Urban Walkabout.
A boutique publisher of curated city guides and cross-platform digital content.
As digital content producer I wrote and commissioned daily articles, with a focus on food, fashion and lifestyle.
What Do Melbourne’s Top Chefs Really Eat At Home?
We thought we’d ask some of Melbourne’s top chefs exactly what they chow down on after a long day. Because who doesn’t love a bit of a sticky beak? Once the knives are safely stowed away and the dirty chef whites are tossed into the laundry, do Melbourne’s favourite chefs whip out the pots and pans at home, or order up a bit of greasy takeaway? Some of the answers might surprise you.
Charles Woodward - The Roving Marrow, Melbourne
British chef Charles Woodward, ex-Lakehouse Restaurant in Daylesford and recently appointed head chef at The Roving Marrow in Carlton is all about keeping his comfort food simple, yet balanced. Can we get in on some of that fried chicken?
“After a long shift? Cheese and ham sandwiches on dirty white bread! As for my partner Soph, her favourite is fried chicken tenders with homemade gravy and home made sweet potato chips. But if I’ve got a day off, I like to cook up some superfood porridge, using oats, almond milk, chia seeds, cocoa powder, dessicated coconut, blueberries and pomegranate - my dad used to make it at home when we were little.”
Shane Delia - Maha, Biggie Smalls, Melbourne
Award-winning chef and restaurateur, Shane Delia is no stranger to wonderful, worldly cuisine. When he’s not cooking up a storm at his popular Middle Eastern restaurant, Maha, or chowing down on a kebab from his own joint, Biggie Smalls, you’ll find Shane indulging in, well, a little bit of everything.
“For me, comfort food means a big bowl of phở - you can’t find better than Phở Nom. It’s some of the best I’ve ever tasted. After a big night at Maha you can find me and the crew down at Leonard's House of Love for a killer cheese burger and a few beers. Or, if we get out early enough we belt up the road to Honcho and let Adam Liston do his thing. When I've got a little more time on my hands and Maha (my wife, not the restaurant) gets on my back about getting in the kitchen to do some cooking at home, I like to cook a big pot of beef shin and mushroom ragu with hand made pappardelle, loads of crusty bread, a few bottles of red, and a coffee and Golden Gaytime-injected doughnut from the Ascot Food Store for dessert.”
George Calombaris - The Press Club, Hellenic Republic, Hellenic Hotel, Jimmy Grant’s, Melbourne
Aussie chef, restaurateur and all-round famous foodie, George Calombaris is one of the busiest cooks in the biz. His fine dining palate is definitely on point, but when it comes to homely comfort food, George is a fan of fresh, fast and tasty. And one old-school Aussie pizza favourite.
“I’d have to say my go-to comfort food is a simple ham and pineapple pizza. But at home I’m loving pickled cucumbers with fresh tzatziki. It’s simple and easy to whip up, especially the tzatziki – just combine fresh natural yoghurt with garlic, EVOO and cucumber.”
Teage Ezard - Ezard, Gingerboy, Melbourne; ezard @ Levantine Hill, Healesville; BLACK by ezard, Sydney
When it comes to comfort food, award-winning top chef and multiple restaurant-owner Teage Ezard is all about fresh, seasonal produce and simple, tasty fare. Though we reckon his version of lamb and veg is anything but ordinary.
“My go-to comfort food is, without question, double-crumbed lamb cutlets with a steamed vegetable accompaniment. I always make this at home from scratch, using crumbs made from sourdough by Baker D Chirico. Seasonal freshness is key throughout all of my restaurants, as well as my home cooking, so I make a point to use herbs straight from the garden along with a pinch of salt in the crumb mixture.”
Stefano di Pieri - Stefano’s Restaurant, Mildura
“Most chefs and cooks, like myself, spend most of their time in the kitchen at their restaurants rather than the kitchens in their own homes. I hardly ever have any food in my own fridge, however, there are a few ingredients that always seem to be available, including extra virgin olive oil, pasta, chilli, parmesan and garlic. I have a friend named Nick Diamantopoulis, (Australia’s largest garlic grower) who gives me a box of garlic a week, and I'll always take a few bulbs home with me.”
