Ross Howell
Chefs
AUSTRALIAN GOOD FOOD GUIDE - Home of the Chef Hat Awards
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 seared venison, leek and kale tart tatin and whipped feta; before mains such as rolled rabbit, roast pepper pudding, crushed peas and zucchini, or citrus-infused duck breast, grilled polenta, corn and eggplant. Steak lovers opt for spice-rubbed Wagyu rump to share, with fried onions, potatoes, baby vegetables and cracked pepper jus.
