Adam Sanderson moves to the Deanery; Blumenthal rumoured for Perth
Melbourne laneways stayer the Deanery has shipped in Brit chef Adam Sanderson.
He has worked locally at Cutler & Co and wielded knives in the northern hemisphere in the company of big names including Gary Rhodes, Rene Redzepi and Heston Blumenthal. “He considers his food to be modern European,” says Deanery co-owner Glenn Fletcher of Sanderson, whose first menu reads well.
Put this in the file marked “rumours Crown will never respond to”. We hear Perth is the next city earmarked for a Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. The Melbourne outpost has been a critical smash, but we reckon staffing Dinner on the Western Front may be a big ask.
Sydney doctor and restaurateur Sam Prince (Mejico and Zambrero) has opened a third place, this time devoted to “a light, fresh, and coastal take on Indian classics”, we’re told. Indu, in the basement of heritage-listed 350 George Street, quietly pulled back the blinds last week with a central dosa kitchen in view of diners. Dishes include sesame smashed okra with cumin and burnt chilli salt, and smoked goat’s leg with zucchini ribbon raita and chilli bacon jam. Indian head chef Bimal Kumartrained with the Oberoi Hotels group in New Delhi before working with a resort in Goa followed by stints in Africa. He arrived here earlier in the year.
From the bizarre Christmas present department: a desktop hive for cultivating edible insects. Yes, for all those chefs championing insect protein, here’s the opportunity to grab a multi-tiered hive that produces edible mealworms. You’ll need to pledge $US499 ($695) on Kickstarter. livinfarms.com.
West Australian restaurateur and chef Russell Blaikie (Must Winebar, Highgate) has sold his Margaret River bistro Muster. New proprietor Glenn Smith, whose background is in pubs, plans to kill the brand and relaunch as a “whole new concept” — less a wine bar, more a bistro, with head chef Julian Mann staying on. Smith wasn’t prepared to share the new name with First Bite. Blaikie is back cooking at his evergreen Perth restaurant and relishing not having to commute between Margaret River and the city.
As the ramen movement expands and goes upmarket (to wit, the new Salaryman in Sydney), Adelaide has joined the throng with the brand new Ramen & Izakaya Himeji (hitherto simply Himeji) in Grote Street. The smart new restaurant is out of the Sushi Bar Genki and Genki Roll stable and is the second incarnation of Himeji; the original, in O’Connell Street, closed after landlord issues several years ago. Himeji offers eight varieties of ramen. It takes its name from Adelaide’s sister city in Japan, restaurant owner Shozo Ikeda’s home town.
Sommelier turned wine bar owner (Harry & Frankie, Port Melbourne) Tom Hoganis expanding. Hogan and his silent business partner have purchased Fitzroy’s historic Rose hotel. Taking possession this month, they’ll be “giving the old girl some love” and intend to “retain the soul and respect the history of the Rose”. Northsiders will enjoy the addition of a new Harry & Frankie Fitzroy upstairs. Plans are to open in mid to late February.
We all know chef David Thompson’s Thai food can be bloody hot, and cause a little chaos the next day. So it was amusing last week when, mid- speech at Thompson’s launch dinner of his Perth Long Chim, the fire alarm went off. Five minutes later, four big fireys turned up to inspect the premises. Yes, it was a false alarm. And yes, the restaurant is hot in every respect. It opens today.
A Michelin Guide for Australia? Step forward Heston Blumenthal. “I’ve been hassling the Michelin Guide to acknowledge Australia’s restaurants by publishing a red guide for the country for a couple of years,” the chef tells London’s The Daily Telegraph. “ ‘You’ve got to be in Australia,’ I’ve told them repeatedly. ‘Michelin is in America, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Kyoto. Australia has to be next.’ So when they get around to printing the Australian Michelin Guide, I’ll take a bit of the credit, please!”
Source: The Australian, John Lethlean, 1st December 2015
Originally published as: Adam Sanderson moves to the Deanery; Blumenthal rumoured for Perth
