Caviar bump trend slammed as “vulgar” by top Sydney chef
Caviar bumps are vulgar.
That’s the opinion of top Sydney chef Mark Best, the former fine-dining chef at Marque.
And he has a point.
“Licking salty imported fish eggs off the back of a hand that’s touched the same thing as 100 other people? No thanks.”
The caviar bump trend sees a spoonful of caviar eaten from the back of the hand and is generally followed by a shot of ice-cold vodka.
The trend gained traction at Mimi’s at Coogee and costs $40 a spoonful.
Best is not impressed.
“I spent an entire career trying to define what Australian cuisine was, pursing that cultural cringe and using what was in front of us rather than imported products,” he said.
“As a chef, I believe in an egalitarian approach. I should be able to go to a supermarket, buy a donkey carrot and apply my skill to elevate it so it could appear on a fine dining restaurant dish.
“Tins of caviar and wagyu steaks end up being about shopping. What differentiates you from the competition is about who has more money, there’s nothing about the craft and the art.
“Plus, your hand is a poor vehicle for food. You’ve just gotten out of an Uber, so essentially, you’re licking salty imported fish eggs off the back of a hand that’s touched the same thing as 100 other people. No thanks.”
Best said caviar was best served on a sourdough or buckwheat blini.
“It’s about the pop and salinity and integrity of the eggs. You don’t want hand cream or hair on the back of your hand to interfere with that.
“I love what David Chang did back at Momofuku at The Star. As a restaurant serving the black heart of gambling, he had to serve caviar but he downplayed it. He served it with chicken wings or potato chips, he was having a slight dig at everything by doing that. It was like wearing thongs with your Pucci pants.”
Best said restaurant owners shouldn’t rely on chasing food trends to attract customers.
“Staying ahead of a trend is exhausting. It’s easy to jump on a bandwagon, but even if you have first user advantage, you’re then on there with everyone else.
“The competitive cycle is too short. You have to try to stay apart from trends and find something that stands the test of time to run a business.”
Irit Jackson, 6th September 2022
