We recently caught up with head chef Michael Crosbie who kindly gave us an exclusive interview:
Describe your style of cooking in a few words
Contemporary / Innovative. Flavour driven / flavour first. Seasonal.
What are your specialities as a chef?
I enjoy bringing out the best natural flavour from ingredients and cooking over wood and charcoal.
How did you get interested in cooking?
I came into cooking quite naturally. My family always placed an importance on good food and we always sat together at the table and enjoyed our family dinners. It is what brought us together. My mum and my dad (an ex-butcher) really inspired my love of cooking from a very early age & it just grew from there.
What’s your favourite dish to cook at home?
It is hard to beat a whole cut of meat like brisket for a special lunch with friends and family, put on the smoker the night before cooked over a low gentle heat, smoked in the BBQ overnight. It is always a crowd-pleaser!
Do you have any predictions for new food trends?
Simple organic nature-driven clean foods will continue to push through, as the mainstream want to learn more about where their food comes from.
What is your food pet peeves?
A dish that looks pretty, but carries no substance or weird combinations of ingredients, when it creates talking point but doesn’t work.
Do you have any favourite cookware?
I have my set of Michel Bras knives Japanese forged blades designed in collaboration with Michelin chef Michel Bras.
What’s been your proudest moment?
Honestly, I am most proud after a terrific service with my team, although I have worked alongside some amazing chefs, and looking back I am proud to be a part of that.
What inspires you?
A change in seasons is where I draw most of my inspiration from.
In the modern world, we can get hold of almost any ingredient, at any time these days, but there is something very special about the flavour of something picked or grown at its peak.
Do you have any plans for the next 12 months?
I have no doubt that this will be a very exciting year in the Brisbane food scene. Very interested in developing our produce-driven menu. Watch this space.
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