Matteo Pignatelli, Paul Carmichael, Anthony Bourdain and other movers in the kitchen world
High-end takeaway may well be the way forward for restaurants, according to Matteo Pignatelli, national president of Restaurant & Catering Australia.
The restaurateur told the first Restaurant Summit, held last weekend as part of the Noosa International Food and Wine Festival in Queensland, that a professionally packaged takeaway service in suburbs with large apartment developments could contribute to a restaurant’s profitability without eroding the brand. Pignatelli is leasing new kitchen premises opposite his Fitzroy restaurant Matteo’s for restaurant-quality takeaway, with a forthcoming app. “I need people to understand that it is premium product and that it will come from a separate kitchen,” Pignatelli said. “But yes, for me, I think this is definitely a way to expand, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who will be thinking along these lines.”
Anyone expecting a quick transition from Ben Greeno at Momofuku Seiobo to new guy Paul Carmichael will need patience. Carmichael has arrived in Sydney from New York but it’s a softly-softly approach to any evolution of the cuisine. “Paul will be making the transition to executive chef of Seiobo this winter,” says head office spokeswoman Rebecca Palkovics from the Big Apple, “and will work with the team to continue with Ben Greeno’s vision as he becomes acclimated (sic) to Sydney and Australian ingredients. As this is the case, Paul’s new menu will likely debut this winter or early spring.” Greeno has joined the Merivale empire; his new gig, at the Paddington Arms, is scheduled for a September opening.
Who will be cooking at Attica in Melbourne’s Ripponlea on July 9? And where will chef-patron Ben Shewry be? Well, nobody knows — yet, anyway. Shewry and Adelaide chef Jock Zonfrillo (“not really human, more force of nature”, according to the Orana restaurant website) are participating in a global event called the Grand Gelinaz Shuffle. It sees 37 “of the best chefs in the world” (source: Attica website) swapping lives and restaurants. Behind the plan is Italian writer and organiser Andrea Petrini, described by Time in 2013 as one of the world’s 13 “Gods of Food”.
Chef turned writer turned exceptionally colourful television star Anthony Bourdain has plans for a huge new food business in his home town New York, described as a “mega food hall”. Details of its whereabouts have broken: Pier 57, aka the SuperPier. Bourdain is reportedly in negotiations for a 9290sq m space on the pier, which is undergoing redevelopment. Bourdain Market supposedly will include a farmers market, oyster bar, rooftop beer garden, tapas bar and a bakery, as well as an array of international hawker-style food stalls.
Bill Cosby’s reputation is in tatters, but Melbourne’s Huxtable/Huxtaburger brand, led by chef Daniel Wilson, which takes its name from Cosby’s character Cliff Huxtable, is expanding. Wilson will open his fourth Huxtaburger outlet in Hawthorn, part of the redeveloped Lido centre, soon to be home to a new cinema complex.
Is the stellar young chef Julien Royer — a Frenchman in Singapore — leaving Jaan, undoubtedly one of Asia’s finest haute cuisine haunts? “No comment,” says Royer, familiar to many Australians via his visits to Noosa and Margaret River festivals. Our spies in the island state put money on a Royer stand-alone in Singapore by year’s end. Jaan was the launching pad for star chef Andre Chiang’s career and Singapore is where Sydney’s Quay head chef Sam Aisbett is heading to open his own place.
Carles Aymerich Pastalle has taken over the role of head sommelier at Perth’s Print Hall. He held the same position at El Celler de Can Roca, the Girona, Spain, restaurant ranked position two on the controversial but always-interesting World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The new man on St Georges Terrace may try to steer local mining magnates towards high-end Rioja instead of Barossa brand names. We can only hope.
Source : The Australian Jonathon Lethlean May 19th 2015
