QUOTABLE QUOTES

Heard the following from 2 celebrity TV chefs, worth repeating here;

"I travel, I write, I eat and I am hungry for more!"  ....  Chef Anthony Bourdain
"How did you climb down from being a hero to zero so quickly?" .... Chef Gordon Ramsey

I cannot wait to emulate the 1st, and use the 2nd on someone when the opportunity arises.

PEDIGREES

Like martial arts, the culinary arts take pride in 'pedigrees'. I may be a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu but I know Escoffier is a different and some may even say better, pedigree, even though they both have French roots. I was also a student of Shaolin Kung Fu but pedigree in that space is even more complicated.

The vintage picture on the kitchen wall of Chef Donovan Cooke at home shows him as Head Chef at Harveys, with his Boss & Mentor Marco Pierre White, and his partner the Patissier. Marco, hailed as doyen of modern British cooking since the 80s has luminous names under his tutelage, such as, Shannon Bennett at Vue de Monde, Heston Blumenthal at Fat Duck and Gordon Ramsay, the celebrity TV chef we all love to hate, but keep tuning in anyway. Pedigree in a vocation like cooking, especially during one's formidable years as an apprentice or Commis, is a good thing. We need mentors and role models, ideally tough ones who is good at handing down discipline. The best way for any junior to learn about pedigree, and to grow under pedigree, is in this sort of a settimg. Donovan fits the mode, he came from pedigree at a young age, notably Marco Pierre White & Michel Roux, and he is doing what he can to pass it on. I am convinced his 'reputation for fierce bollockings' is a definitive trait he inherited from Marco who, by the way, still does it with full flair in his own TV show, Hell's Kitchen UK.

There you have it, Kitchen Pedigree!

MICROS

MICROS is the quintessential gadget in a commercial kichen. It is the central link, the common denomintaor that allows everyone on the team to 'talk to each other'. The key functions it deploys are (1) taking orders from the floor staff and immediately transmit to all units, from 'soup to nuts' as the expression goes and diners are labelled as Seat 1, Seat 2 etc Seat 0 means sharing a plate like side dishes of veggies (2) highlighting preferences like no garlic, no cream, light on spices (3) monitoring the duration between courses like calling in a second or main course. Throughout service the slips, or dockets rather, will simultaneously emerge from 6 different locations around the kitchen ie cold larder, hot appetizers, grill, seafood, veggies & pastas, desserts. There is even one in the basement prep room  in case anyone missed anything. The Micros may be extremely low-tech but it is the first equipment any one who aspires a cooking career must learn to use.

The Micros modus operandi reminds me of a symphony orchestra, as follows ....

* Donovan is the Conductor at the Pass, the Micros becomes his baton
* Head Chef is the Concert Master who has 6 pairs of eyes, one on each Section
* Section Leaders are like Principal players in strings, woodwinds, percussions etc
* Dockets are music scores, highlighting how each performance is to be played
* Diners are the audience who, of course, judges with their palate vs the auditory function

The Micrso is sacrosant and I get a distinct feeling the entire crew, from Donovan down (especially him as a matter of fact) is totally obssessed with it, probably from years of conditioning. Everytime it 'speaks', like a telex or ticker tape machine from yester years, those around it would jump, would eagerly grab the docket, and would instinctively act on the commands. A very Pavlovian behavior indeed, I was in awe just watching the process, it is meserizing!

BACK TO SHANNON

I must put this dish on the blog, it was the Piece de Resistance at Vue De Monde the other night. 3 delectable items on a classy plate : a perfecly cooked and presented marron with every part intact, a few paper thin slices of amazingly seasoned ox tonuge sandwiched in parmesan wafers and, lastly, beautifully flavored butter or was it mousse but regardless, a delicious silky spread on either the crayfish or the tongue. My taste buds were completely blown away as I languished on cloud 9 or at least close to it at 55F Rialto. A stroke of masterly genius, Chef!

DEMISE OF MAZE

While The Atlantic is basking in the midday sun, a competitor is biting its nails on the flip side. Just about 2 years ago the Maze, by Gordon Ramsay on the Crown Casino complex, was the talk-of-the-town and we were fortunate to be able to dine there. No surprises, classic Ramsay, but one of those fine dining experiences we marvelled at the table but could not quite remember the details quite soon afterwards. I heard the Maze has been bankrupt since August and is in the hands of receivers.  It will soon be rebranded, code for closing its doors and Ramsay no more. Sigh! Could it be the style of food, the service, the marketing or the combination of the 3 horses?  Shit happens ... it is not the first nor will it be the last time, a saying that probably applies to the restaurant business more frequently than others. Someone ought to write this up as it would make a good case study on branding & marketing for hospitality students, wouldn't it?

AAA @ ATLANTIC

Speaking of unsung heroes on the Atlantic team who collectively propelled her to her 'First Hat' in less than a year, there are 2 ladies aka 'the gorgeous marketing arm' who tirelessly drive what I call the AAA ie Atlantic Awareness Agenda. Sarah Seddon, on the right, and her associate Ruthie Hunt, deserve a round of applause. I am on Donovan's mailing list and have been very impressed by the barrage of strategic and skillfully directed interviews and articles before, during and after opening. Having witnessed the rise and fall of many eateries I am of the view that sustainable success is a 3-horse carriage. The soul of any restaurant must be the quality and style of food she produces, and like the military it must be under the commanding leadership of the Executive Chef. That alone will never work though, unless it is backed by a professional team on the floor who understands and practises every nuances of top end service. Lastly, and equally important, is an astute and innovative marketing programme. Watching it up close the past 2 weeks, this formula must be working at The Atlantic.

Well done .... 'Gorgeous Ladies'!

