117 dining at Intercontinental Sydney

#1 How did your career as a chef start?

I have always enjoyed being in the kitchen even as a small child often helping my grandmother prepare dinner. So when I was in high school I chose to do hospitality as a subject. Through this course I was able to do work placement in a restaurant and a hotel, which I found to be a very good experience. Upon finishing school I was contacted and offered to start an apprenticeship though one of my work placements. From then I started to become more and more interested in cooking and decided that being a chef was the life for me.

#2 What’s your food philosophy?

My philosophy for food is keep it simple, choose seasonal produce, respect your produce and highlight the produce natural flavour.

#3 Who or what has inspired or influenced your food and dishes the most?

I have worked with many chefs over the years and have taken influence from all of them. But the thing that has influenced me the most with my approach to food has been my visits to Japan. To see and experience how food is ingrained in their culture was very eye opening for me when I was a young chef and every trip back I learn or experience new things.

#4 What do you usually have for breakfast in the morning?

On days that I work I have breakfast on the run. I make my self a smoothie with banana, Weetbix, chia, maca powder, raw cacoa, almonds and full cream milk. When I’m off I love a simple breakfast of fried eggs and bacon.

#5 Do you have a favourite dish at the Intercontinental Sydney? Why?

At the moment my favourite dish is one that I have been developing for the new 117 Dining menu. It is Korean Style Berkshire Pork Belly, Kim chi, Pear, Sake. It is my favourite because its a dish I have had in my mind for a long time and to finally put it on a plate, taste it and to fine tune it, is very satisfying. I can’t wait to un-leash it on our diners very soon!

Larry of Northside Seafood Supliers told me the octopus that’s on the 117 dining menu is the Western Australian Fremantle Octopus and with a diet that comprises an abundance of its favourite food – lobster, crab and scallop, no wonder its flesh is sweet and delicious. It has a rich flesh that has an almost lobster sweetness to it, and the smooth creamy texture is a result of the handling and harvest. This octopus dish was grilled by Chef Luke and garnished with pickled spring onion, red mullet botarga and smoked potato and lime.

Another seafood starter dish we tried at 117 dining was the Skull Island Prawns which are robata grilled with lemon, watercress and seaweed butter … a crowd pleaser. What’s special about Skull Island Prawns are they’re the biggest you can find in Australia, Larry from Northside Seafood told me and the protected waters of Skull Island (Island in the Northern Territory) provide the ideal habitat for giant tiger prawns. These juicy behemoths of the prawn underworld are truly king on the plate and I like what Chef Luke Fernley did with these prawns. The prawns are also certified ‘sustainable’ by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Another exquisite and delicious starter of Butter Poached WA Marron with surf clam, pickled seaweed, grilled leeks, Iberico jamon, shellfish sabayon.