BEING A forward-looking chef in a restaurant like Chloe's, with close to quarter of a century of tradition via all the ups and downs of recent fine-dining history, is arguably one of the great cooking challenges of the day.
Bringing into such an environment a personal history of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, sculpting that into a platform where French ideals have ruled, and defining a new place where all of the influences find a sense of balance is what has impressed our judges in this year's search for South Australia's Chef of the Year.
At a time when there is so much hoo-ha about ultra-modern science in the kitchen, when great ingredients are turned into inconsequential chemistry experiments on a plate, Johnny Triscari has stuck to traditional technical cooking expertise while expressing confidently his view on to a contemporary dining canvas.
To be inspired to bake three kinds of bread for the table every night, and to make the restaurant's own chorizo and other cured meats, as well as to deliver a modern menu that has reinvigorated Chloe's, is an extraordinary achievement.
We have dined here several times in the past year and been humbled by the mild manner behind the food, yet thrilled by the obvious excitement of Chloe's kitchen to focus on, say, the slow food essences on a beef dish with mature umami flavours and an intelligent marriage of classic meat and mushroom ingredients. We have loved the perfect weight of a veal jus, the understanding of savoury and salty garnishes, the expert balance in one salad of bitter leaves, watermelon rind, citrus segments and soft fetta.
We applaud a lack of ego and love of cooking. We congratulate his mentoring and understanding of younger staff.
And we love, just love,eating at his table. That is perhaps the most telling reward for this year's Chef of the Year, Johnny Triscari.
JOHNNY TRISCARI
Chloe's Restaurant
36 College Rd, Kent Town
Phone 8362 2574
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