Attica’s Cheftales

Who am I?

“I was born in Sydney in 1945. I left school at 14 when my parents’ manufacturing business ran aground and, even though life was tough at times, we always prioritised good food, eating oysters from the rocks and hanging meat at home. I started travelling when I was 19, working as an elevator operator in New Zealand and a whiskey barmaid in Scotland. I was sacked from my job as cook at a sailing school for using the whole larder in half the season: I must love to feed people! The luck of my life was meeting my husband Colin, and moving with him to South Australia’s Barossa Valley in the late 1970s where he started farming pheasants.”

“I went on to run a restaurant, write cookbooks (10 and counting!), star in food TV shows, and introduce Australia to ingredients such as verjuice. Ben Shewry was so enamoured of a dish I made at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival that he asked for seconds (it was a freekeh risotto with pomegranate seeds). Music is as important to me as food and a choir meets at our place every Wednesday night to sing for the joy of it.”

Who am I?

“I was born in Sydney in 1945. I left school at 14 when my parents’ manufacturing business ran aground and, even though life was tough at times, we always prioritised good food, eating oysters from the rocks and hanging meat at home. I started travelling when I was 19, working as an elevator operator in New Zealand and a whiskey barmaid in Scotland. I was sacked from my job as cook at a sailing school for using the whole larder in half the season: I must love to feed people! The luck of my life was meeting my husband Colin, and moving with him to South Australia’s Barossa Valley in the late 1970s where he started farming pheasants.”

“I went on to run a restaurant, write cookbooks (10 and counting!), star in food TV shows, and introduce Australia to ingredients such as verjuice. Ben Shewry was so enamoured of a dish I made at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival that he asked for seconds (it was a freekeh risotto with pomegranate seeds). Music is as important to me as food and a choir meets at our place every Wednesday night to sing for the joy of it.”

I AM MAGGIE BEER.

Who am I?

“I’m an American pastry chef, born in Ohio in 1981 and now based in New York. I eat cookie dough every day. I came to attention after my epic home-baking skills saw me installed as the Momofuku dessert boss, much to my own surprise and terror. I launched my Milk Bar bakery in 2008 and there are now [eleven] branches in the US and Canada. I’ve used my love of junk food and mainstream treats to create cult desserts that riff on such things as the milk that remains in the bottom of a cereal bowl, and the joys of eating pretzels and ice-cream at the same time.”

“I’ve written two cookbooks and am a judge on MasterChef USA but I’ll always be most proud of the day I nearly made Ben Shewry vomit by force-feeding him every product we make in our Brooklyn production kitchen. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a woodworker or a truck driver; I love exploring and dream of driving all over the country in an RV. I am a livewire, eating most minutes that I’m awake, and think nothing of taking my dogs for a quick two-hour stroll.”

Who am I?

“I’m an American pastry chef, born in Ohio in 1981 and now based in New York. I eat cookie dough every day. I came to attention after my epic home-baking skills saw me installed as the Momofuku dessert boss, much to my own surprise and terror. I launched my Milk Bar bakery in 2008 and there are now [eleven] branches in the US and Canada. I’ve used my love of junk food and mainstream treats to create cult desserts that riff on such things as the milk that remains in the bottom of a cereal bowl, and the joys of eating pretzels and ice-cream at the same time.”

“I’ve written two cookbooks and am a judge on MasterChef USA but I’ll always be most proud of the day I nearly made Ben Shewry vomit by force-feeding him every product we make in our Brooklyn production kitchen. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a woodworker or a truck driver; I love exploring and dream of driving all over the country in an RV. I am a livewire, eating most minutes that I’m awake, and think nothing of taking my dogs for a quick two-hour stroll.”

I AM CHRISTINA TOSI.

Who am I?

