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ACC
goes to London & New York
New Asian Cuisine Scene Jan/Feb 98
"Food Glorious Food! " What a profound statement!
1997 was an exhausting year for me and all the kitchens that I ventured into,
around the globe. Work was hard and the social outings strenuous. Some of
you know who I am referring to! In my capacity as a consultant, I am fortunate
enough to be able to travel to many continents which feature so much variation
in food & beverage outlets, all giving credence to my opening statement,
however, a few destinations stand head and shoulders above the rest as new
culinary experiences.
During 1997, I experienced food and produce in its cooked and raw form on
my sojourns in Japan, seeing and experiencing first hand, how food service
and indeed retail produce can be packaged and presented. I rushed to sample
the spices of India, for the first time with my friends at the Oberoi group
of hotels, which I must say came as a pleasant surprise. But the most exciting
destinations of all, which left me astounded with the versatility, complexity,
quality and variety of the food was New York and London. These two great metropolises
have moved ahead in leaps and bounds since I first visited them some 20 years
ago.
In New York City, my good friend, Don Pintabona - Executive Chef at the famous
Tribeca Grill, introduced me to the delights of a city that is exploding with
culinary adventures. A few days work in the Big Apple included a dinner at
the James Beard Foundation as well as a lunch at Restaurant Porcelli &
Maloneys, these days in the kitchens broken by visits to some of "the
Big Apples" temples of good food.
One of these temples happened to be on Park Avenue, a restaurant called "Patria".
In this newly established eatery, Chef Douglas Rodrigez creates dynamic dishes
with food from the vast countries of Latin America - aptly marketed as "Nuevo
Latino" food. The complex flavors and presentations of this style of
eating is sweeping New York and I found it so inspiring. Doug is a man after
my own heart, he has a hard working passion for his food, good for a laugh
and never one to say "No" to a beer or several. Look out when he
starts traveling to Asia or the like for promotions!
David Bourke at the Park Avenue Café serves one of the most diverse
brunches I have experienced. Great tastes, innovative style and most of all
served in a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurants of the Myriad Group, headed
by Tribeca Grill and run by the jovial New York restaurateur Drew Nieporent,
feature cuisine's as far ranging as French dining in Le Montrachet to middle-eastern
at Layla, Japanese cuisine at Nobu and the newly opened New York City Wine
& Cigar and of course Don's eclectic melting pot of American and Asian
influences at Tribeca.
London is another destination that should be included on any culinary world
tour! Having experienced London back in 1980 working as a commis at the Savoy
Hotel and then traveling there again and staying as a guest at such hotels,
I found the contrasts are astounding.
The vibrant restaurant scene is being lead by people such as Terence Conran
who has opened up large seating eateries such as Quaglino's, Mezzo's and the
new Blue Bird Store in Chelsea which is run by a good mate, former Sydney
Chef Mike Moore. Within the Metropolitan Hotel on Park Lane, Drew Nieporent
has opened another Nobu which is his first outside the US. Vong's at the Berkeley
Hotel gives London a different taste of the Far East and try the cuisine of
the Berkeley Executive Chef, a new star on the London horizon - Chef Andrew
Turner. Alistair Little has kept food simplicity at its best and does it to
perfection at his eatery in Soho. Sally Clarke in Kensington is another one
to venture past The most encouraging thing about the London restaurant scene
is that a lot of the high profile chefs working in London are either Australian
by birth or have worked for long periods "downunder"! Food styles
and creativeness from home are becoming more and more world class.
Soon and in the not too distant future, the culinary world stage will be occupied
by the "wonders from downunder". Aussies really can cook !!
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