Category Archives: Chefs

May 4, 2013 · 10:03 am

Inside story: Ben Shewry’s slow rise to success at Attica

Ben_Shewry_Attica

Chef Ben Shewry of Melbourne restaurant Attica. (Photo: Worlds 50 Best Restaurants sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna)

Three years ago Ben Shewry’s ambition for Attica, his restaurant in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea, was to not go broke. Now diners have to book five months in advance to get a table on a Saturday night. The phone has been ringing off the hook since the restaurant was catapulted 42 places up the culinary ladder that is “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list this week to become the highest new entrant at No. 21. Read the rest here.

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April 5, 2013 · 9:41 am

Sourdough secrets revealed

Bourke_Street_Bakery

Bourke Street Bakery, Marrickville

David McGuinness, co-founder of Bourke Street Bakery — which has a cult-like following of bread worshippers — has had his sourdough starter for about 12 years. It began life as a mixture of flour and water in a bucket on his kitchen bench. It took months of nurturing — regular feeding with more flour and water — until it had built up sufficient natural bacteria and yeast. It’s been alive and kicking ever since. McGuinness shares his secrets to baking good bread using a sourdough starter, rather than cultivated yeast.   Continue reading →

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March 21, 2013 · 11:05 am

From India: a cookbook worth coveting

From_India_Kumar_Mahadevan

With its beautiful blue, intricately designed, padded cover, From India: Food, Family & Tradition by Kumar and Suba Mahadevan is a cookbook worth coveting.

I’m a big fan of the Mahadevan’s work. We’ve visited their first restaurant, Abhi’s in the Sydney suburb of Concord, for a number of years. We’ve taken friends there, celebrated birthdays there, consumed festival banquets there, and it’s fair to say we’ve never been disappointed by a meal.  We’ve dined at its higher-end sibling, Aki’s, and I’ve ripped Kumar’s recipes out of newspapers, so it’s about time that they pulled their finger out and published a cookbook! Continue reading →

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January 22, 2013 · 9:50 pm

The Miele Guide 2013′s top 20 restaurants in Asia


  1. Robuchon au Dome, Macau, China
  2. Waku Ghin, Singapore
  3. L’Atelier HK, China
  4. Iggy’s, Singapore
  5. Mozaic, Bali, Indonesia Continue reading →

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· 9:46 pm

Tetsuya’s Waku Ghin debuts in list of top restaurants in Asia

Tetsuya_Wakuda_Waku_Ghin

Tetsuya Wakuda’s Waku Ghin, in Singapore, debuted at No 2 in the Miele Guide 2013.

Tetsuya Wakuda has proven what many Australians have known for a long time: he’s one of the best chefs in the Asia region.

Tetsuya’s Waku Ghinin Singapore debuted as the second best restaurant in Asia in the Miele Guide 2013, which was announced on Tuesday evening.

Robuchon au Dome in Macau improved three places from the previous 2011-12  ranking to take out the No.1 spot, and L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Hong Kong remained at No.3. Continue reading →

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