“I grew up in Chicago in a Mexican family, trained at Le Cordon Bleu, and later moved to New York, then Europe. I quit my job as pastry chef at one of the world’s best restaurants to open a small taqueria because I wanted to bring good, humble Mexican food to a city that barely knew what a tortilla was. I have a wicked sweet tooth: I used to gnaw on raw sugar cane as a kid and today you might catch me snacking secretly on cajeta (Mexican caramel sauce).”

“One of my famous fine dining dishes included green juniper ice-cream and ant paste sandwiched between nasturtium leaves. These days you might find me making cheese tacos with crunchy grasshoppers. My taco stand is called Hija de Sanchez and René Redzepi dropped by one busy day to help expedite orders.”

Who am I?

“I grew up in Chicago in a Mexican family, trained at Le Cordon Bleu, and later moved to New York, then Europe. I quit my job as pastry chef at one of the world’s best restaurants to open a small taqueria because I wanted to bring good, humble Mexican food to a city that barely knew what a tortilla was. I have a wicked sweet tooth: I used to gnaw on raw sugar cane as a kid and today you might catch me snacking secretly on cajeta (Mexican caramel sauce).”

“One of my famous fine dining dishes included green juniper ice-cream and ant paste sandwiched between nasturtium leaves. These days you might find me making cheese tacos with crunchy grasshoppers. My taco stand is called Hija de Sanchez and René Redzepi dropped by one busy day to help expedite orders.”

I AM ROSIO SANCHEZ.

Who am I?

“Born in 1957, I am one of Australia’s most successful chefs, restaurateurs and cookbook authors, with restaurants in three capital cities. The biggest influence on my life has been my father Les, a butcher, fisherman and keen cook, who made me an adventurous eater without me even noticing. I realised we ate differently to other families when school friends suggested mashed brains on toast were not a normal breakfast.”

“He introduced me to all kinds of food and cooking, most notably the Chinese cuisine that has been so important to me in my career. I have an instantly recognisable physical attribute, the cultivation of which was a small rebellion when I attended a strict secondary school in Sydney. Before I became a chef, I worked as a hairdresser and waiter. Now my food is served not only in restaurants, but 30,000 feet high in the sky.”

Who am I?

“Born in 1957, I am one of Australia’s most successful chefs, restaurateurs and cookbook authors, with restaurants in three capital cities. The biggest influence on my life has been my father Les, a butcher, fisherman and keen cook, who made me an adventurous eater without me even noticing. I realised we ate differently to other families when school friends suggested mashed brains on toast were not a normal breakfast.”

“He introduced me to all kinds of food and cooking, most notably the Chinese cuisine that has been so important to me in my career. I have an instantly recognisable physical attribute, the cultivation of which was a small rebellion when I attended a strict secondary school in Sydney. Before I became a chef, I worked as a hairdresser and waiter. Now my food is served not only in restaurants, but 30,000 feet high in the sky.”

I AM NEIL PERRY.

Who am I?

“I learnt to cook as a child because I wanted dinner: my mother was usually working in our family’s Vietnamese restaurants. I wasn’t great at school but was an A-student when it came to graffiti, skate videos, WWF wrestling and Mario Kart. When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a garbage truck driver and I only considered training as a chef when my mother wangled me a job. I have gone on to cook Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Chinese and contemporary Australia food at some of Sydney’s best and busiest restaurants, including one with a custom-built oven dedicated to roasting duck.

One of my signature dishes is Stoner’s Delight; it includes doughnut ice-cream and potato chip praline and may or may not have been inspired by teenage munchies. I love McDonald’s breakfast but not as much as I love sneakers. I am crazy about Nike Flyknits and even cooked a special dinner where every course was inspired by shoes. My young daughter Namira can often be seen on Instagram eating such delicacies as tripe and chicken feet.”

Who am I?

“I learnt to cook as a child because I wanted dinner: my mother was usually working in our family’s Vietnamese restaurants. I wasn’t great at school but was an A-student when it came to graffiti, skate videos, WWF wrestling and Mario Kart. When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a garbage truck driver and I only considered training as a chef when my mother wangled me a job. I have gone on to cook Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Chinese and contemporary Australia food at some of Sydney’s best and busiest restaurants, including one with a custom-built oven dedicated to roasting duck.”