"TRADERNE" @ HARE & GRACE

Chef Raymond Capaldi told me he came across the words 'heir and grace' in a GQ magazine and immediately thought he could tweak them, hence Hare & Grace for his restaurant. A friend of Donovan's he spent a few years in Hong Kong as Executive Chef at the Intercontinental when The Plume (remember that) was at her peak. His menu, labelled "TRADERNE" ie combining Traditional & Modern, or simply the modern approach to traditional food, is innovative and extensive. He is not by any means into Molecular Gastronomy which Donovan wittily summarizes as 'Foam on Foam'. A prolific Food Blogger from St Kilda who only identifies himself as Neil expresses it even better ' .... mucking around with food to produce tastes and textures outside of our everyday notions of what food really is .... ' Need I say more?

I am sure it has something to do with Donovan making the booking, our Traderne menu was 18 coures! Some readers might still remember the 24-course challenge at the Derby with Donovan when it took 6 hours from 7pm to 1am. Chef Raymond's 18 were presented very matter-of-factly, but with star qualities on the menu, some even carry only a single word like Borage, Yabbie, Asparagus, Parsley etc but they were all creative, thoughtful, full of surprises and without any doubt they must all took hours to prepare.

Other than the Eaton Mess his Pork Belly, as shown, was another winner. Sandwiched by 2-layers of heavenly Black Pudding, the perfectly constructed tower was garnished with Acid Apple, Fake Cinnamon on a Crusty Coffee Sauce. Volia ... "Traderne" at its best!

HARE & GRACE Eatery and Minibar : 525 Collin Street Melbourne (61) 3 9629 6755

ETON MESS

This is, by far, one of the most unusual dishes I have tasted. It is the brainchild of the innovative Chef Raymond Capaldi at Hare & Grace in Melbourne. More on the restaurant later, let us return to this art piece .....

* passion fruit juice in gelatin form at the bottom sets the base flavor
* dollop of horseradish cream in the far left corner
* cuddling against it a perfectly shucked, pristine Pacific Oyster
* dainty pink wafers are crispy beet root meringue

Eton Mess is a time honored English dessert of strawberries, meringues and cream. Per Google 'it is traditionally served after the annual cricket game between Eaton College & Winchester College' ... bit aristocratic sounding there ... it has, since the 1930s, become a favorite of the Brits. It is one of Nigella Lawson's 'best summer treats'.

History aside, my point is, who would ever dream of (1) adding an oyster (2) using horseradish as cream (3) trading pink for pink ie beet roots for strawberries ... hence revolutionarizing a classic dessert into a creative appetizer? Chef Raymond did, and it is outstandig!

Eton Mess, do not forget, and for those who claim to know what it is I have news, it is not what you think it is ....... if you are in Melbourne , you owe it to yourself to try this one.

SHANNON MAGIC

The grandiose view from the 55F of the Rialto, one of the tallest if not indeed the tallest structure in downtown Melbourne on Collin Street, is commanding. This is where Chef Shannon Bennett delivers his magic, at Vue de Monde, the 2011 Restaurant of the Year. I met the legendary chef almost 6 years ago, via Donovan Cooke's introduction. My very first impression was the face of lead guitarists from leading rock bands in the 1960s who all looked pretty much alike. Complete with an incredible head of flowy, wiry hair and a full moustache his give-away was the chef's white, and the classic royal blue striped apron. Nothing has changed on this visit, as though time stood still, and there he was in his full glory. The only difference, Shannon is now at the top of his game, and world renowned.

We were never shown the menu, but rather a presentation at the table.  Our options were either 'Freedom' ie the Chef is free to decide what he wish to serve, like 'Omakase' at the counter of an up-market Japanese eatery, or, 'Choice' which the diner chooses from an a la carte menu.  I suspect most would let Shannon lead the way.  So .... it is 'Freedom OR Choice' and not 'Freedom OF Choice' .... quite clever, really.    

To any serious foodie the Vue de Monde experience is of Mecca proportions, and not to be missed. Instead of my usual plattitudes I shall leave it as a mystery, a mouth-watering one, for your next visit to Melbourne. Trust me, you will not regret it.

Vue De Monde at (61) 3 9691 3888 or www.vuedemonde.com.au

STAFF MEALS

'Chicken Parmgiana with Chips & Salad' ... a Melborune favorite, I was told. Verdict? A tad on the dry side, but tasty nonetheless probably from the slice of salty processed ham, and grated parmesan. BTW judging from the proliferation of potatoes consumed, in every incarnation one can imagine, the lion share of arable Aussie land must be used to grow this crop. Amazing! The Section Heads take turns to prepare these meals, which promised variety in cooking styles. We had an excellent meal of Teriyaki Chicken with Mushroom Sauce & Basmati Rice prepared by a young chef from Hong Kong last week, countered by a Meat Pie in a reheatable wrapper on Friday as no one had time to cook. Yuck!

To most on the team, this is the only chance for nourishment in the course of the day. You see, most do not get home until well after midnight, only to return shortly after 9am for preparatory work so sleep is more precious than food. Most would trade breakfast for 30 more minutes of snoozing. Lunch service starts at 11am, sometimes until 3pm since the clientale is almost exclusively holiday makers from Crown Casino. Well, no time for lunch as well, until 430pm when Staff Meal is served. The next time their stomach get any relief, aside from a large quantity of water during service, is 8-10 hours hence. I guess this is why the risk of intestinal problems in the profession. To say that I learned a lot from my 2-weeks here is an understatement. I am in the middle of a gold mine and the more I dig the more 'gold' I find. My leaning curve is steep and I am in my elements. I am so happy words cannot express it ....