Australian Gourmet Traveller – September 2019

PhilWood,theacclaimedchefbehindPtLeoEstateintheMorningtonPeninsula,

servesDutchcarrotsoufflé,beetrootpancakesandprawn-butterpastaatMelbourne’s

GourmetInstituteeventon 25 September.harveynorman.com.au/gourmet-institute

Redzepi’sceleriacshawarma

(theshowpieceofNoma’s

PlantKingdommenulast

year)recentlyre-appearedin

tacoformatCopenhagen’s

HijadeSanchez.Locally,

AdamListonhasopened

JoyBirdinAdelaide(seeour

featureonp114),a tributeto

theneighbourhoodchicken

shopfeaturingcharsiu

chickensstackedandcooked

Shawarma.Gyros.Souva.

Kebabs.They’rethego-to

foodforanyonelookingfor

hangover-soothingsustenance

andthesespit-roasted-meat-

plus-breadmealshavealso

beeninspiringtopchefs.

DavidChanghasadded

gochujang-spicedpork

shoulderandyakitori-glazed

chickenonspitsatBangBar

inNewYork,whileRené

ona verticalspit,while

Smith&Daughters’

ShannonMartinezgrilled

80 kilogramsofvegansouva

forMelbourne’sLaneway

FestivalinFebruary– and

repeatedthefeatona smaller

scaleatSydney’sCookFor

SyriaeventinAugust.

MatLindsay(Ester)

andRussellBeard(Reuben

Hills)andcontinuethetrend

with Shwarmama, a 10-seat

takeaway shop opening near

Sydney’s Paramount House.

Lindsay says he’s been busy

“nailing the spice mix” for

the lamb shawarma and

riffing on a halal snack

pack. Fried-to-order falafel

rolls and sabich (an Israeli

breakfast kebab stuffed

with eggplant) round out

Shwarmama’s short menu.

The drinks list is just as tight:

expect red and white natural

wines, tap beer, soda and

a coffee roast that suits the

MiddleEasternflavours.

Sowhat’sdrawing

chefstotheserôtisserie-

spinningexperiments?

Well,there’sthecreative

challenge:it tookfourchefs

eachdaytomakeRedzepi’s

celeriacshawarma,andeach

vegansouva,marinatedin

red-pepperpasteandspices,

wasa four-hourjobfor

Martinez,butthere’salso

thesimplicityoftheformat.

“Therearenotmanypeople

whodon’tlovesomething

roastedwrappedinsoft

fluffybread,”saysLindsay.

Shwarmama,Shop2,

106-112CommonwealthSt,

SurryHills,is dueto openin

September.

From left: JoyBird’s

Adam Liston

roasting chicken;

Shwarmama's

Mat Lindsay.

Grillers in the midst

Mat Lindsay and Adam Liston join a wave of chefs

who are turning to the spit-roast for ideas.

22 GOURMET TRAVELLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY ‚MAT LINDSAY…, GEOFF GODDARD ‚

AUSTRALIAN ART DECO HOTELS

…,

MARK ROPER ‚JOYBIRD… & GETTY IMAGES ‚CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE & GARDENS….