Test your Design IQ
MANILA, Philippines - Who is the Australian celebrity chef who is coordinator for Qantas Flight Catering and has a food brand sold under his name at Woolworth Supermarkets?
He was born on June 29, 1957 and started his career in the hospitality industry when he began managing Sails restaurants in the Sydney suburbs of McMahons Point and then at Rose Bay, where he learned most of his floor management skills.
By the time he was 24, he found himself gravitating towards the kitchen and realized his passion for cooking when he worked with chefs Damien Pignolet, Gay Bilson, Stephanie Alexander, Steve Manfredi, and David Thompson.
He became head chef at Barrenjoey Restaurant in Palm Beach and was given creative control over Perry’s in Paddington. In October 1986, he opened Blue Water Grill at Bondi Beach, which became an overnight success. He then opened Rockpool in February 1989 with his business partner and cousin Trish Richards.
Today, he co-owns and is executive chef for a number of critically acclaimed restaurants in Australia. These include his flagship fine-dining resto Rockpool in Sydney and Rockpool Bar and Grill in Melbourne. Less formal than Rockpool, the latter is an upmarket steakhouse that serves high-quality beef cooked over a woodfire grill as well as an international a la carte menu.
In spite of the riskiness in opening a large restaurant serving up to 200 people a day, the restaurant has proven to be a major success and was awarded two coveted chef hats in the Melbourne Good Food Guide.
Last year, he opened two more restaurants in Sydney, both located in the Art Deco building on Bligh Street. These include Spice Temple, which serves regional Chinese food, and a second Rockpool Bar and Grill.
He also heads a consultation team for the Australian flagship airline Qantas, for which he creates in-flight menus. Menus are developed quarterly for international first- and business-class travelers, with the team overseeing the implementation and introduction to catering services at key ports.
He also appears on television in Australia’s Channel Nine food program Fresh and is a presenter in the digital subscribers network Foxtel on the Lifestyle and Lifestyle Food Channels in Australia and BBC.
He has also appeared on Martha Stewart’s shows. Some of his television series include Rockpool Sessions, a seven-part, half-hour series, and Food Source, an insider’s guide to food in Australia featuring leading Australian chefs, food and wine producers, and over 20 recipes.
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Last week’s question:
Who is the American architect who has worked on some of New York’s landmarks like the Grand Central Terminal and Waldorf Astoria Hotel?
Answer: Leonard Schulze
Winner: Azucena Alim of Bicutan, Parañaque
Text your answer to 0926-3508061 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.
