roberts from his Instagram account, which documents the first-generation UK farmer’s produce-centric cooking ethos. The talent has recently made his debut on the silver screen in A Taste of the Country: Dorset and now he’s released his first book which is chock-full of seasonal recipes. The Farm Table covers all the seasons. There is sausage stew for winter, baked fish with herbs and asparagus for spring, steamed apricot sponge for summer, and pan-fried trout with mash and spinach for autumn, to name a few. penguin.com.au

Brisbane bound

Sydney-founded coffee roastery Single O has expanded from the Harbour City with a Brisbane location in Newstead. The coffee bar has been fitted out with Queensland’s first on-tap coffee counter that allows patrons to self-serve an oat milk latte or filter options in an instant. The menu lists a range of toasties, sandwiches, pastries from Agnes Bakery, and that cult banana bread. The new launch coincides with Single O’s twentieth year in business and is just the second Single O café location in Australia. singleo.com.au

Omakase times two

One of Melbourne’s most in-demand omakase experiences now has a spin-off, and it’s located right upstairs. Nidaime, meaning second in Japanese, is now live at Yugen Tea Bar in South Yarra with a shorter more ‘approachable’ menu priced at $175pp. Two sittings (6pm and 8pm) run from Wednesday to Sunday, with eight diners sampling between 16 and 18 courses — think oysters, kingfish sashimi, Victorian smoked eel, and unagi tamago. Nidaime’s chef team prepares dishes in front of guests, with beverage pairings beginning at $85pp for the benchmark offering and $145pp for the prestige selection. yugendining.com.au

Josh Niland takes Singapore

Singapore is set to welcome one of Sydney’s most acclaimed chefs to helm a signature restaurant at The Singapore Edition. It marks the first international venue for Josh Niland, who will bring his signature approach to the country via a seafood-focused steakhouse. The yet-to-be-named restaurant will see fish cut to order and à la carte menus across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. editionhotels.com

Photography by Rob Palmer

Spon arrives in Newtown

Odd Culture Group continues to expand, and its latest venue is in the form of a hybrid wine bar and bottle shop. Located in Sydney’s buzzing Inner West, Spon is filled with drinks that stick to a ‘spontaneous fermentation’ theme — expect chilled reds, juicy oranges, and wild ciders and ales. Guests can take a seat at the bar and try a drop from a 12-option beverage list that will change daily. Snacks are courtesy of sibling venue Odd Culture and include yellowfin tuna with capers and potato chips and charcuterie from LP’s Quality Meats. spon.bar

The Korean Cookbook

Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi

Phaidon ; $74.95

Korean cuisine is incredibly nuanced, diverse, and unlike any other on the planet, with diners finally appreciating it beyond KBBQ thanks to the increase of Korean restaurants opening across the globe. Michelin-starred chef Junghyun Park has teamed up with Korean culinary expert Jungyoon Choi to pen The Korean Cookbook , an in-depth collection of more than 350 recipes from acorn jelly gukbap to pork rib gui. The 500-page book features photographs by Jinju as well as essays on topics such as regional foods and the Korean pantry. phaidon.com

Double the fun

Paski Vineria Popolare has become one of Sydney’s go-to destinations for pasta, and now the venue has launched two daily happy hours. The first kicks off at 5pm and runs until 6:30pm with $10 vermouth, $12 bubbles, and a $14 Sicilian in Tokyo fizz that can all be paired with a selection of $4 Italian pastry snacks featuring pesto, anchovy, or mortadella. Come 9pm, aglio e olio is available for $15 until 11pm and sees spaghetti tossed with fresh garlic, olive oil, and chilli. The latenight shift is also serving parmesan with balsamic ($10), tiramisu for $8, a mystery $9 wine, and other pocket-friendly drinks. paski.com.au Photography by Nikki To

Photography by Yusuke Oba

Origins

Culantro or Eryngium foetidum is part of the Apiaceae family which includes carrot, coriander, parsley, celery, and parsnip. The herb is also known as sawtooth coriander, Mexican coriander, or Thai coriander and is often compared to the herb. While the two have a similar aroma and flavour, culantro has a different leaf shape and appearance, withstands high cooking temperatures, and is more potent in taste and smell.

The herb is native to Mexico, the West Indies, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America.

Growth and harvest

It is a biennial herb but can

Native to Mexico, the West Indies, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America

Similar aroma and flavour to coriander but more pungent and concentrated

Added to pho as a garnish

Culantro

Coriander’s cousin adds a flavoursome punch to dishes.

WORDS Amy Northcott

be perennial when planted in warmer tropical climates. Culantro is grown in Australia and should be sown from September to February in cold locations and from August to March in subtropical and tropical areas. Culnatro seeds are small and should first be planted indoors during winter or early spring before being transferred outside once any frosts have passed. Seeds should be planted 30cm apart in all directions in well-draining soil. Culantro needs to be planted in areas that receive partial shade and can also be planted in pots, which enables growers to move the herb away from harsh weather conditions.

Seeds sprout between 14–28

days and develop into a plant that’s comparable to a lettuce with a rosette of stiff, darkgreen leaves with sawtooth edging. The herb grows to around 40cm in size and has a pineapple-shaped flower in the centre which can be removed to help leaves develop. Leaves can be picked or cut off individually once they are 25–30cm in length from the base of the plant.

Flavour profile and cooking

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and last for about a week once they have been harvested. The herb has citrus and earthy notes and is often described as a concentrated dose of coriander. Flavour-wise, culantro has a bitter, earthy

profile that some might describe as being soapy in character. It can be used in a similar way to coriander, but due to its more potent flavour, should be added to dishes in smaller quantities. It can be integrated into food during or after cooking as it can withstand high temperatures.

Culantro is a versatile herb and can be used in everything from salads and marinades to salsas, tacos, soups, noodles, curries, and baked dishes. In the Caribbean, culantro is used in a sofrito which is a blend of herbs, vegetables, and spices, and is also used as a base for stews and a range of rice dishes. Pho also uses culantro as a garnish to add freshness and bitterness. ■

Part of the Apiaceae family

Resiliency in hospitality

How to prepare for potential weather events this summer.

WORDS Ken Burgin

LET’S HOPE THE heatwaves this summer won’t be like what’s happening in the Northern Hemisphere or the bushfires of 2019. It’s important to prepare for big challenges, plan to protect assets, and organise disaster-recovery marketing.

Urgent safety and continuity issues need your attention, starting with a secure power supply. It could even be a generator to ensure you can keep running if the power goes out. Refrigeration should be a priority as it holds valuable food stock. It needs preventive maintenance well before summer including cleaning the condenser coils at the back of fridge units every month, checking the door seals are in good shape, and re-gassing the motors. Set up 24–7 temperature monitoring, which will alert you if any systems go down — this technology is reasonably priced and can save thousands if just one failure is prevented.

