About Me
I'm a Melbourne boy, hailing from St Kilda with one ex, one current wife and four kids. Love the outdoors and making new discoveries. I cook a lot at home (cheers from wife) and do some preserving, mostly jams, pickles and fruit liqueurs. This is the diary of a cooking journey.

My Complete Profile

Recent Posts
Baked Eggs with Truffles
Truffled Celeriac Puree
Morel & Truffle Sauce
Stocktaking
A Truffle Dinner
The Apple & McDonalds
Truffle Sauce
Truffle & Nettle Soup
Nettle & Porcini Risotto
Blast From The Past

Links
1001 Dinners 1001 Nights
A Few of My Favourite Things
Abstract Gourmet
Apellation Australia
Becks and Posh
BurgerMary ATX
Cook (almost) Anything at least once
Cooking Down Under
Cook sister!
Cooked And Bottled In Brunswick
David Lebovitz
Deep Dish Dreams
Chef Paz
Chubby Hubby
Eating Melbourne
Eating With Jack
essjay eats
Food Lover's Journey
Gosstronomy
Grab Your Fork
I Am Obsessed With Food
I Eat Therefore I Am
Iron Chef Shellie
Just Desserts
Kalyn's Kitchen
Kitchen Wench
Lobstersquad
Matt Bites
Melbourne Gastronome
My Kitchen in Half Cups
Nola Cuisine
Not Quite Nigella
Nourish Me
Seriously Good
Souvlaki For The Soul
Stone Soup
Sunnybrae
Syrup and Tang
Steve Don't Eat It!
That Jess Ho
The Elegant Sufficiency
The Perfect Pantry
The View From My Porch
Thyme for Cooking
Tomato
Tumeric & Saffron
tummy rumbles
What I Cooked Last Night
where's the beef
WhiteTrashBBQ
Vicious Ange

Food Blog Resources
Food Blog S'cool
I Eat I Drink I Work
Kiplog Food Links

Food for Thought
Autism Victoria
Autism Vox
forget me now
Lotus Martinis
MOM - Not Otherwise Specified
St Kilda Today

Monday, August 04, 2008
Shannon Bennett


Elliot from 1001 Dinners 1001 Nights and I were ushered into the kitchen, the bustling hub of Vue de Monde and seated at a smallish table, just by a huge stock cooker that contained the gently simmering carcasses and trimmings of chicken. We had been granted an interview with arguably Australia's best chef, Shannon Bennett and I did come to wonder, given his well known antipathy towards some food critics, if perhaps a few of them might not be floating there.

The kitchen itself was humming along in pre-lunch mode, with all the chefs going about their work with quiet efficiency, there was no shouting or any sign of aggravation, everyone was dedicated to getting the coming job done.

When Bennett arrived a few minutes later, he somehow seemed smaller that imagined, his good looking face set off by long wavy hair and sparkling eyes that glowed with an inner determination. He carried himself with an easy confidence without any hint of the arrogance and hubris that besets some chefs.

It was a remarkably open interview, with Bennett happy to talk forthrightly about any topic. Something that became obvious during the course of the interview was that he cares very much for all the people around him, not just family and friends, but also his staff and takes very seriously his role as a mentor to kids that have got themselves into trouble, not in a way to draw publicity to himself, like a Jamie Oliver, but to promote the organization he volunteers for.


Do you have a favourite dish of your creation?

It’s hard to nominate any one dish as they are always changing and evolving, but one that comes to mind is our liquid cep gnocchi, made by cooking then pureeing ceps (porcinis), adding some sodium algaenate, then placing the mixture in a foam gun and piping that into a water bath containing calcium chloride. It then becomes a liquid centered, intensely flavoured jelly - true to the taste of earthy mushrooms, but created in a completely new way.

What is your favourite ethnic cuisine?

It changes all the time, at the moment Ethiopian is one that I like, but I also have a soft spot for Moroccan cuisine, especially tagines, as I spent some time there.

Is there any one person who has had a big influence on your cooking?

Marco Pierre White is the first to come to mind, but I can't leave out John Burton Race either. Their discipline in their approach to food left a large impression on me, even though they both have a very, let's say, unique attitude. Discipline is very important in food.

When you have the time to relax, what do you like to do?

Play with the kids and have time with my family, watching DVDs is good too. I don’t mind plane travel because there are no mobile phones, it's a little bit of peace. Sunday is my day off and that's when I can catch up with my friends, but I don't like to socialize every Sunday as it is my only time to relax, so I end up seeing my friends maybe two or three times a year.

Some think you have resurrected fine dining in Melbourne, do you feel that?