“One of my signature dishes is Stoner’s Delight; it includes doughnut ice-cream and potato chip praline and may or may not have been inspired by teenage munchies. I love McDonald’s breakfast but not as much as I love sneakers. I am crazy about Nike Flyknits and even cooked a special dinner where every course was inspired by shoes. My young daughter Namira can often be seen on Instagram eating such delicacies as tripe and chicken feet.”

I AM DAN HONG.

Who am I?

“Born in 1977 to a Muslim father and a Protestant mother, I was a fidgety child who loved football. A strong work ethic saw me (and my twin brother) take on 10 newspaper delivery rounds at the age of nine. This diligence didn’t extend to my studies, and at 15 I followed a friend to restaurant school because I couldn’t come up with a better idea. I was hooked after two days.”

“I’m now one of the world’s most celebrated and influential chefs but when my restaurant opened in 2003, it was received with scorn, garnering nicknames such as Blubber Restaurant and the Whale Penis.”

“My first cookbook calls for such ingredients as sea buckthorn, skyr (a cultured dairy product) and birch sap, all indicative of my focus on using the produce around me. I don’t drive, I’m scared of dogs and I avoid rollercoasters but I put myself on the line in other ways: my innovations include founding the MAD food symposium and relocating my Copenhagen restaurant for months at a time, first to Tokyo, then to Sydney [and now to Tulum, Mexico].”

Who am I?

“Born in 1977 to a Muslim father and a Protestant mother, I was a fidgety child who loved football. A strong work ethic saw me (and my twin brother) take on 10 newspaper delivery rounds at the age of nine. This diligence didn’t extend to my studies, and at 15 I followed a friend to restaurant school because I couldn’t come up with a better idea. I was hooked after two days.”

“I’m now one of the world’s most celebrated and influential chefs but when my restaurant opened in 2003, it was received with scorn, garnering nicknames such as Blubber Restaurant and the Whale Penis.”

“My first cookbook calls for such ingredients as sea buckthorn, skyr (a cultured dairy product) and birch sap, all indicative of my focus on using the produce around me. I don’t drive, I’m scared of dogs and I avoid rollercoasters but I put myself on the line in other ways: my innovations include founding the MAD food symposium and relocating my Copenhagen restaurant for months at a time, first to Tokyo, then to Sydney [and now Tulum, Mexico].”

I AM RENÉ REDZEPI.

Who am I?

“I was born in South Korea in 1970 and grew up in Southern California from the age of two. In my teenage years my addictive tendencies spiralled and I fell into alcohol, drugs and gambling. My parents enrolled me in military school and, though the discipline gelled with my OCD, it wasn’t for me. During my couch-surfing, brawling days, I watched the cooking show Essence of Emeriland was inspired to attend culinary school. I was chef at The Beverly Hilton when my partners and I developed an idea for Korean-Mexican street food. We launched our first taco truck in 2008.”

“Kogi is a mash-up of Korean barbecue, Mexican truck culture, obsessive fine dining technique, and a desire to make great food accessible. We alerted our customers via Twitter and sparked a food truck revolution. The movie Chef was set in a world much like ours; I make a cameo in the end credits. I own restaurants now too. I’m most proud of Locol, a social enterprise I started with my brother from another, chef Daniel Patterson. Locol serves healthy fast food and trains locals in communities our country has abandoned, but really, it’s all for us. My nickname is Papi, the streets are my haven, and I believe the taco truck was my destiny.”

Who am I?

“I was born in South Korea in 1970 and grew up in Southern California from the age of two. In my teenage years my addictive tendencies spiralled and I fell into alcohol, drugs and gambling. My parents enrolled me in military school and, though the discipline gelled with my OCD, it wasn’t for me. During my couch-surfing, brawling days, I watched the cooking show Essence of Emeriland was inspired to attend culinary school. I was chef at The Beverly Hilton when my partners and I developed an idea for Korean-Mexican street food. We launched our first taco truck in 2008.”