Back up your business records as it is much more secure to use cloud-based systems that protect financial, staff, and customer records. Double-check your insurance policy for adequate protection from losses caused by bad weather.

Insurance costs have soared in recent years,

and coverage has been scaled back. Make sure your business will be locked securely if it’s closed for days or weeks as it can be a busy time for thieves. Air conditioning also needs care and maintenance: dirty filters reduce airflow and make the motors work harder. If the evaporator and condenser coils get dirty, it reduces the system’s ability to absorb and release heat.

Stock up on supplies — have enough food, drinks, first-aid kits, torches, batteries, and necessary medicines. If deliveries are disrupted, you may need more than the usual stock for two to three days. Be aware of road conditions and problems that could make it hard for staff and customers to get around.

Employees also need care in heatwaves: make sure there is plenty of water available to help them stay hydrated and cool and train them to identify signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion. The roster could also change to support shorter shifts. There may be cutbacks in the work available, so check Fair Work’s stand-down provisions for employers and employees during a natural disaster. Government assistance is usually offered quickly, but it can be complicated. If your business records are online, you can fill

in applications — local councils usually lead the way with these responses.

Keep your customers informed. One of the easiest ways is to post news on Instagram and Facebook or send emails. A short SMS update is also appropriate and expected for emergency communication. Share plenty of photos and ask customers to share theirs — before-and-after shots always make an impression. It can be a unique opportunity to connect and build a database of true supporters — the comfort you offer with cool drinks, coffee, friendly service, and an ‘all in this together’ attitude will be remembered for a long time.

Customer numbers may go down, so you need a plan B for a potential sales slump, which means fewer staff and cancelled supplies. Be ready to talk to suppliers, the bank, and the landlord. It’s also time to reach out to other business owners over a coffee or a beer. Plan a joint approach to local or state government, an insurance company, or suppliers — they respond to a group with much more respect. Good preparation will make it a successful summer, no matter what mother nature brings us. ■

Bar cart

Thirst quenchers, slow sippers, and all things beverage related.

EDITED BY Annabelle Cloros

Dial for tequila

1800 Tequila has introduced Cristalino to its range, an Anejo tequila packaged in a crystalline bottle. Cristalino is made using a 220-year-old Anejo recipe which sees the spirit barrel-aged for 16 months before it’s finished in port wine casks. “Its success is really being driven by its appeal to both light and dark spirits drinkers — it’s smooth, it’s flavoursome, and it’s versatile,” says Stelios Papadopoulos, global tequila specialist. Expect sweet and herbal notes that work well across a margarita or a French 75. global.1800tequila.com

Tip of the iceberg

Non-alcoholic drinks company T.I.N.A has added a new drink to its range, and this time, it’s in collaboration with Bondi restaurant Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. The inspiration behind the drink started with sacred lotus, known for its savoury profile, which has been teamed with saltbush, hojicha from Japan, and gingko, resulting in a beverage with “cleansing delicate freshness and unexpected salinity paired with the tropical charm of juicy pink guava”, says Founder Christina Trabucco. Available at Icebergs and from tinadrinks.com

Three’s company

St Hugo is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its first vintage release with a 2023 collection featuring three wines. The range represents the “spectrum of St Hugo’s style of power and elegance”, says Chief Winemaker Peter Munro and includes the 2020 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Barossa Valley Shiraz, and the 2022 GSM. “Each vintage is an expression of a specific time and place, and each wine tells a unique story, so the vintage release is an opportunity to celebrate these nuances,” says Munro. Each bottle is priced at $54.99. sthugo.com

Gin for good

Grown Spirits has been around for a decade, and the distillery prides itself on spearheading eco-conscious practices such as the launch of Sydney’s first gin refill station. The brand will be donating a share of the profits of Ocean Grown gin to the Reef Restoration Foundation, which aims to rejuvenate coral reefs in North Queensland. The gin channels the sea, and features a subtle salinity alongside dry citrus and a hint of spice. Available from grownspirits.com.au

Frame of mind

Angus O’Connell and Max Gooden are behind Framer, a new independent seltzer brand. Debut flavours include lime and cucumber and watermelon, each of which are made with all natural ingredients. The cans have unique designs created by Sydney-based artists Evi-O and Kane Lehanneur and are available from Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores in New South Wales and independent bottle shops elsewhere. framerdrinks.com

Hop to it

Three

WORDS Amy Northcott

PHOTOGRAPHY Alfonso Lizana for Maybe Mae and Milad K Photography for Bad Hombres

BEER IS THE go-to drink for many yet an uncommon addition when it comes to cocktails. But that’s all starting to change, with bartenders looking to the vast world of beer to add a unique point of difference to drinks. From a stout to an XPA, there’s much to explore when it comes to teaming beer with spirits.

Hospitality speaks to Bad Hombres’ Jose Artidiello, Maybe Mae’s Nick Corletto, and Whisky & Alement’s Julian White about how they’re showcasing beer across different cocktails.

Michelada

The Michelada is a beer-based cocktail from Mexico that is likened to a Bloody Mary thanks to its use of lime teamed with spices and chilli. It’s on the menu at Bad Hombres in Sydney’s Surry Hills, but it wasn’t an easy addition for General Manager Jose Artidiello, who grew up in Mexico. “I must admit I was reluctant a few years ago because I sensed people didn’t really understand the essence of it,” he says. “It was more of a secret menu item at first for people from Mexico or those who had travelled there and were familiar with the original.”

The cocktail is made with beer, lime juice, hot sauce and soy or Worcestershire sauce before it’s poured into a rimmed glass. The original is often riffed, with bartenders adding in tomato juice or chamoy, a sweet chilli sauce made from apricots, dried hibiscus flowers, and chile de arbol. “We have our own spice mix and signature Bad Hombres red chill hot sauce which is the same one we use in our spicy margaritas,” says Artidiello.

drink specialists on using beer in cocktails.

The Bad Hombres team creates Jose’s Micheladas from the beer menu for an extra $3. “We named it Jose’s because it is exactly the way I would make it for myself,” says Artidiello.

The GM says the choice of beer is vital when it comes to crafting a top-notch version of a Michelada. “Beer is to the Michelada is what tequila is to the margarita,” he says. While customers can choose any beer, the Tecate lager and the Pacífico pilsner are recommended. “I believe Micheladas work best with lagers,” says Artidiello. “You want a crisp, easy-todrink beer that goes well with the citrus and spice mix — it is a summer drink after all.”

After his initial hesitancy to offer Micheladas, Artidiello has noticed an uptake in guests ordering the drink. “They have started to gather more popularity,” he says. “We have a happy hour special every Wednesday with cheap tinnies and Micheladas which has helped introduce it to our clientele.”

