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T/C DIALOGUE
10:22:57:21 EXPLORING NEW FLAVOURS WITH NEW FRIENDS. JOHN
TORODE’S AUSTRALIA, BROUGHT TO YOU BY EMIRATES.
10:23:10:13 AFTER 20 YEARS OF LIVING AND WORKING IN THE
UK, I’VE FLOWN BACK HOME TO AUSTRALIA TO RECONNECT WITH MY CULINARY ROOTS.
10:23:18:02 I’M IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST CITY,
AND WHERE I LIVED AND WORKED AS A CHEF IN MY 20S.
10:23:23:16 IT WAS AN AMAZING TIME FOR ME BOTH IN AND
OUT OF THE KITCHEN.
10:23:27:13 I was working pretty hard but I had an extraordinary
lifestyle. I was eating every single night and soaking the whole thing up. The old adage
is you work hard, you play hard.
10:23:38:21 SYDNEY BACK THEN WAS A FUN PLACE TO BE AND
WHEN I WASN’T IN THE KITCHEN I WAS OUT ENJOYING THE NIGHTLIFE OF KINGS CROSS, WHICH WAS DEFINITELY
THE PLACE TO BE BACK THEN. 20 YEARS ON, THE SYDNEY BAR SCENE IS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE
INDEED! INSPIRED BY OLD SCHOOL SPEAKEASIES, THERE’S A GROWING TREND FOR COCKTAIL BARS
HIDDEN BEHIND A VERY DIFFERENT FRONT.
10:23:59:21 THE BARBER SHOP IS ONE OF THE NEWEST BARS
ON THE BLOCK. HERE, YOU CAN GET AN OLD-FASHIONED HOT TOWEL SHAVE…
10:24:05:19 You’re not Sweeney Todd, are you?
10:24:07:01 No, Sir, I’m definitely not Sweeney Todd.
I’m Ron.
10:24:10:13 …THEN ENJOY A MARTINI IN THE BAR.
10:24:14:06 SO IT’S BUSINESS OUT THE FRONT AND PARTY
OUT THE BACK.
10:25:13:13 AS WELL AS ITS COOL COCKTAIL SCENE, SYDNEY
IS FAMOUS FOR ITS BRUNCH CULTURE, WHICH IS JUST THE THING TO SORT YOU OUT AFTER A COUPLE
OF DRINKS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE. AND I’M NOT JUST TALKING BACON AND EGGS. HERE IN SYDNEY
THEY TAKE THEIR BRUNCH VERY SERIOUSLY AND THERE’S ALWAYS A CHEEKY TWIST. WHENEVER
I’M IN TOWN, I KNOW JUST THE PERSON TO LOOK UP FOR MY BRUNCH FIX, MY BUDDY MIKE MCENEARNEY.
10:25:35:22 Me and Mike go way back. We worked together
in London during the late 1990s. We played hard, we worked hard, we cooked some amazing
food, and so good was our relationship I became the Best Man at his wedding. Now, after I
see my dad when I get to Sydney, the next person I look up is Mike, because he does
a great brunch.
10:25:56:15 HAVING SPENT 20 YEARS COOKING IN SOME OF THE
WORLD’S TOP RESTAURANTS, MIKE DECIDED TO HANG UP HIS CHEF’S WHITES AND SET UP THE
CANTEEN-STYLE KITCHEN BY MIKE IN A WAREHOUSE SPACE IN ROSEBERY, SOUTH EAST OF SYDNEY CENTRE.
10:15:28:13 SYDNEY’S DIVERSE ASIAN FOOD CULTURE WAS
ALWAYS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION WHEN I WAS WORKING HERE AS A YOUNG CHEF. THERE
WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING TO EAT BUT IT WAS ALSO AN EXCITING TIME FOR ME CAREER
WISE.
10:15:40:16 I got my first executive chef’s job here
and at that stage, the 1980s, fine dining revolution was happening, it was in full swing.
10:15:49:02 AND IT’S NOT STOPPED SINCE. WITH SYDNEY
RESTAURANTS BEING AWARDED MORE CHEFS’ HATS, AUSTRALIAN’S EQUIVALENT TO A MICHELIN STAR,
THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY. ONE CHEF WHO HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF SYDNEY’S
FINE DINING SCENE FOR MANY YEARS IS PETER GILMORE, A BORN AND BRED SYDNEY-SIDER, PETER
IS EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE THREE CHEF HAT RESTAURANT, QUAY, OVERLOOKING SYDNEY HARBOUR.
10:16:14:19 Ok guys, first order’s in, it’s John’s
order. Let’s have one chicken, one congee, one jal please.
10:16:19:24 Yes chef.
10:16:21:09 A KEEN GARDENER, PETER WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
CHEFS IN AUSTRALIA TO USE HEIRLOOM VEGETABLES AS WELL AS OTHER EXCITING PLANTS AND EDIBLE
FLOWERS.
10:16:30:01 You can see your classically trained, you
can see it by the dexterity and by the precision. But what are the influences?
10:16:36:14 I grew up eating Chinese and Japanese food
as well as Italian and French and, you know, Australia being so multicultural but our region
of the world is really Asia and it’s quite original, I don’t think you could have these
dishes in Asia or Europe, they’re quite uniquely Australian in a lot of ways.
10:16:52:03 THE TERM MODERN AUSTRALIAN WAS FIRST COINED
IN THE MID 1990’S TO DESCRIBE THE UNIQUENESS OF AUSTRALIA’S CUISINE AND THE INFLUENCES
IT TAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND, IN PARTICULAR, ASIA.
10:34:15:17 Growing up in Australia, of course you have
loads of barbecues, proper barbecues, family barbecues, where everybody gets together.
And I was fortune enough to have Auntie Mary and Uncle Alex and Uncle Alex taught me how
to use the barbie properly.
10:34:27:18 UNCLE ALEX, OR AXEL AS WE USED TO CALL HIM,
IS THE BARBECUE KING, AUNTIE MARY’S ZUCCHINI SLICE IS STILL THE STUFF OF LEGEND, BUT TODAY
I’D LIKE TO DO SOME COOKING FOR THEM.
10:34:37:06 So I’m here at my brother’s house, and
I’ve got my Esky, I’ve got some food, got some beer, and it’s time to cook.
10:38:25:00 THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD MEAT PIE TO
TAKE ME RIGHT BACK TO BEING A KID IN OZ. ANOTHER GREAT AUSSIE INSTITUTION ARE THE NIPPERS,
A SURF LIFESAVING GROUP FOR FIVE TO 13 YEAR OLDS. THEY’RE THE AUSSIE EQUIVALENT TO THE
GIRL GUIDES OR SCOUTS BUT THERE’S NO CAMPING OUT IN MUDDY FIELDS FOR THESE KIDS. I’M
HEADING BACK TO THE BEACH TO FIND OUT WHAT BEING A NIPPER IS ALL ABOUT.
10:39:59:14 THESE ARE NIPPERS WITH ATTITUDE AND I’VE
GOT TO SAY I DON’T FANCY MY CHANCES AGAINST THEM.
10:40:05:22 Down, go!
10:40:07:13 Ah!
10:40:17:22 AUSSIES ARE PRETTY SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR SPORT
BUT THERE’S ONE THING THEY ARE MORE SERIOUS ABOUT AND THAT’S WINNING. I’D NEVER LIVE
IT DOWN IF I DIDN’T MANAGE TO GET THE FLAG.
10:40:25:21 I’m an Aussie after all.