Bambu opens in Canterbury
Bambu, a modern Asian eatery, has opened in the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL, located on a corner of Canterbury Road, usually associated with schnitzel and McDonalds.
It’s all part of a trend, says chef Freddie Salim.
“The market is shifting. The club knows it has to do something or it’ll be left behind,” Salim told Broadsheet.
“If you want to have really good Vietnamese food, you go to Marrickville. If you want to have dumplings, you go to Ashfield.
“In Canterbury I want to create a little bit of everything in one place.”
As for the location, he says, it’s just fine.
“I never dreamed I’d work at an RSL, but it’s been such a luxury,” Salim told Broadsheet. “We have this beautiful fit-out, I got to hand-pick my team and suppliers. It’s making my dreams come true.”
Salim has come out of Sydney’s most well-known Asian eateries, such as Sokyo and Longrain.
But nu Bambu, he says, will be different drawing its inspiration from right across Asia.
For example, there will be the Thai salmon ceviche made with lean salmon topped with thick coconut shavings, coriander, mint and red nam jim. The flavour will be spicy, sour, sweet and pungent.
Then there are the scallops served with meaty shitake and king mushrooms cooked with Salim’s master stock.
“We never throw it away,” Salim told Broadsheet. “We keep it rolling and refresh it with Chinese cooking wine, ginger and shallots, so it just gets better and better.”
But Salim is a dab hand at producing flavours from other parts of Asia.
With all that time spent working at Longrain, Salim became skilled at curry-making.
His vegetable green curry, with chunks of roasted pumpkin and cauliflower cooked in a spicy sauce best tempered with the white-pepper-laden special fried rice, is a case in point.
He says many of his dishes are inspired by his mother who ran a catering business from their family homes. She’s the one who inspired his cooking.
by Leon Gettler, February 14th 2017.