Boilermaker

Melbourne’s Whisky & Alement has had a Boilermaker on the menu since 2011. The no-fuss drink consists of two components: a shot of whisky alongside a glass of beer — and that’s it. “I’d say it’s usually something people have at the start of the night,” says Co-Founder Julian White. “People will have a sip of beer then a sip of whisky before going back to the beer for some refreshment.” White says the Boilermaker was a way to make whisky a more accessible option for patrons. “In 2011, whisky was served in Melbourne as a special occasion luxury item when it really didn’t need to be. Putting it next to an everyday beer made it more accessible.”

“Beer is to the Michelada is what tequila is to the margarita.” – Jose Artidiello

Whisky & Alement has a menu devoted to Boilermakers, each of which have a point of difference. “We like to focus on the special parts of the beer and then we’ll try to match a whisky to complement or contrast those characters,” says White. “I like to approach it in two different ways: is it going to be a harmonious matching of the beer and the whisky or is it going to be more of a contrasting match?” The list features 10 Boilermakers which cover a pilsner, American pale ale, brown ale, hazy IPA, sour, dark ale, and a few unique options.

An example of a harmoniously paired Boilermaker is the Wild and Warming which teams Noodledoof Brewing’s Nitro Irish stout with Springbank whisky. “Being a dark beer that’s quite heavy and thick, we needed something of equal richness to sit alongside it,” says White. “The Springbank 15 Year Old single malt Scotch whisky from Campbeltown has an industrial smokiness to it which bounces off the slightly astringent malts in the stout.”

The Stonefruit Medley is an example of a more contrasting flavour combination of the Jane Doe #12 Assemblage Hors Série from Brassserie Dunham and Auchroisk whisky from James Eadie. White says the sour, fruity notes of the beer contrast with the neutral, gentle notes of the whisky. The Stonefruit Medley Boilermaker also gives guests the chance to try a special, more expensive tipple in a smaller format.

“Sometimes we like to use really big-format beers — like a 750ml beer with 30ml whisky,” says White. “If you were to buy the bottle, it would be $40, but when you pour 150ml, it’s a lot more affordable.”

Peel Street Corpse Reviver

Adelaide’s Maybe Mae has built a reputation for its cocktails, so much so the venue has a Hall of Fame menu. The Peel Street Corpse Reviver is one of the cocktails that has cemented its place in the line-up and is a drink that “looks like a small beer, drinks more like a house party”, says Owner Nick Corletto.

The Peel Street Corpse Reviver features a house-made spicy ginger and honey syrup that is shaken with lemon juice and London dry gin before being strained into a butcher glass with ice. Beer is the final ingredient which is used to top up the drink. “It’s all about lengthening slightly, so volume and balance, but it absolutely gives some effervescence and fizz,” says Corletto.

Currently, the Peel Street Corpse Reviver is served with Mismatch Session ale. “It’s got great body and balance of hops,” says Corletto. “It gels especially well with the ginger, which is the key consideration when we pick what beer to use.”

But it’s not the first beer cocktail for the venue, with Corletto recalling a former bartender who had an affinity for using beer in drinks. “He [Jed Waters] typically found a good pairing with beer and agave spirits,” says Corletto. “[A cocktail with] mezcal, red grapefruit, crystal malt syrup, and galaxy hop bitters was one of his best belters a few years ago.”

While it may not be the first ingredient to come to mind when crafting a cocktail, beer can work in various ways to complement and bring new flavours and textures into drinks. ■

“We like to focus on the special parts of the beer and then we’ll try to match a whisky to complement or contrast those characters.”

Julian White

SUSHI CABINETS

You focus on the skills while we focus on the quality!

KOLKATA-BORN AHANA DUTT grew up going to the markets on Sundays with her mother, spending mornings selecting produce and haggling down the price of live fish. “Sundays were special for us,” she says. “It was a whole process of who would go home with the fish head.” The weekly ritual inspired Dutt to become a chef, initially cooking alongside family at home before attending culinary school in Bombay, and going on to work in the kitchen of globally lauded fine diner Firedoor.

Now, Dutt is fronting Raja — an eatery that’s fast become paramount to Sydney’s dining landscape.

“Raja is an important restaurant — it’s important for me to represent Indian food in the slightly elevated form we’re trying to do,” says the chef. Hospitality speaks to Dutt about the art of intuitive cooking and ushering in a new style of Indian cuisine that combines familiarity with modernity.

Ahana Dutt was tossing up between becoming a writer or a chef during her school years. The occupations are linked to her mother, who

Ahana Dutt

was both a journalist and an incredible cook. Dutt would go on to choose cooking as one of her electives in year 12, later studying at the Institute of Hotel Management in Bombay for three years. It turned out to be a decision rooted in childhood, with Dutt recently coming across an illustration she penned as a child. “We were cleaning the house a couple of years ago and I found a drawing of a chef with a tall hat on a piece of paper that said ‘what I want to be when I grow up’,” she says. “I always loved to cook at home, so it made sense to become a chef.”

The graduate made the move to Sydney after completing her studies and began working for the catering arm of Aria before moving to The Keystone Group. Her next stint would be the most formative of her career, joining none other than Firedoor, one of Australia’s most acclaimed restaurants. It was here where Dutt worked alongside Lennox Hastie, who runs a kitchen absent of electricity and gas, instead cooking with fire. “I fell in love with that place and that way of cooking … how you highlight produce

“I felt ready to do this.”

WORDS Annabelle Cloros

PHOTOGRAPHY Nikki To

and pay attention to detail,” says Dutt. “Or as Lennox likes to say, ‘Cook with conviction’. His process is so honed that you learn so much by just watching how he cooks. You start to instinctively know when things are ready or when something needs longer, which is something I really value.”

Dutt spent six and a half years at Firedoor, a lengthy stint given the transient nature of the industry. The chef honed her craft during this time, picking up not just new skills but a different approach to cooking, too. “The thing I didn’t realise that had become part of how I cook — because it was so normal — was the produce aspect,” she says. “Working with the best seasonal produce and highlighting it instead of just putting things on a plate for the sake of it.”

But the time eventually came for Dutt to start a new chapter, which came in the form of a mutual connection. Dutt was introduced to Ezra’s Nick and Kirk Mathews Bowden, who were planning to launch a restaurant that centered around Indian cuisine. “We met for coffee and a meal, and we wanted to see if our ethos’s aligned,” says Dutt. “They have visited India and fell in love with the place. We got along really well, so it was an easy decision on my part to join them in their endeavor.”

Calling time on a lengthy stretch can conjure many emotions — sadness, excitement — but fear was never one of them for Dutt. “I don’t think I was ever scared,” she says. “I have this thing where I never look too far into the future and if I’m happy with what I’m doing, I keep doing it. But I felt ready to do this and I really enjoy heading a kitchen. I am very passionate about passing on knowledge and developing the skills of new chefs.”

“It would be limiting if we wanted to highlight a certain kind of cuisine, so it was left up to me to explore the entire country.”

