Suggested locations:

Mark Naoum

Born:

Ballina, NSW.

History:

I have been a Chef for over 25 years. I have worked in some great restaurants, like Michael’s and Marco’s on the Riverside in Brisbane. I began there as a Commis Chef, before becoming Head Chef of Marco’s and Sous Chef at Michael’s. In 2003, I decided to travel, and I worked as a Senior Chef de partie at the awarding-winning Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh Scotland.

I also worked as the Executive Chef of Kooroomba Vineyard and Lavender Farm in Boonah, until opening a business in Ipswich with my wife, Angela.

I like exploring new techniques and offering diverse menus which are hard to choose from. I focus on sourcing ingredients locally, using Brisbane Valley quails, goats’ cheese from Naughty Little Kids Peak Crossing and olives from Watercress Creek at Pine Mountain.

I had a dream of owning my own restaurant. It became a reality in October 2016.

Have you always wanted to be a Chef?

Yes, I have always wanted to be a Chef, since I started school.

How would you define your style?

Modern Australia with a Mediterranean influence.

What is your feature flavour these days?

Currently, I like working with beetroot. We have a smoked beetroot risotto on the menu, as well as beetroot and vinegar pearls. On the Winter menu we had beetroot ice-cream.

Obsessive-compulsive about?

I love smoking and brining.

Your greatest culinary influence:

My apprenticeship peers at Tatterstalls Club and the French Executive Chef in Scotland. I learnt so much while I was overseas.

What do you love about this business?

Being creative and the lack of boundaries. Making sure our guests walk away knowing they have received quality food and service. I like working as a team, working with front of hours is just as important as working with kitchen staff.

An ingredient you can’t live without?

My house-made jus.

Signature dish:

One of many is our house-made linguine.

The Cottage Restaurant

Set inside a charming heritage Queenslander on Limestone Street sits The Cottage Restaurant, an Ipswich establishment for delectable cuisine in distinctive surrounds. Once a home, converted bedrooms now serve as thoughtfully appointed dining spaces giving a touch of seclusion warmed by fireplaces, with extra room available out on a verandah, enjoyed best at dusk. Find seasonal and local cuisine with a Mediterranean influence, perhaps savouring an entrée of kangaroo tartare with native pepperberry, lemon myrtle, croutons and gribiche; before mains like rolled rabbit, mushrooms, serrano, spinach, chickpeas, eggplant and pistachio dukkah, or duck breast, herbed spaetzle, corn and vanilla gastrique. Steak lovers opt for cold-smoked Wagyu rump to share, with potatoes, vegetables and pepper jus.