Delicious Australia – (07)July 2019

wasin
LosAngelesearlierthisyear,hedidwhat
anyin-the-knowAustralianwoulddo.
HestoppedbyE.P.& L.P.,theWest
Hollywoodhotspotoperatedbyexpat
entrepreneursGrantSmillieandDavid
Combesand,untilrecently,helmedby
starchefLouisTikaram.delicious.was
theretocapturetheensuingfeast,a
synthesisofMediterraneanandAsian
flavours,thatunfoldedonthe rooftop
ofthisphotogeniceatery.
Forthepastfouryears,theformer
LongrainchefhascaptivatedAngelenos
withhissignaturepan-Asiancooking,
a pristineblendofChinese,Vietnamese
andFijianinfluencesthathehonedin
Sydney.A fewmonthsafterourphoto
shoot,Tikaramannouncedhisdeparture
fromtherestaurant,whichimbuedour
storywiththeairofa farewellpartyas he
plans his move back to Australia.

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“MovingtotheUStoopena restaurant

hasbeena dreamcometrue,”says

Tikaram.“ButI wanttotakesometime

tohelpmywifeJorjawiththebabyweare

expectingin July.”Headmitsparenthood

(theyhaveanotherdaughter,Maelle)has

impactedat-homeentertaining.“Nowit is

usuallya daytimebarbecuewhilethekids

play,”hesays.Anadults-onlyaffairmight

becateredwitha Fijiancurrywithroti.

AsforcollaboratingwithCalombaris,

whocontributeddishes,includinghis

popularlambsouva,Tikaramwasduly

impressed.“Wegotalongsowellin the

kitchenandit showedwehavethesame

passionfortopproduceandbigflavours.”

Tikaram,too,dreamsaboutpreparing

GreekandMiddleEasternfood,buthe

hasseldomfoundthetime.Maybe

Fijian-Greek fusion is the next big thing.