– Ahana Dutt

She’s also got a tiny but mighty team of six with her in the kitchen including a sous chef and a commis chef who was promoted to CDP within two weeks. “We get along amazingly well, and I’ve been really lucky,” says Dutt. “They’re all really great.” As for taking on her first head chef role? “I think the pros and cons are the same in the sense that you’re responsible and accountable for everything — it ends with you.”

Raja opened in July, making its arrival in Potts Point with a new style of Indian cuisine. There are flavours interwoven throughout the menu that are familiar to some guests but presented in a format they’ve perhaps yet to come across.

“Obviously, there are so many Indian restaurants, and takeaway comfort food is part of everyone’s childhood,” says Dutt. “But it’s important to me that we elevate it, so it brings back memories from a flavour point of view but creates a different dining experience.”

The Mathews Bowden’s ensured Dutt had full creative licence with the food at Raja, and the newly minted head chef decided to go full tilt with the menu. “It would be limiting if we wanted to highlight a certain kind of cuisine, so it was left up to me to explore the entire country.”

Dutt’s debut menu is broad when it comes to influence, with references to dishes from Bombay, Lucknow, and even Bangladesh. “It is definitely inspired by food I have grown up eating and my time in Bombay,” says the chef.

Take the spatchcock makhni, which sees the poultry marinaded in spices and buttermilk overnight before it’s grilled in the tandoor and served with makhni sauce and kasoori methi butter — aka, what’s used in butter chicken.

The queen scallops from South Australia with

a moreish Goan ambot tik sauce is another example of tradition meets technique, but Dutt names the cabbage as one of the dishes she’s most proud of. “It is one of our vegetarian main courses and is cabbage layered with masoor dal, raisins, and coriander with a Lucknow-style curry made with macadamias,” she says. As for dessert, there’s one very special addition. “My favourite is the carrot halwa with a saffron baked yoghurt my mum used to make when I was growing up.”

Local produce abounds across the menu in the form of crab from Queensland, Murray cod from Bruce Malcolm, and veg from Newcastle Greens and Moonacres Farm, but there’s one item on Dutt’s wish list: a specific type of rice. “My only difficulty is rice — it’s so hard to find Australian rice anywhere,” says the chef. “Even from India, the most common rice is Basmati. There’s so many different kinds and I would love to get these other varieties but it’s near impossible. There is a short-grain rice from east India called Radhuni pago that translates to smelling so good it turns a chef crazy. I talk about the fragrance of rice a lot and it’s something people don’t think about because they’re not used to it. But I’d love to have that rice.”

Three months in, and Raja has been a more than welcome addition to a sector that’s seen more bistro openings than ever this year. It’s here where you’ll find food with the power of transportation to a late-night curry or a homecooked meal. “Some people come in and expect something super traditional and it doesn’t look like that,” says Dutt. “But they will eat it and say it reminds them of their mum’s cooking. This food and cuisine is so close to my heart.” ■

Ezra’s booth seating is decked out with a tiger motif

Dutt worked at Firedoor for more than six years

Raja has a jack fruit Old Fashioned

Oysters are served with Davidson plum chutney

“This food and cuisine is so close to my heart.”

– Ahana Dutt

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Innovation in the kitchen

FOR MORE THAN 40 years, Smeg has been manufacturing dishwashers for the professional sector, fine-tuning and continually innovating their products with a focus on efficiency, durability, and reliability.

The new Passthrough dishwashers from Smeg are designed, engineered, and made in Italy. Keep back of house flowing smoothly with fast run times and high washing results. The redesigned ergonomic handle ensures easy opening and closing from any angle in the kitchen, no matter the layout.

Some passthrough units have steam heat recovery where steam from the chamber enters the steam heat recovery unit where it is processed through a system and provides an energy saving of up to 30 per cent. It

also improves the working environment by reducing humidity and warmth within the workspace, benefiting operator health and providing a comfortable atmosphere. Built in a variety of sizes for different spaces and demands, Smeg has the ideal passthrough solution for you.

Smeg glasswashers have glassware covered whether it’s during happy hour or for a busy cafe. With added focus and attention to detail, the Glasswashers offer quality results and guaranteed hygiene combined with reduced power consumption and professional design. All Smeg dishwashers, including glasswashers, feature an on-board rinse pump, providing swift and hygienic cleaning and ensuring consistent pressure and wash temperature

for ongoing performance and results.

Smeg designs its entire range of professional equipment, reserving special attention to the integration of environmental protection requirements. Throughout every phase of the product journey there is focus on serviceability, low consumption, and construction with materials that can easily be recycled.

To improve the ecological footprint of its products, in addition to strictly observing the indications of global standards, Smeg has adopted an internal regulation that further extends restrictions on the use of substances considered potentially hazardous.

For more information, visit smegfoodservice.com/au/professionaldishwashers ■

Smeg’s Passthrough dishwashers and glasswashers are a must for busy hospitality venues.

INNOVATION in THE KITCHEN

PERFORMANCE, EFFICIENCY, DURABILITY

Designed for excellence in the kitchen, innovating culinary tradition through the simplicity of technology.

smegfoodservice.com/au

NEW beginnings

Steven Sinclair is ushering in a new chapter for one of Sydney’s most iconic venues.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros

PHOTOGRAPHY Jason Loucas

MOST SYDNEYSIDERS HAVE experienced Jacksons on George at some stage, whether it was part of a late-night crawl on a Friday or a post-work beer — it’s a name and a venue that’s synonymous with the city. But what we once knew as Jacksons has been rewritten by Creative Director Maurice Terzini and DTL Entertainment Group, who have been redeveloping the site since it was demolished more than a year ago.

Simply put, the new Jacksons is an all-encompassing dining and drinking destination: it’s three levels of bistro dining, rooftop cocktails, and casual bites. Hospitality speaks to Head Chef Steven Sinclair about taking on his biggest challenge yet, developing menus for the mega venue, and carving out a new chapter for one of the most-hyped openings of the year.

Steven Sinclair knew he wanted to be a chef as soon as he stepped foot in a commercial kitchen. He started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to commis chef at a Euro/French bistro in Belfast, Ireland — a job that would go on to have an ever-present influence on his career. “I began training as a chef when I was 20 years old and I fell in love with it,” he says. “I’ve worked in many different venues, but being a commis chef at that bistro is something I hold close to me — the simplicity of it, the flavours, and letting the dishes speak for themselves.”

The chef spent the past five years at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, working at restaurants including The Old Schoolhouse Inn and the Potted Hen in Northern Ireland prior to arriving in Bondi. Sinclair admits he never had the chance to down a beer at the original Jacksons, but had heard many stories about the venue before he was approached with the opportunity to head up the kitchen. “A lot of people spoke about it, and I knew how everyone felt about it,” he says. “I was a bit taken aback when I was approached about taking on a venue of this size. It took me a while to think about it. But sometimes you only get one chance in life, and a moment like this is something I had to go for. Now, it’s been reimagined and rebuilt as a beautiful venue.”

