THE ATLANTIC

Located on the Esplanande of the Crown Casino complex in Melbourne The Atlantic has been the 'Talk-of-the-Town' since its opening last year. It is the largest restaurant on the strip and has a wonderful set up of main dining, tasteful private rooms, oyster bar, and in the basement a cool and exclusive hideaway for parties. On the food front Chef Donovan Cooke's return to his second home, Melbourne, where he was Chef of the Year twice before his shourn at the Derby in Hong Kong, has created quite a stir. His name, along with the restaurant, have splattered the life style and eating pages of the media. Built for 300-cover, code for maximum number of guests in restaurant lingo, it is an ambitious project not only for Melbourne but the Aussie food scene in general.

My 2011 plan was to attend cooking school in Barcelona, to learn the art of Tapas but due to scheduling and language (almost exclusively taught in Spanish) hiccups it did not happen. Out of the blue this unique opportunity emerged ie spend 2-weeks with my Mentor to see how he tames this 'beast'. It took me 1-second to say yes, only fools would refuse. The in-vitro experience, seeing how things work and of course not work, up close, in real time is, something a commis like me ... lowest life in a profesional kitchen ... can only dream of. Donovan is not just the professional who wears the hat of my Mentor who taught me cooking, he inspired me to the extent I started my schooling plans. It is karma for us to meet and to become close friends. Cooking is only a set of skills but to pursue one's passion, to live one's dreams, to appreciate the hardships in climbing the culinary ladder, to respect those who are climbing it, and most importantly, to understand humble beginnings and of course, stay humble .... the list is long and Donovan taught me a lot across the board. He is no doubt 'daman' who changed me. My retirement life is at its fullest, even fuller than my work life I dare say, in no small part because of Donovan Cooke. Thank you Chef!