Sounds like the makings of a pasta aglio e olio (garlic and oil) to us! Stefano’s simple but flavour-packed recipe is super easy to recreate at home. Just pour some almost-smoking hot olive oil over a handful of chopped garlic, fresh chilli and a couple of tinned anchovies (optional); allow to infuse (doing it this way avoids burning the garlic); cook some spaghetti al dente; toss everything together and finish with a generous amount of fresh parsley and grated parmesan. Or, as Stefano suggests, golden fried bread crumbs - the ‘poor man’s parmesan’. Quickest, tastiest dinner ever.
Paul Wilson, Wilson & Merchant, Melbourne
British chef Paul Wilson is all about utilising the very best in local, seasonal produce - he’s opening his flagship restaurant, Wilson & Merchant inside the Prahran Market later this year. But his late night, Mexican-inspired foodie indulgence is what really piqued our interest.
“After work I’ll whip up tacos or quesadillas with Nixtamal tortillas from La Tortilleria (look out for this brand - they have a great shelf life and the real flavour of Mexico due to the unique fermented corn dough preparation). I’ll make my famous Taqueria salsa, using overripe avocados, roasted tomatillos, garlic, lime and coriander. I make this salsa once a month, and it’s always on standby. It’s great with bacon, left over chicken and avocado, or in a quesadilla with prosciutto, sliced provolone and pickled jalapeños, cooked on the sandwich press.”
Play On: The Rise Of The Portable Party
Melbourne’s nightlife has taken a bit of a beating lately. This year we bid farewell to popular, albeit tacky celebrity hotspot Eve nightclub, and are bracing ourselves for the impending closure of beloved underground music venue (and possibly sweatiest basement in Melbourne) The Mercat next February.
But there’s something brewing behind the scenes. Think mini music festivals, underground gigs and back alley bashes held in intimate venues, boasting top quality sound and beats provided by some of Melbourne’s best music makers.
We’re talking meticulously organised, independent parties promoting diversity, accessibility and some serious music culture. Our nightclubs may be closing, but people in the know are taking the party into their own hands. And it’s no surprise that big name acts are following suit.
One of the most anticipated underground gigs happening this season is Play On, a brand new event that pairs sets from some of Melbourne's best classical musicians with the city's favourite electronic artists.
Running every Friday night throughout November, the self-described “musical power-clash” has attracted the cream of Melbourne’s musical crop – think DJs Edd Fisher and Canadian-born Jennifer Loveless, plus some of the freshest classical quartets and collectives going around.
Friends Lydia Dobbin and Tom Dreyfus founded Play On earlier this year in a move to promote accessibility and encourage diversity within the traditional confines of classical and electronic music genres.
“We both love classical music, and we wanted to create these new nights that would showcase some of Melbourne’s most incredible classical and electronic artists side by side in an unconventional setting”, says Lydia.
Just three weeks in the series has already received wide acclaim; the first two shows were a sellout success. The pair is already planning their next event for March 2017, and in the midst of talks with a number of exciting international acts.
With serious homebuilt sound provided by Melbourne-based Sole Burners Sound System, portable events like Play On appear to be the future of Melbourne’s underground music scene.
Daimon Ewart, who runs Sole Burners with friend Max Jardine, is a big believer in quality audio, and says that homebuilt sound systems can be “both high performance and bang for your buck”.
“The idea to build our own sound system was a bit of a statement. A few bars and clubs were suffering from underwhelming sound, so we figured the best way to fix that was to build our own quality sound system.
“The reality is, when you're playing prerecorded music, the only things that matter are track selection and sound quality. The more people running serious sound, the better the dancing is for everyone.”
A collaboration like Play On was a dream come true for the pair, who have provided sound for a number of reputable Melbourne crews, including Animals Dancing and Shady Cottage.
“Being audio nerds, we were really excited about working with the contrasting sounds; the totally un-amplified, incredibly complex and dynamic sounds of classical instruments against our high-powered sound system.”
Thanks to the initiative of events like Play On, as well as bigger events like Melbourne Music Week and White Night embracing unusual and unconventional locations, councils are increasingly open to unlocking urban spaces for music.
“Melbourne's underground music scene is strong for many reasons, and to their credit, the many metropolitan councils do support live music and events”, says Daimon. “Great clubs come and go, but people will always want to organise and attend events that are free from the inherent restrictions of a licensed venue.”
Amen to that.