For almost a decade renowned Sydney restaurant Tequila Mockingbird has been serving up creative Latin American share plates and innovative cocktails.
Set within a beautifully restored heritage-listed 19th Century terrace, in Paddington's vibrant Five Ways, the lively venue has garnered a huge following of loyal locals and out-of-town visitors who flock to this dining institution.
So, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Well, Owner and Director of Atticus Hospitality, Michael Fegent isn’t one to rest on his laurels and has decided it’s out with the old and in with the new!
Mysteriously closing the restaurant over the Easter break, causing an outcry of concern from locals and regulars, Michael has set about creating a fresh, new, vibrant offering, while sticking to their ethos of ‘fine food made fun’.
tqm. will open tomorrow, May 8 following a full refurb and headed up by newly appointed Atticus Hospitality Executive Chef Jose Garcia, a Michelin-rated Venezuelan chef who landed in Sydney this month to start his new role.
Jose comes from his Executive Chef position at Buenos Aires restaurant Fogón Asado -the Michelin-rated, 36th best steak restaurant in the world - bringing with him a wealth of experience and accolades.
Fogón Asado is no ordinary Buenos Aires restaurant. This petite parrilla (the name for the city’s expert steakhouses) is like an immersive theatre experience combined with a supper club, designed to introduce guests to the Argentinian art of asado (a traditional grilling technique – over a wood fire and its embers).
At tqm. Jose will recreate the magic of this theatrical dining with an experience unlike anything seen before in Sydney, putting Venezuelan food on the map with his carefully curated South American menu.
Jose says: "My inspiration comes from multiple past experiences, from my favourite Chefs and from my Latin and family roots. Every time I have the chance to highlight something my Mum or grandmother taught me; I try to do it.
"Since I was kid, I’ve loved cooking, eating and being in the kitchen. From the age of 13 years, I knew I wanted to be a Chef and when I started studying, one of my goals was to be part of the group of Chefs who have worked to showcase and elevate Venezuelan cuisine and flavours around the world.”
Some of Jose’s signature dishes on the new tqm. menu include:
XO Prawn Rice: Jose’s Mum’s favourite food is seafood, especially prawn paella and he wanted to make something that reminds him of her.
Fried Green Plantain with Smoked Fish: on Venezuelan beaches, the classic dish is fried fish with shredded cabbage and carrot salad and green plantain tostones. This dish is a representation of that traditional plate but using a cured and smoked fish - a technique Jose used a lot during his time in Argentina.
Blood Sausage Croquette: this dish is inspired by Jose’s Dad and childhood moments spent with him. His Dad always liked grilled blood sausage with bread and sauce and on road trips together, they would often stop at roadside stands to eat cachapas with cheese, blood sausage, and chicharrones.
Grilled Meat with Roasted Vegetables: this is based on Jose’s past six years of experience at Fogón Asado, where everything revolved around fire and meat. It’s where he had the chance to grow as a Chef and as a professional.
Other dishes, such as grilled halloumi and tomato salad, sweet potato puree with nut dukkah and pave potato with Romesco are recipes Jose always wanted to have on his menu - small plates that he knows work well, combining crunchy and creamy textures and subtle, citrusy, spicy, or sweet flavours - all characteristics he loves to highlight in his kitchen.
The entire façade of the 1898 terrace is now a light-hearted bright and bold yellow. Yellow is the key element of the Venezuelan flag and in Venezuelan culture represents harmony, abundance and the light and warmth of the sun.
The striking exterior is mirrored inside, with interiors across the three separate areas - the bar; a long, slender dining room that ends outside in a greeneryfringed courtyard and more dining upstairs - painted in the same golden hue.
Retro artworks adorn the walls - a nod to Paddington’s thriving art gallery scene - and new lighting and furniture has been installed throughout.
Michael says: "When opening Tequila Mockingbird almost a decade ago, I drew on experience gained from venturing through South America.
Over the course of many trips, where I visited 30+ local restaurants, Jose’s restaurant Fogón Asado was the absolute standout.
"I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since and striking up a friendship with Jose during my visit the conversation started about getting him over to Australia. I wanted to bring back the same passion and excitement I’d had opening Tequila Mockingbird 10 years ago and I knew Jose was the right person to help me do that.
"I can’t wait to showcase his extraordinary, world-class cooking from our little part of Sydney and give our customers something truly unique and special.”