There’s no question Jacksons has scale, with the venue able to accommodate 500-odd patrons across its three Richards Stanisichdesigned spaces. The ground floor is home to the Public Bar which features indoor and outdoor seating and a 6.4-metre custom bar crafted from stone offcuts. Bistro George sits on the second level and encompasses a dining room, private dining room, and the Late Night Bar, which sees house jazz trio The Jacksons All Stars play on Wednesday and Thursday nights (with a DJ taking over the tunes on Friday and Saturday). The rooftop bar is located on the upper level and has been fitted out with one of the city’s most unique bars that some might say is as good as gold.

The culinary brief for Jacksons was largely anchored by bistro cuisine — but one with a local focus and a honed-in approach to elevating the classics. “First and foremost, we want people to know it’s Australian,” says Sinclair. “You walk into an Australian pub, and you expect certain dishes, and that’s what I’m doing but with a little twist here and there.”

The chef began working on the menus for Jacksons while he

was still at Icebergs, spending one to two days a week developing dishes before going full-time. A lot has changed from the initial drafts penned in February — especially the volume. “I had a large menu at first, but I took some things off and trimmed it back,” says Sinclair. “I feel like it has a good balance and we’re finally there.”

The head chef has designed a joint menu for the Public Bar and the Rooftop, which lists dishes including a Moreton Bay bug roll with curry mayo, Maremma duck sausage roll, an LP’s sausage on white bread, and a spatchcock cotoletta. “You see dishes that you recognise, but I’ve tried to lift the flavours rather than just keep things classic,” says Sinclair. “All in all, we want to be Australian but have hints and influences from Europe.”

The Bistro’s menu is more refined and shares the same produce-first ethos guests can find both up- and downstairs. “I work with producers quite a lot, so there’s been some changes here and there to make sure we have a consistent amount of produce, especially with things like seafood which can be impacted by the weather,”

says Sinclair. Beef tartare is one of the most prominent dishes on menus right now, but Sinclair’s is a little different. “You see it quite a lot, but I have done it in a way which I feel is my own. “I dress it in a hot English mustard emulsion which gives it a level of heat and we serve it with thinly sliced hand-cut chips.”

The gravlax is another iconic bistro plate, which was a team effort between Sinclair and Terzini, who had the dish at France-Soir in Melbourne. “I worked with Maurice on it for many months and it’s something very close to us,” says Sinclair. “We use Ora King salmon dressed in dill, cucumber, and apple pickle. Another dish we worked on a lot is the Chris Bolton coral trout which we get fresh every day. We dry it out, cook it over charcoal, and serve it with seasonal greens and a limoncello beurre blanc.”

Such a big venue requires a suitable kitchen, and the team has been filled out with Icebergs alumni as well as new additions. “I started working on recruitment about three months ago and my sous team is made up of people who were all once at Icebergs,” says Sinclair. “I met my senior sous chef Chris Isaacson five years ago and Sam Lee and Adam Savvy both worked there too as well as some younger chefs. 10–12 have come across with me from Icebergs and everyone else has been hired through word of mouth. The team is quite large and the buzz in the kitchen has been amazing.”

While Sinclair has been “non-stop busy” setting up the restaurant for its launch just a few weeks ago, the hustle and bustle has been worth it. “The feelings and emotions have been through the roof as well as the excitement and stress levels that come with such a big project,” he says. “I can’t wait to showcase what I can do. I’ve been a chef for 13 years now, and it’s the moment for me to step up and meet the challenge.” ■

“It’s the moment for me to step up and meet the challenge.”

– Steven Sinclair

Four martinis are served tableside at Bistro George

The venue has a house jazz trio

A hot cabinet at the bar is filled with pies

A sausage sandwich is levelled up by LP’s Quality Meats

Ragu

Two chefs on what goes into making the iconic Italian pasta dish.

WORDS Amy Northcott

RAGU IS SYNONYMOUS with Italian cuisine. The meat-based sauce is the vital element of a hearty pasta dish seen across both traditional and modern Italian offerings.

It is believed the earliest version of ragu was made in the Emilia-Romagna region in the late 18th century by Alberto Alvisi, a chef to the Cardinal of Imola. The cook was inspired by the French stew of meat and vegetables ragoût when writing the recipe named ‘ragu per i maccheroni’, which combined onion, rendered fat, unsalted butter, cinnamon, flour, stock, cinnamon, and diced beef. The tomato-free recipe was republished some 180 years later as il ragu del Cardinale ‘the Cardinal’s ragu’.

“Wait, how many subs?” One minute it’s all quiet. Then 26 hungry footy players and their parents are suddenly waiting for a celebratory sandwich, and they all want them toasted. At least the sharpness of your tasty cheddar won’t surprise you.

NO SANDWICH ARTISAN LIKES SURPRISES. ESPECIALLY NOT FROM YOUR TASTY CHEDDAR.

Since then, many adaptions of ragu have been crafted — in particular in the Emilia-Romagna region — and it has become a sought-after option when perusing an Italian menu. Just like most iconic dishes, ragu is one that has evolved over time to feature a range of proteins and pasta styles. To find out what exactly goes into a modern-day iteration of ragu, Hospitality speaks to chefs Rosa Mitchell from Rosa’s Kitchen and Mario Asero from Brisbane’s Biànca.

Sicilian chef Rosa Mitchell serves two traditional versions of ragu at her restaurant Rosa’s Kitchen in Melbourne. Both recipes are drawn from her childhood, where she grew up eating the classic dish with her family. “Most Italian families have their own version of ragu with different meats,” says Mitchell. “My mum always made it with chuck on the bone or lamb shank. She also added a pork trotter, which made it more gelatinous. Normally, the nonnas cook the ragu on a Sunday and the whole family comes for a big lunch.”

While Mitchell changes the menu at Rosa’s Kitchen, the recipe for ragu retains the same

foundation. The process begins with pan frying onions until they are cooked before adding in the proteins, onions, and tomatoes. “For me, the sauce is just onion and tomato … maybe a bay leaf but nothing else,” says the chef. “We never add garlic or red wine — it’s just tomato and onion with meat.”

Protein-wise, one of Mitchell’s ragus features a combination of lamb neck and shoulder, while the other uses duck. “I think the most important thing is that it has to be meat on the bone,” says Mitchell. “The bones are what gives you the extra flavour. Lamb neck gives us a lot of flavour as well, but we also use lamb shoulder as it’s a nice lean meat to put through the pasta.”

Mitchell cooks her ragu in the oven for a few hours, but the time varies depending on the protein. As the ragu is cooked for a long period of time, Mitchell adds a touch of chicken stock to ensure the dish doesn’t dry out. As for pasta, it’s always short. “At the moment, it’s maccheroni and caserecce which is a Sicilian pasta,” she says.

“I think dry pasta is better for ragu and I don’t ever use long pasta with meat sauces.”

The final component is parmesan cheese, but if

“It has to be meat on the bone … the bones are what gives you the extra flavour.”