To a certain extent. In Vue de Monde, the front of house is very important, creating a good atmosphere is crucial and part of that is having quality cutlery, stemware and the like. But more than having all the best accoutrements, what sets us apart is our ability to treat guests as guests. What I’ve noticed, is that in Sydney for instance, their approach to service is behind that in Melbourne, though their food is just as good.

Do you sense any new directions in the Melbourne restaurant scene?

There seems to be a greater casualness. Behind the scenes we are focusing on a greater staff to patron ratio as well as greater attention to sourcing quality ingredients with a preference for local produce and taking different approaches with them. We used to change the menu quite often, weekly for instance, but as some patrons heard about certain dishes and booked especially to try them, we are leaving things on the menu a bit longer, looking to the seasons to be our guide. Bloggers talking about local food has also caught our attention.

Did you consciously work towards attaining 3 hats and Restaurant of the Year, or was that incidental to your mission as a chef?

My goal was to be the best I could be and there is still a long way to go with that, for instance, I’m looking to improve the front of house at the moment. We are also looking to be a leader in training our staff, in a very supportive way without ego and in a way that benefits the hospitality industry as a whole. It is important to us to support our own industry and to be a leader in that.

How did you feel when Neil Perry so publicly lost one of his hats for Rockpool?

Very disappointed for him and the way in which it was done. Neil is passionate and determined and should have been shown more respect. Why couldn't they approach him behind the scenes and tell him of their intentions to give him the chance to address the issues raised. To rip one away like that cheapens their own system. It’s as if the guide doesn’t understand the importance of their own hat system and is now delivering some very random and confusing results.

Does being restaurant of the year mean that Vue de Monde diners have heightened expectations?

YES! But for me that means constantly trying to raise the bar. For instance, we now top up empty glasses for wines that are matched to courses as long as our guests are still eating, at no extra charge. We are always looking for ways to improve things for the diner.

What ingredient gives you the most pleasure to work with?

Seasonal products, though with climate change it’s difficult to say what the seasons are anymore. Seafood is another thing I love to work with. We have wonderful Moonlight oysters from Batemans Bay, that a grown in a special way to optimize the flesh and presentation. I also love cooking a freshly caught mountain trout, straight into the pan with it. For most other seafood though, the day after it's caught is best as the flesh gets a chance to relax, otherwise it can be a bit stiff.

Is there any big name chef that you would like to work with for a special dinner?

Alex Atali, I cooked with him in New York and he uses some amazing products from the Amazon. Ferran Adria, need I say more? Andoni Aduriz from Mugaritz is someone else I admire.

Who would you like to invite for a dinner party?

Gordon Ramsey, I've met him and he's great, also his father-in-law, Chris Hutcheson, he's quite a character too. Other than that, I would invite all my good friends with whom I have limited time to catch up.

Is there anything you can’t get enough of?

Fast cars on a racetrack. It’s a bit of a hobby and I’m currently going for my CAMS licence. I also love mentoring kids through Whitelion, kids who have had some problems in life and gotten on the wrong side of the law. It’s great to see how they respond when someone takes an interest in them and shows them a few things. To see their self belief develop when they realize that they can actually cook something like an omelette, is uplifting.

Do you have a funny cooking moment?

We had a well known food critic in the other day who told us of 11 different food allergies they had, including allergies to all sugar and gluten. I could just see the headline, ‘Bennett kills food critic!’ But seriously, how does someone with so many allergies manage to be a food critic?

When Bono of U2 talks about their album, The Joshua Tree, he mentions that it manages to capture some of the melancholy and ache of the Irish. With your Irish heritage, do these emotions inform either your character or cooking?

I see the Irish as a friendly people who like to have a good time, express themselves and their opinions over a pint or two. They are a passionate people and that part, the passion, comes through in my food. Also the hospitality, the Irish are very hospitable people and that comes through in my approach to the restaurant, I want my guests to not only to have a great meal, but a great time as well. Another Irish thing is that I also don’t hold back when expressing an opinion, I tell it like it is.
 
  posted at 7:07 am
  13 comments



13 Comments:
At 12:11 pm, Blogger thanh7580 said...

Great interview Neil. It's good to hear that Shannon isn't an aggressive chef who couldn't care less about his staff. It's comforting to know that there are some nice chefs who can produce good food.

How did you and Eliot manage to score such a big interview? Do you write for any publications besides your blog Neil? I remembered you went on that food writing course.

 
At 1:12 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did he feed you?

 
At 2:03 pm, Blogger Thermomixer said...

