Australian Gourmet Traveller – September 2019

B

illy Kwong wasn’t just a restaurant, it

represented the very best of Australian

cuisine. And in Kylie Kwong we have an

ambassador for what Australian dining

looks like. It looks like a third-generation Chinese-

Australian woman who came to marry Cantonese

food with skills picked up under some of the

country’s fi nest chefs. Who built a hole in a wall in

Surry Hills and watched it fl ourish before throwing it

all in and reopening in a big, beautiful space in Potts

Point. And who, after some provocation by a certain

Danish chef, switched gears, bringing the native

ingredients of this land into the fold on her menus

inawaythatfewlocalchefshave,evennow.

Makenomistake.Inbringingtogetherthefoodof

herheritagewiththefoodofhercountryKylieKwong

cameclosertoatrueAustraliancuisinethanmaybe

anyone,withfoodthatspokeofpeopleandplace

andstillmanagedtoremainunerringlydelicious.

Davidson’splumlendingsharpacidsweetnessto

deep-friedduck,forinstance,fingerlimegiving

poptowok-tossedyabbiesstickywithXOsauce.

Seeingtheoutpouringofa„ectionthat

accompaniedtheclosureofBillyKwongthisyear

remindedusthatarestaurantcanbemuchmore

thanaplacetohavedinner.Forher,itwasahub,

bringingtogethercollaborators,eachwithaninterest

inimprovingtheworldaroundthem.Beitfishermen,

growers,artists,preachers,beekeepersorbrewers,

Kwonghad,andhas,aneyeforspottingtheright

peopleandbringingthemintoherandourworld.

“Thewonderfulthingis,”shesays,“ascooks,as

chefs,andviathefoodweputonthetable,wecan

makesomanyoftheseconnectionsandhighlight

thesecommunityissuesinsuchabeautiful,delicious

way.Ithinkinthatrespect,we’reverylucky.”

Sheandusboth.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION

TO HOSPITALITY

Kylie Kwong

72 GOURMET TRAVELLER

PHOTOGRAPHY ANDREW FINLAYSON •BILLY KWONG–, JASON LOUCAS •MARY’S UNDERGROUND–, KRISTOFFER PAULSEN •LEANNE ALTMANN– & ALICIA TAYLOR •KYLIE KWONG–.