– Rosa Mitchell

Mitchell suggests using meat on the bone for ragu

Biànca serves a caserecce beef ragu and mafalde ragu

Rosa’s Canteen uses maccheroni and caserecce pasta for ragu

Biànca serves ragu with Fiore Sardo pecorino

she were in Sicily, Mitchell would use pecorino instead. “In Sicily, there’s more pecorino than parmesan, but it’s an acquired taste,” she says. “Pecorino can be quite strong and salty, but it’s good.”

Over in Brisbane, much-loved Italian eatery Biànca serves two ragu dishes that have been long-time hits for guests. “At one point, we removed it [ragu] to add something new and different — but our guests wouldn’t stop asking for it back,” says Head Chef Mario Asero. “It is a unique dish that fits in perfectly with our menu and overall offering.”

One of the ragu dishes takes a more traditional form with a classic red-based sauce, while the other option is made with a white sauce. “We offer two ragus because they are both very popular with our guests and we wanted to give them a choice between a classic and a more contemporary flavour,” says Asero.

Pasta-wise, Asero and his team make semolina-based mafalde and egg-based caserecce in-house. The types of pasta were chosen to elevate each ragu sauce. “The reason why we opted for these particular types of pasta is because they capture the sauce really well,” says the chef. “When you combine them with our delicious ragu dishes, you get a perfect combination of flavours.”

The mafalde beef ragu is made with a red sauce and a combination of both lean and fatty cuts of beef. Asero says he chose beef for its profile and association with the dish. “Beef has a strong and distinct flavour that pairs well with the tomatobased sauce, creating a rich and satisfying taste that’s difficult to resist.” Pieces of beef are caramelised in a wood-fired oven at Biànca before being added to a combination of soffritto, red wine, San Marzano tomatoes, and beef stock and cooked in the oven for 10 hours. The following morning, the beef is shredded by

hand and later added to the mafalde. “During service, we add pasta and pecorino cheese, layering it with the sauce to create a perfect balance,” says Asero. “The dish is finished with Fiore Sardo pecorino to add a final touch of flavour.”

The caserecce ragu bianco is Biànca’s more modern take on the dish. Protein-wise, Asero and his team use a combination of minced lamb shoulder, chicken thigh, pork belly, and prosciutto off-cuts. “Each meat contributes its unique characteristics to the dish — pork belly adds richness, chicken adds leanness, and lamb adds a distinct flavour,” says the chef.

Asero says the most important element of the dish is the soffritto. “It’s a crucial ingredient as it breaks down and becomes part of the sauce,” he says. The proteins are first seared and then added to a mixture of white wine, chicken stock, and a little bit of milk that’s cooked down together before it’s served with casarecce and garnished with lemon thyme and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Ragu will always have its place in Italian food offerings as a familiar favourite for guests. And there’s no doubt the dish will continue to evolve with via different proteins and sauce bases. ■

“We chose to offer two ragu dishes because … we wanted to give them a choice between a classic and a more contemporary flavour.” – Mario Asero

Out of the LUNCHBOX

Sandwiches are having a moment — here’s why.

WORDS Annabelle Cloros

PHOTOGRAPHY Trent van der Jagt for June’s

SANDWICHES ARE UBIQUITOUS across the globe — think Italian beef in Chicago, paneer tikka in India, or a porchetta-stuffed roll in Rome. Most countries have their own version of a sandwich, with some type of carb used as a vehicle for any and every topping.

Now, sandwiches are finally getting some attention from local chefs who are casting a culinary eye over the deceptively simple staple. Hospitality speaks to Patrick Friesen from June’s Shoppe, Benjamin Terkalas from Kosta’s Takeaway, and Michael Jokovich from Cordeaux Social Club about how they’re levelling up the classics.

Cordeaux Social Club is a neighbourhood brunch spot by day and a wine bar by night. The all-day venue is located in Brisbane’s West End, and has become known for its range of sandwiches inspired by Co-Owner Michael Jokovich’s time in the US with his brother and sister-in-law (who are also part of the business). “There were some really great sandwiches we had overseas that just weren’t accessible here at home,” he says. “We wanted to bring things like a pastrami sandwich back with us and share the experience.”

Around 50 per cent of patrons order a sandwich when they visit Cordeaux Social Club, and it’s not hard to understand why — the menu currently lists mushroom cutlet with hazelnut butter, buffalo mozzarella, and rocket on seeded sourdough along with fried chicken teamed with iceberg lettuce, red cheddar, and house sauce on a parker bun. There’s also a curried egg number with iceberg lettuce on a parker roll and a classic smoked beef with Gruyere, pickles, and gravy on smoked potato bread.

While the tuna melt is currently off the main menu, Jokovich says it’s been one of the most popular options the team has created. “It’s something you see at every diner in the US, but we couldn’t find it here,” he says. “It’s basically a tuna toastie with lots of fresh herbs, Gruyere, capers, and a house-made mayo with a bit of lemon.”

The sandwich options evolve with the seasons which coincides with the team’s approach to working with local producers and bakers such as Providore Princess and Cordelia Sourdough Bakehouse. “There’s not a lot of places to hide with a sandwich and our emphasis is on using the freshest ingredients,” says Jokovich. “We will look at some new additions for summer like a nice BLT with heirloom tomatoes but we can really play around with different flavours and change things with sandwiches being so versatile.”

Locals have responded well to the concept, which aims to veer away from being a traditional café. “Our intention was to go with more of a deli offering,” says Jokovich, “and we’ve been fortunate that word has spread with our sandwiches and that we’re doing something a little bit different in the area.”

June’s Shoppe in Sydney’s CBD has a couple of points of difference to the other sandwich-centric stores around — one, the menu has been put together by Head of Culinary Patrick Friesen, and two, it’s all about fresh sandwiches — it’s a toastie-free zone (except for one melt). “We used to do a few toasted sandwiches, but then we decided to do a refresh,” says Friesen, who once worked with a chef who took sandwiches very, very seriously back home in Canada. “It was a fancy restaurant at night, but at lunchtime, he would do soups and sandwiches. He would bake the bread fresh everyday and if anyone asked for a toasted sandwich, he would tell them to get out — it was fresh bread sandwiches only.”

And fresh they are at June’s, too, which has become known for its sandwiches that are more than generous in size thanks to the bread, which is sourced from a bakery in Turrella. “I searched high and low for bread that was thick but super soft and encapsulated everything when you bite into it without being the main component,” says Friesen. “It’s a hi-top thick-sliced bread that’s like what you get at Baker’s Delight but 50 per cent bigger.”

The bread selection means there’s plenty of room for toppings at June’s, which has a menu of staples including spicy fried chicken with Comeback sauce, cheddar, and gem lettuce; a salad sandwich with vintage cheddar (and optional Gypsy ham, per Friesen’s signature move); curried egg with gem lettuce; and roasted fennel pork with pesto, pickled chilli, provolone, and rapini.