Great work Neil. He is another of my heroes - he has TWO Thermomixes.
Like his comments on approaching restaurants to let them know that they think that standards may be dropping. It is not like the Michelin, most restaurants know reviewers - when a reviewer comes in with so many allergies, then how can they be taken seriously.
Also, the reviewers lives depend upon the success of restaurant so why not do what is possible to support them.
The same happened to Liam T at banc & Matt M at Aria. Do they get satisfaction humiliating chefs?
Again, thanks

 
At 2:19 pm, Blogger neil said...

Hi thanh, he did seem a genuinely nice bloke. How we got the interview is a long story involving lemons - a lot of them.

Hi kitchen hand, no food, but we did get bottled water and as you can see from the photo, Elliot had a cup of coffee. I guess it would have hard to ask questions with my mouth full!

Hi thermomixer, he had a lot of stories about reviewers, I thought just the one would be enough. Your last question sounds rhetorical, "Do they get satisfaction humiliating chefs?"

 
At 11:49 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very professional report Neil. Please do me a favour though and put a bit more than my nose in your next photo!

 
At 6:00 am, Blogger Gigi said...

Lovely interview. I agree with Bennett ~ the Irish are some of the friendliest, most hospitable people around. A great meal should always mean a great time as well!

(Off topic; I heard this on the radio this morning and thought of you (not that you'd ever make this mistake, mind you, but that it would be of interest :) if you hadn't heard about it already:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23525559-details/TV+chef+said+poison+weed+Henbane+was+great+in+salad/article.do

 
At 8:12 am, Blogger neil said...

Hi elliot, sorry about that! It was the only picture I took, so had to use it.

Hi gigi, I reckon that sums up the difference between the good and really great restaurants. Read that link, pretty scary, huh. I'm very careful not to kill off any readers, though I did publish a recipe for preserved basil leaves that had the possibility of harm, to which a reader alerted me, so I added a warning.

 
At 1:38 am, Blogger Pat Churchill said...

Well, Shannon has gained back his own third hat in The Age Good Food Guide... BTW I saw him on one of THE Martha shows the other day roasting chicken. Very unassuming. Nice interview, Neil.

 
At 12:34 pm, Blogger neil said...

Hi pat, he seemed to me to be the genuine article, there was no pretence on show at all. Shannon was very easy to interview and didn't mind whatever areas I wanted to cover. It isn't hard to imagine him in a pub (Irish, of course) having a chat and a pint. I'm really pleased for him that he got the third hat again, wonder if that will reduce the tension between him and a certain well known reviewer.

 
At 11:48 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Neil, great interview, very thorough. I saw Shannon recently here in Perth when he was over for the Mundaring Truffle Festival. A very humble guy. Still think he has more than a passing resemblence to Kurt Cobain.

Jen

 
At 7:40 am, Blogger neil said...

Hi jen, except he's still alive!

You're dead right, he is humble, there was absolutely no bigheadedness at all. Looks like we are sharing chefs, I went to the truffle dinner that your Alain Fabregues helped to cook over here.

 
At 6:19 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Influence can be defined as the power exerted over the minds and behavior of others. A power that can affect, persuade and cause changes to someone or something. In order to influence people, you first need to discover what is already influencing them. What makes them tick? What do they care about? We need some leverage to work with when we’re trying to change how people think and behave.

www.onlineuniversalwork.com

 
At 12:39 pm, Blogger xumeiqing said...

151216meiqing
ray ban outlet
louis vuitton backpack
canada goose
michael kors outlet
ugg boots
ray ban sunglasses
nike running shoes
ralph lauren polo
coach outlet
north face jacket
uggs for sale
vans shoes
ugg outlet
ugg boots
celine
louis vuitton bags
coach outlet
louis vuitton
gucci outlet
ugg boots
montblanc
coach outlet online
polo ralph lauren
canada goose jackets
uggs outlet
ray-ban sunglasses
ugg boots
mont blanc pens
michael kors bag
true religion jeans
air max 90
louis vuitton handbags
christian louboutin outlet
louis vuitton handbags
tiffany and co
michael kors outlet
louis vuitton
michael kors outlet stores
jordan retro
michaek kors handbags

 

Post a Comment

<< Home



Search


Recipe Categories
Soups
Salads
Vegetables
Poultry
Pork
Beef
Cakes & Desserts
Miscellaneous

Archives
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
May 2009
June 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
February 2011
March 2011
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
July 2012

Miscellaneous
AUSTRALIAN FOOD BLOGGERS
Prev ~ List ~ Random ~ Join ~ Next
Site Ring from Bravenet


Site Feed

counter easy hit

Credits
Blog Design by:


Image created by:
Ximena Maier

Powered by:


Photos, Original Recipes, and Text - (C) Copyright: 2005-2010
At My Table by Neil Murray, all rights reserved.
You may re-post a recipe, please give credit and post a link to this site.

Contact Me
Neil Murray

Follow messytable on Twitter