Born: Invercargill, New Zealand
History: After training briefly in Christchurch, New Zealand, Chris left for England at the age of 17. He has since been awarded best lamb dish by the Hospitality Association of New Zealand (HANZ) in 2003 while at Alices Restaurant, Otago and best informal dining in 2007 while at Verona Restaurant.
Have you always wanted to be a Chef?
Since i was 15.
How would you define your style?
Fresh, classic with a modern twist.
What is your feature flavour these days?
Duck! Versatile and delicious.
Obsessive compulsive about?
My lucky palette knife.
Your greatest culinary inspirations/influences:
The early Gordon Ramsay. To build a menu collectively as a team, sharing the passion, ideas and goals.
What do you love about this business?
Hospitality is hard work which needs an artistic, patient attitude. To work as a team and achieve realistic goals is all anyone needs. The better the team the more you can achieve.
An ingredient you can’t live without?
I am searching for and always will search for the ultimate ingredient.
Most “eyebrow raising” menu item?
Duck breast stuffed with sundried tomato served with char grilled vegetable tian and a fig glaze.
Signature Dish: Our longest selling dish is the sticky date pudding with beetroot butterscotch sauce.
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Price: Entree $15.00 to $17.00, Main $23.00 to $33.00, Dessert $12.00 to $16.00
Address: 256 Moray Street (corner of Park Street) South Melbourne VIC
With a colourful history dating back to 1858, South Melbourne’s Water Rat Hotel has evolved into an exceptional restaurant, bar and function venue. While it still has a cosy pub atmosphere and excellent service, the place has gone up a few notches in terms of style and food thanks to a classy renovation and revamped menu. Enjoy tapas, cocktails or a boutique beer in the bar area, lit by chandeliers and scattered with comfy chesterfields, or dine in the eclectically furnished restaurant or on the beautiful upstairs deck. While The Water Rat Hotel’s menu pays homage to pub favourites, it punches well above its weight with dishes like pan seared ocean trout served with tempura soft shell crab, lobster pearl barley and mango chilli salsa.
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