While the fillings all differ, the stacking process remains front of mind for the team. “For me, it’s all about the quality of the ingredients and the layering so different parts of the sandwich hit your mouth at different times,” says Friesen. “For instance, tomatoes always need to be close to mayonnaise. Or if you’re eating a burger — which is a sandwich — I always put the pickles on the bottom and the salad on top so you taste the pickles, the meat, and then you finish on the salad.”

There’s no doubt a sandwich at June’s is a full meal. Options are priced between $18 and $20, which is a decision that has been widely accepted by customers. “So far so good with the price point,” says the chef. “It’s a tricky one because if you took out everything and put it in a bowl, it’s a huge salad. I can charge $22–24 for a chicken burger elsewhere, but I put double the chicken on the fried chicken sandwich because the bread is so big.

“If you make a sandwich and put double the toppings, bread, and cheese and get close to the $20 mark, people think it’s a bit expensive.”

– Patrick Friesen

Steak Sandwich with Swiss Cheese and Tomato Relish

Sandwiches are a funny thing perception-wise. I think that people have a socially agreed upon perceived value of things. If you make a sandwich and put double the toppings, bread, and cheese and get close to the $20 mark, people think it’s a bit expensive, but they won’t blink at paying $30 for a pizza which uses half as much flour to make the base and has half the toppings.”

Regardless, the sandwich landscape is on the up — June’s makes between 75 to 100 each day for city-dwellers. “I think the same thing is happening to sandwiches that did with burgers,” says Friesen. “Before, it was half a slice of ham, some unripe tomatoes, and cheese on bread. People are putting more effort into them now and everyone is lapping it up.”

Kosta’s Takeaway is rooted in the art of old-school Greek hospitality. The concept started out in Sydney’s Rockdale, before expanding to the CBD and soon to Rosebery. “Kosta’s is sandwich shop driven and our style of food is affordable,” says Co-Owner Benjamin Terkalas. “I think a lot of people try to sell affordable food that’s not the best quality, but we capture chefs to work with us who bring their culinary skills to make sandwiches.”

The backbone of Kosta’s is its team, which is made up of chefs with fine dining backgrounds from Hubert, Ester, Bisteca, Hello Auntie, and Teddy Picker’s in Canberra. “Covid opened us up to a lot of chefs and they love it,” says Terkalas. “It’s nice having people like that touch all the food. We’ve worked hard developing this style of food and you need to be methodical, which is something we’ve had to learn. It has to be measured — it’s not like plating.”

The culinary skills of Kosta’s workforce are interwoven throughout the sandwiches from the chicken which is butchered in-house and brined to the hand-cut pickles, and fermented chilli.

“There’s a big difference when you have people who care about food,” says Terkalas. “It lays a foundation of, ‘This is how we do things’, and there’s no questions asked. You can’t rip people off these days, and you want them to be excited about a $16 sandwich which isn’t hard to do if you do it properly.”

Excitement is the right word when it comes to a sandwich from Kosta’s — especially the fish sandwich and the schnitzel sandwich, which have become cult bites. But Terkalas thinks another option needs a little more cred. “I’d say the tuna melt is underrated,” he says. “A lot of work has gone into it and there’s a lot of hidden ingredients in it.” He also mentions the specials, which run for up to two weeks at a time. “We’ve just done steak with pepper sauce and house salt and vinegar chips. But that started on pita with steak, chips, and a Bearnaise and then moved into pepper steak with mushroom, eschallots, and garlic. A lot of our food is designed from restaurant meals that are refined and put into sandwiches.”

The team will soon open the doors of its third location in Rosebery, which will be home to a prep kitchen and ensure all members of staff can be retained. “We almost have too many staff now, which is great because we want to keep everyone and now the business is telling us we can open another venue. Rosebery will have a larger takeaway offering like burgers and hot chips. We want to create a good company and grow in a mindful way.” ■

“A lot of our food is designed from restaurant meals that are refined and put into sandwiches.”

– Benjamin Terkalas

Heating up

SPRING IS HERE, and we all know what that means — summer is on the way. It is no doubt the busiest season for hospitality, which means curating an on-point drinks offering is a must to not only get customers through the doors, but to keep them coming back.

Hospitality chats with four sommeliers from some of the country’s much-loved watering holes to find out what wines they’ll be pouring for the rest of the year.

Bridget Raffal, Where’s Nick

If you’ve ever ventured to Where’s Nick in Sydney’s Marrickville, there’s a chance you’ve met Sommelier Bridget Raffal. She’s the force behind the wine bar’s 300-plus collection which is known for covering a range of styles, winemakers, and regions. “We focus on smaller producers, off-piste styles, and lesser-explored regions while benchmarking up-and-coming producers alongside the iconic,” says Raffal. “It’s a list where you’ll discover something new.”

When it comes to designing a list for the summer period, Raffal believes drinks with freshness are key. “A summer wine offering should be geared towards light and vibrant wines, but still offer diversity in style,” she says. She also urges the front-of-house team to prioritise storage. “Invest in temperature-controlled storage, and stick to the limits of your cellar space,” she says. “I’d rather have half as much choice than turn down a bottle of cooked wine.”

Some of the wines on Raffal’s radar for the summer include white varieties Palomino and Zibibbo. Palomino is a variety commonly grown in Spain and South Africa. “Think Manzanilla

Four sommeliers share what wines they’ll be pouring during the warmer months.

WORDS Amy Northcott

or Fino but not necessarily fortified,” says the sommelier. “They are grown on chalky albariza soils and are often aged under flor, giving them a salty, almond-laced kick.” Some of Raffal’s favourite producers for the variety include Muchada-Leclapart, Bodegas Luis Perez, and Paola Medina.

Zibibbo, also known as Muscat of Alexandria, is another variety on Raffal’s hit list. “It’s beautifully exotic — think honeysuckle and orange blossom,” she describes. “They complement bold flavours well such as sardines with pine nuts and raisins, ricotta salata, or caponata.” She notes Sicily’s Marco de Bartoli as a must-try producer for the variety, with the drop boasting a flintiness to balance the ripe yellow peach characters.

Heading into Rosé territory, and Raffal is looking out for those with a darker colour including the Colleoni Rosato from Tuscany.

“[It is] Sangiovese-based and full of tart, morello cherry fruit,” she says. “As soon as the weather warms up, I start dreaming of ripe tomatoes, crusty bread, peppery olive oil, and this wine.”

“A summer wine offering should be geared towards light and vibrant wines, but still offer diversity in style.”

– Bridget Raffal

Naor ‘Noah’ Rozenfeld, Nomad Melbourne

Over in Melbourne, Naor ‘Noah’ Rozenfeld leads the wine offering at Nomad. For him, wine lists should have something for everyone. “A successful wine list is one where all of the different corners of the market can find joy and interest, while also providing balance between the offering and cuisine the restaurant is serving,” he says.

