What was your first industry job?
I was born into a hospitality family. Growing up my father owned restaurants, bars and nightclubs. As a teenager I would help work after school and on weekends in the bar and the kitchen at FOG restaurant, Melbourne.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
It’s hard to say, hospitality and kitchens is all I have ever done. Probably something to do with agriculture, environmental sciences/sustainability. If I was optimistic, I’d say a rockstar!
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
There are a lot of chefs and restaurateurs I admire. Many of whom I have never met. I have had some great chefs and friends along the journey. On a personal level I would mention Neil Campbell, my executive chef, he’s been a great mentor and helped support my journey, his food style, knowledge and curiosity to food I respect a lot.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Dirty unfolded tea towels!
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
That the chicken chop they ordered tasted like pork… they ordered a pork chop.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
I’m a rustic chef at heart, I love spice, richness and creating big bold flavours brought together by cooking on the fire.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Be curious, influences are all around us and we have to be open minded to them. That could be the places you travel, restaurants you go and eat at, the city you live in, your heritage, cookbooks. Remain a student to the game and be curious about food and food culture.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
Realistically a knife, but I do love a Maryse spatula.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
A chicken souvlaki with tzatziki and served with chips and sauce, paired with a Greek lager... heaven.
À la carte or tasting menu?
À la carte, for me is more approachable. I do love a tasting menu on the occasion.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
I was in Thailand and got invited by some locals for dinner. They drove a small boat out to a fish farm out on the water. The flavours were so fresh and vibrant the spice and heat was truly incredible. It was a huge spread of different varieties of seafood, vegetables, curries, chilli pastes.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
Five Guys or Morley’s.
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef Australia. However, my partner is obsessed with The Great British Bake Off.
What’s the most overrated food?
Truffle oil.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Energy drinks before midday.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Anthony Bourdain, Bob Marley, Jim Carrey and Erykah Badu.
What’s your earliest food memory?
While in Greece on the island my father is from, he picked a fig from a tree and told me to eat it! That was the start of the journey.
Twitter or Instagram?
Instagram.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
Choking on a chicken wing when I was a kid.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
Camping or somewhere in nature.
What’s your tipple of choice?
Negroni.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Yet to be discovered! My best selling dish was a grilled squid with Kashmiri chilli sambal, prawn aioli and grapefruit herbs salad. That ran for a year and was awesome.