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Adam Johnston

Born:

Glasgow, Scotland.

History:

I started my career at the Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh in 2009. I worked there for three years and it was a great place to learn the foundation of European cookery. Every three months you would get moved around the kitchen onto a different section which was a great way to learn your way around the kitchen quickly.

Looking for a change I decided to come out to Melbourne on a working holiday visa. I ended up working at a hatted restaurant called Livingroom with Chef Darren Daley. Darren’s menu was a bit more rustic and had a lot of Italian influence which was a nice change to what I had been doing in Scotland.

After been in Melbourne for a few years I needed a sponsorship visa which I managed to get at Rosetta a hatted Italian restaurant in Southbank. We could do 400 to 500 covers a day which was a huge step up from what I had done previous.

The fish was delivered straight off the boat, we had someone making pasta all day, an onsite butcher and just getting to use the best produce was amazing and a real eyeopener. I started as a Chef di Parti and left as Senior Sous Chef, this is where I started to learn how to manage the kitchen and staff and get a good understanding of how a business runs.

After four years I moved onto work at Cutler and Co in Fitzroy where I picked up a lot of new techniques and ideas and got to work alongside some amazing Chefs.

After a brief stint opening a restaurant in Chadstone, I got the chance to work at Montalto. Being able to work somewhere with a full market garden and having nights off was a dream. I came on board as Sous Chef and shortly after I got offered my first Head Chef role.

Have you always wanted to be a Chef?

Not really, when I was a teenager, I liked to cook and loved watching Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein and Anthony Bourdain on TV but didn’t think I would do it as a career. After leaving school I was still unsure what to do but when an opportunity to attend a professional cookery course at the local college came up, I thought I would give it a shot and I haven’t looked back.

How would you define your style?

Traditional European flavours highlighting estate-grown produce.

What is your feature flavour these days?

I would say the smoke from the wood-fire grill flavours most things on the menu now.

Your greatest culinary influence:

Anthony Bourdain.

What do you love about this business?

Being able to work with people from all over the world and learn about their food and culture.

An ingredient you can’t live without?

Sherry vinegar.

Signature dish:

At Montalto the menu is constantly changing so I don’t really have a dish that’s stays on the menu.

What can diners expect when they eat at your restaurant and what makes the experience special?

Estate-grown produce cooked over the wood fire and served simply. The view from the restaurant overlooking the garden and vines is special.

What is your go-to meal at home when you don’t feel like cooking?

Baked beans.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

Hopefully still at Montalto developing the menus and the kitchen teams.

Montalto

A visit to Montalto on Shoreham Road in Red Hill South is never complete without a memorable meal at the award-winning restaurant. Offering a warm and relaxing dining experience, Montalto has a contemporary vibe, with locally made chestnut tables, while floor-to-ceiling glass windows allow guests to drink in breathtaking vineyard views. Sourcing seasonal local and estate-grown produce to be cooked on a wood fire grill - allowing the ingredients to sing - the Mod Oz menu presents starters like chicken liver parfait, brioche and candied cumquat, or seared tuna, mussels, green harissa and fennel. For the main, delve into wood-fired duck breast, quince and chicory, with sides of crispy kipflers and maple-glazed carrots; before indulging in fig leaf panna cotta, figs, honey and kataifi pastry.

RECIPES

Adam Johnston

Montalto

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