Rozenfeld’s advice for curating a summery drink offering? Look to your guests. “I’m focusing less on matching the wine to the food and more matching the wine to the guests — because when it works for them, it works with everything,” he says. He also notes the importance of keeping up with what’s going on in the wine world. “Do market research, look at which sections, varieties, or styles work well for your venue and capitalise on those.”

Heading into summer, Rozenfeld says he is opting for white wines that are not too oak-heavy and have fresh acidity. Styles including Riesling, Chenin Blanc, and the Spanish Albariño are some of his go-to varieties, but his current favourite is Aligoté. “For me, there’s something really charming about Aligoté when it’s well made — the white flower aromas, and the citrus blossomlike, refreshing acidity,” says the sommelier. “I try to demystify it to our guests by explaining that it tastes like a blend of Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Gris — ish.”

Producer-wise, Rozenfeld tips eclectic French makers Francois Millet, Fanny Sabre, and Joseph Colin, but closer to home it’s Chris Catlow who is making Sentio Aligoté in the King Valley. “I take pride in offering it by the glass, there’s something about it — like a great party song you know everyone loves and enjoys when it’s being played!”

Rahuul Prasad, Vincent Wine

Heading west to Perth and Vincent Wine’s Rahuul Prasad curates the venue’s 350-bottle line-up, which focuses on old-world producers and varieties as well as explorative makers. “The vast majority of the wine on our list accomplishes the former criteria of terroir expression,” says Prasad. “More specifically, the wines

capture a sense of place due to their emblematic expression of variety, winemaking, and the regionality.”

When it comes to curating a summer wine list, Prasad agrees freshness is key. “I believe it’s important to include wines from a multitude of styles,” says the wine director. “While refreshing and bright are often qualities ascribed to sparkling, Rosé, and white wines, reds are also capable of being beautiful summer styles.”

But ultimately, Prasad suggests showcasing wines you enjoy drinking. “As with all wine offering planning: buy wine you’re knowledgeable and passionate about, love to drink, and suits your venue’s theme and clientele.”

Crémant sparkling from France is a style that has caught Prasad’s attention for the upcoming season. “Crémant represents outstanding, quality, traditional method sparkling at a reasonable price,” he says. “Beautiful examples are found all over France

®

from Alsace to the Loire.” One of his favourite examples of the style is Arnaud Lambert’s Crémant de Loire which is crafted with majority Chenin Blanc and a hint of Chardonnay from the Loire Valley. “It’s linear and zesty on the palate: lemon pith, fresh Granny Smith apples, crisp white nectarines, and a hint of saline minerality,” describes Prasad. “A beautiful wine to pair with oysters on a hot summer’s day, but I personally adore it with our kingfish crudo.”

Christina Kaigg-Hoxley, sommelier

Christina Kaigg-Hoxley has an impressive sommelier resume with stints at Gimlet at Cavendish House, Atlas Vinifera, and most recently in the UK at Noble Rot Lambs Conduit Street in London. Now in the UK, Kaigg-Hoxley has noted a few trends across the European summer including the interest in wines from Greece. “The number of high-quality Assyrtiko being produced definitely feeds into the trend for more mineral-driven, high-acid white wines during this time of year,” she says. She also notes the uptake in wines from the Canary Islands. “The wine trade also seems to be having a moment with Tenerife wines — both the Palomino-based Listan Bianco wines and Listan Negro expressions,” she says. “[The] distinctive minerality draws you into a volcanic-driven, savoury palate.”

When it comes to summer wine offerings, Kaigg-Hoxley suggests using the season to try something new. “Summer is often when people are at their most relaxed, open to novelty, and trying something different or engaging in a new trend or style,” she says. “There’s a lot of opportunity to offer new products or new regions.” She urges sommeliers not to get caught up in the season and ensure there’s a broad range of styles. “I think summer wine offerings can have the tendency to oversimplify what people want. Yes, when it’s warmer, we lean away from heavy reds … but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ensure there is diversity and interest on lists — especially in bythe-glass offerings.

For the upcoming Aussie summer, she suggests Mediterranean varieties including Sciaccarello from Corsica. “It has a natural vivacity and really crunchy red fruit elements, lending itself to Rosé and lighter red styles,” she notes. White-wise it’s Vermentino. “It has a natural weightiness and texture which carries skin contact quite well,” she explains. “Its natural salinity and stone fruit characters convey a really playful, joyful palate for warmer weather.”

Kaigg-Hoxley suggests producers including the Clare Valley’s Koerner Wines, the Riverland’s Ricca Terra, and the Yarra Valley’s Santolin Wines for the aforementioned styles. “I think Australian producers continue to embrace alternative and Mediterranean varieties in a fantastic way, and I am continuously on the lookout for people who are championing this space,” she says.

As we head into summer, it’s clear freshness and a balance of styles is key for curating a successful wine list for guests. But it’s also important to remember the wines you enjoy drinking should never be left off the list. ■

“Summer is often when people are at their most relaxed and open to novelty.”

– Christina Kaigg-Hoxley

Kaigg-Hoxley says wines from Greece and the Canary Islands are trending

Rozenfeld suggests an Aligoté from Victoria’s King Valley

Prasad suggests Crémant sparkling from France for its freshness

Raffal is opting for white Spain varieties Palomino and Zibibbo

Works on all heat sources including gas, electric, induction, and ceramic top ranges

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The ceramic’s name is a nod to the iconic French loaf.

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SCAN TO VIEW THE BROCHURE

Mark Williamson

BEYOND MY LOVE of both working and dining in bistros, this project was an opportunity to help create a new French bistro in a fantastic area in Sydney. Solotel is an amazing people-focused business to work for and has a tonne of experience to bring a terrific venue to Rozelle and the surrounding neighbourhoods. I think Chez Blue will be a fantastic neighbourhood bistro offering for both locals and visitors that will complement an already vibrant suburb. I hope it’s the kind of venue people will want to dine at frequently.

The development of the menu was a collaboration between myself and Group Executive Chef Patrick McDermott. The menu features French bistro classics, but we’re also keeping food light and fresh for a Sydney clientele.

Guests can expect a menu of great bistro classics including pâté and steak frites as well as some unique twists on classic dishes. The tuna tartare, for example, is a playful take on a tuna niçoise salad, which I think will be popular. I’m also excited to show off our dessert trolley — more to come on that!

Working with Damien Pignolet was an incredible privilege. His knowledge and passion for cuisine, especially French cuisine, is incredible. I was constantly learning while I was working with him. I particularly enjoyed learning about charcuterie — making pâtés, terrines, sausages. Of course, I made a lot of soufflés during my time working with him, too. ■

The head chef of Solotel’s Chez Blue on what to expect from the new addition.

PHOTOGRAPHY Chad Konik

Chez Blue will be a fantastic neighbourhood bistro offering for both locals and visitors.

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