If you’daskedAustralian chefs 10 yearsago whatrestaurants wouldlooklikein
2020,veryfewof themwouldhaveguessed thatwe’dbesittingsixfeetfromeach
other,restricting bookingnumbersorbringingourmealshomeastakeawaydueto
a global pandemic. Here, eight Australian chefs share their vision of our food future.
ZEROWASTE
MelissaPalinkas
(YoungGeorgeandEthos
Deli&DiningRoom,Perth)
Alreadya championofmaking
themostofsupposed“waste”
byproductsinhercooking,
MelissaPalinkasfromFremantle’s
YoungGeorgeandthenewly
openedEthosDeli& DiningRoom
thinksthefoodofthefuturewill
followherlead.“In2029,I think
wasteandsecondary-cutcooking
willbeatitspeak,”shesays.
“Peoplewillbeunabletoafford
toeatprimarycutsofmeatin
a restaurant.Chefswillhaveto
becomeevenmoreinventivewith
wastetokeepfoodaffordable.”
Anexampleofthisdish,shesays,
willbechicken-skinboudinblanc,
carrot-peelrelishandpig-skin
tartarewithfennel-stalkcrackers.
“I’mlookingforwardtobeinga part
ofthefuturemovement,it’sgoing
tobeinteresting...orscary!”➤NITROGEN-BLASTEDKAPIRRI
(SANDGOANNA)COOKEDONGLASS
MADEFROMITSOWNDESERTSAND,
CHAPATISALADWITHCRYOGENIC
QUANDONGS,FERMENTEDCAMEL
ANDWINKARA(YAM)CHEESEAIR
JesseGerner(Bomba,Añada and
Nómada,Melbourne)
ThechefandrestaurateurfromBomba,
AñadaandNómadain Melbournepictures
a dystopianfuturein 2080 wherethe
capitalofAustraliais nowthetropical
beachcityofAliceSprings,thanksto
risingseasswallowingmostofthe
country’sexistingcoastalareas.“Meat
willbeveryrareandexpensiveandcamel
willbecomethecountry’straditional
cuisine,”hepredicts.Gernerimagines
a fictionalcheffroma restaurantcalled
HipHoverGardencreatingthisnative-
focuseddish.“Itwouldbevoted‘dish
oftheyear’bytheworld’soldestsocial
media conglomerate, InstaTwitFace.”FREETHESEA
JamesGreen
(NorthBondiFish,Sydney)
“Foodinrecenttimeshasbeenmoving
ina verypositivedirection,a returnback
tosimplerandproduce-drivendishesand
a greaterfocusonsustainability,”says
JamesGreen,headchefatNorthBondi
Fish.Greenseesthistrendcontinuing,
particularlywithseafoodcookery,withan
evenstrongeremphasisonlesser-known
speciescookedsimplywitha fewbright
andsimpleflavours,generousacidityfor
balanceandlocallyforagedseavegetables
andherbs.Thenameforhisdish,Freethe
Sea,suggestsanactthatwillhelpliberate
andremovesomeofthestrainfromthe
ocean by reducing waste and overfishing.SENSORYIMMERSION
FAIRYTALE
NellyRobinson(Nel,Sydney)
“WhenI thinkaboutthefuture
I seea dishthatengagesand
playsonallthesenses– a dish
thattakesyouonanactual
journey,”saysNellyRobinson
ofSydney’sprogressiveNel.
Alreadyfamousforhisfuturistic
Disney-inspireddinner,Robinson
seeshimselftakingfantasyfood
muchfurtherintheyearsto
come.“Maybeyougeta pill
orsomeothermediumthat
youeatorwearthattakesyou
ona super-realisticAIjourney,”
hesays.“Youeatthemealbut
technologyworkstolayerthat
withvision,sound,sensationand
smell.”Suddenly,Robinson’s
Disney-focusedOnceUpon
A Timedégustation,which
alreadyexistsinhisrestaurant
in a non-technologically-enhanced
form,takesona lifeofitsown.
“Maybeyou’rewithAlicein
Wonderlandsharingsomecake.
ThenyourunwithBambiand
Thumperastheyexplore.Andit’s
allenhancedwitha specialmeal
thatcomplementstheadventure.”TASMANIANLAB-GROWNBLUE-EYE
TREVALLA,SPAGHETTISQUASH
ANDGREENSAUCE
CraigWill(Stillwater, Launceston)
“Withdepletingwildseafoodstocks,
we’llbelookingtogrowproteininpetri
dishes,”predictsCraigWill,headchefof
Launceston’sStillwater.“Someproteinscan’t
befarmed– blue-eyetrevallabeingoneof
them– asit’sa deepwaterfish,”saysWill.
“I likesimpledisheswhichis whyI’veputit
herewithspaghettisquash,aneasily-grown
vegetable.It’stasty,looksgreatandthe
green sauce is open to interpretation.”GOURMET TRAVELLER 65