GOURMET TRAVELLER 77PETER DOYLE PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF MERIVALE.PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY (JORDAN TOFT) & ANDREW FINLAYSON (JOSH NILAND)
rockfish soup and light salads featured the greater
variety of vegetables and seafood available, and
more evolved desserts using fresh fruit, ice-creams
and sorbets were the new benchmarks.Le Trianon was all aboutattaining the fine-dining
restaurant chefs of that era aspired to. We
redesigned the dining room in a formal style to
match the building. We’d been on the right path
at Reflections, but opened Le Trianon in the
city a few months before the 1987 stock-market
crash. Before long, we were surrounded by the
first wave of bistros that ushered in the more
casual approach to dining we have today. We’d
missed the era of formal restaurants. We carried
on evolving the menu and introduced dishes like
the prawn ravioli, and soufflés became a staple.Cicada, on the other hand, was a return to a more
relaxed attitude to dining with fine food.It was
fun; “it felt like a party every night,” as one
customer put it. The edgy Luigi Rosselli design
was light and bright, and we had a vibrant crew
of young professional waiters with personality, including our
eldest daughter, Renee, who engaged the customers. The cuisine
was very influenced by the Mediterranean, with a focus on fresh
flavours and solid technique. It spoke of the time.At Celsius we wanted tohave a tight business centred on
providing excellent food. We had a four- or five-course prix
fixe menu of fine cuisine featuring great produce and a great
wine list.And at Est it’s always been about the restaurant as an entity.The
Merivale group is very customer-focused, and Est is a beautiful
room. We improved the kitchen layout and introduced systems
to allow the restaurant to flow. Beverley fine-tuned the service to
provide a professional, informed and friendly approach.Every time you open a restaurant is tough.The first time you apply
for a development application or a liquor licence, the first time
you borrow credit, and the first time you design a kitchen and
dining room are all scary. You become better educated with
practice but I’m not sure it becomes easier.I don’t know if you’re ever completely finished with a dish,but the
dishes I’m happiest with are often the ones that seem timeless.
The prawn ravioli, the Murray cod and abalone, and the squab
consommé are all dishes that transcend eras and trends and
prove that good, clean-tasting food never goes out of style.If I’ve instilled anything in the people that have worked for me,I
hope that it’s provided a solid basis for their careers. I know they
leave better skilled than when they arrived and hopefully they use
that and progress. They’ve learnt important skills, especially
attention to detail, focus, working at speed and, hopefully, that
good manners are an asset. I’ll consider this next chapter of my
career a success if I can pass on my knowledge and create a relaxed
environment for students to learn and progress in the industry.If I could give the young Peter Doyle some advice,it would be
to remember that running a successful business is as important
a craft as cooking itself. You need to learn that you must be able
to work on the business, not just in the business – and don’t
overcapitalise. But, ultimately, you must believe in yourself.●JOSH NILAND,Saint Peter, Sydney
One frantic Friday lunch service we saw a
docket come through for a table of four: all
the normal Est dishes and sides – but one
customer had ordered a cheese omelette.
Peter leapt of the pass calling for eggs and
cheese. To watch a true master handle two
humble ingredients with such vigour and
enthusiasm was not only inspiring, but also
summed up Peter as a chef. The three
words that always come to mind when
describing Peter Doyle are restraint,
generosity, and, above all, humility.JORDAN TOFT,Bert’s, Sydney
Peter taught me that it’s the little things that
count – the steps decide the outcome, and
the knowledge and understanding of what
you’re doing ultimately produces the goods.
“Keep your grill clean,” he’d say; even if
the guest would never know the diference,
you’d know – and knowing the diference
made you a particular kind of chef. Not
that he’d explain this to you in so many
words; it was for you to discover.KARL FIRLA,Oscillate Wildly, Sydney
Working at Est, I always had a great deal
of admiration for Peter’s constant presence
in a busy kitchen, driving a powerful team
of chefs – most of them half his age – and
still maintaining relevance in the industry.
He was a master of the fundamentals of
his craft, committed to educating his staf,
and proving that it doesn’t have to be
about smoke and mirrors.Working with Peter Doyle: his protégés speak