“Kogi is a mash-up of Korean barbecue, Mexican truck culture, obsessive fine dining technique, and a desire to make great food accessible. We alerted our customers via Twitter and sparked a food truck revolution. The movie Chef was set in a world much like ours; I make a cameo in the end credits. I own restaurants now too. I’m most proud of Locol, a social enterprise I started with my brother from another, chef Daniel Patterson. Locol serves healthy fast food and trains locals in communities our country has abandoned, but really, it’s all for us. My nickname is Papi, the streets are my haven, and I believe the taco truck was my destiny.”

I AM ROY CHOI.

Who am I?

“I am a Kiwi chef with 35 years’ experience in France, Switzerland, Australia and my home town, Wellington. Ben Shewry was 21 when he came for dinner at my old joint, the Roxburgh Bistro. He must have loved it because he introduced himself to the kitchen crew, asked lots of questions and ended up coming to work for me four months later. Ben tells me he fondly recalls my penchant for leaving post-it notes at his work station when his attention to detail needed “a wee boost”.”

“I remember he was always striving to improve and willing to pitch in. I asked him to paint a ceiling one day and he fell off the ladder. Luckily, a toilet broke his fall… Unfortunately, he broke the toilet. He was a bit shaken, so I gave him a can of lemonade and a banana while he inspected his skinned shins. Needless to say, he got back to work quick smart. These days, I’m at Ortega Fish Shack, with my wife Helen, daughter Anna, son-in-law Davey McDonald and chef Regnar Christensen. We’ve recently refitted the old Roxburgh building – right next door – and it’s now Slim Daveys, a friendly neighbourhood saloon.”

Who am I?

“I am a Kiwi chef with 35 years’ experience in France, Switzerland, Australia and my home town, Wellington. Ben Shewry was 21 when he came for dinner at my old joint, the Roxburgh Bistro. He must have loved it because he introduced himself to the kitchen crew, asked lots of questions and ended up coming to work for me four months later. Ben tells me he fondly recalls my penchant for leaving post-it notes at his work station when his attention to detail needed “a wee boost”.”

“I remember he was always striving to improve and willing to pitch in. I asked him to paint a ceiling one day and he fell off the ladder. Luckily, a toilet broke his fall… Unfortunately, he broke the toilet. He was a bit shaken, so I gave him a can of lemonade and a banana while he inspected his skinned shins. Needless to say, he got back to work quick smart. These days, I’m at Ortega Fish Shack, with my wife Helen, daughter Anna, son-in-law Davey McDonald and chef Regnar Christensen. We’ve recently refitted the old Roxburgh building – right next door – and it’s now Slim Daveys, a friendly neighbourhood saloon.”

I AM MARK LIMACHER.

Who am I?

“I’m an American chef, born in 1969. I grew up in Manhattan, but spent my summers haying the fields on my grandmother’s farm. I invented my first dish when I was in 5th grade, a dessert made from chocolate chip cookie dough but baked on a sheet tray like brownies. I called it a ‘brookie’. I was fired from my first food job at a bakery for forgetting to salt 500 kg of rosemary bread dough. My wife Aria Beth Sloss is a novelist and short story writer. My book,The Third Plate, proposes a new paradigm for farming and eating that’s ethical, sustainable, healthy and delicious.”

“My two restaurants – Blue Hill in New York and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, an hour north of the city – are elegant places where gentlemen are encouraged to wear jackets and ties, but they also raise consciousness about the ethics of everyday food choices. The country restaurant has a tasting menu called ‘Grazing, Rooting, Pecking’. I once cooked a Thanksgiving turkey in the dishwasher, I gave a TED talk in 2010 called ‘How I fell in love with a fish’, and I prefer to eat ice-cream straight from the carton.”

Who am I?

“I’m an American chef, born in 1969. I grew up in Manhattan, but spent my summers haying the fields on my grandmother’s farm. I invented my first dish when I was in 5th grade, a dessert made from chocolate chip cookie dough but baked on a sheet tray like brownies. I called it a ‘brookie’. I was fired from my first food job at a bakery for forgetting to salt 500 kg of rosemary bread dough. My wife Aria Beth Sloss is a novelist and short story writer. My book,The Third Plate, proposes a new paradigm for farming and eating that’s ethical, sustainable, healthy and delicious.”

“My two restaurants – Blue Hill in New York and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, an hour north of the city – are elegant places where gentlemen are encouraged to wear jackets and ties, but they also raise consciousness about the ethics of everyday food choices. The country restaurant has a tasting menu called ‘Grazing, Rooting, Pecking’. I once cooked a Thanksgiving turkey in the dishwasher, I gave a TED talk in 2010 called ‘How I fell in love with a fish’, and I prefer to eat ice-cream straight from the carton.”

I AM DAN BARBER.

Who am I?

“I was born in 1977 in the southern United States, I opened my first restaurant in New York in 2004 and now we have sites in the US, Canada and Australia. People talk about my irreverent, exuberant riffs on Asian classics like steamed buns, lettuce wraps and ramen but I think of it as feeding you food we’d like to eat: that might be spicy tripe, grated frozen foie gras with lychees, or pork cooked so long and slow it’s sweet enough to serve as a dessert (so we did). Sometimes, we turn the music up loud and not everyone likes it. The name of the restaurant groups references a summer fruit, as does the food magazine I publish with my friends Peter Meehan and Chris Ying. We launched in 2011 and we’ve covered topics including the true price of cheap shrimp, zombie dinners (brains of course) and microbial terroir. Partly, it’s just an excuse to travel around eating, driving and talking.”

“I’m a massive sports fan – I played competitive golf as a child and practiced till my hands bled, and I was a keen wrestler even though I never won a match. It took me years of persistence to understand cricket but I finally get it and I think it’s a better sport than Australian Rules Football. I was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010 and, you’ll have to twist my arm for me to tell you, but I was one of GQ’s men of the year in 2007.”

Who am I?

“I was born in 1977 in the southern United States, I opened my first restaurant in New York in 2004 and now we have sites in the US, Canada and Australia. People talk about my irreverent, exuberant riffs on Asian classics like steamed buns, lettuce wraps and ramen but I think of it as feeding you food we’d like to eat: that might be spicy tripe, grated frozen foie gras with lychees, or pork cooked so long and slow it’s sweet enough to serve as a dessert (so we did). Sometimes, we turn the music up loud and not everyone likes it. The name of the restaurant groups references a summer fruit, as does the food magazine I publish with my friends Peter Meehan and Chris Ying. We launched in 2011 and we’ve covered topics including the true price of cheap shrimp, zombie dinners (brains of course) and microbial terroir. Partly, it’s just an excuse to travel around eating, driving and talking.”

“I’m a massive sports fan – I played competitive golf as a child and practiced till my hands bled, and I was a keen wrestler even though I never won a match. It took me years of persistence to understand cricket but I finally get it and I think it’s a better sport than Australian Rules Football. I was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2010 and, you’ll have to twist my arm for me to tell you, but I was one of GQ’s men of the year in 2007.”

I AM DAVID CHANG.

Who am I?

“I was born in Korea, adopted by parents in Oklahoma and attended culinary school in California. My career has been varied and eclectic: I’ve been a sushi chef, a burger cook in a Vietnamese market, a fine dining chef and I won the Pesto World Championship in Genoa when my boss entered me in the competition unbeknownst to me. I’ve had some interesting times: at one upscale restaurant, I was forced to do push-ups while other chefs watched and laughed. Other than cooking, I’ve been an optometrist’s assistant and a snow-cone salesman. I play drums in a band called Narx! with the singers from emo bands Thursday and _Saves the Da_y. My San Francisco restaurant opened in 2010 as a pop-up inside another Chinese restaurant; gradually my style of “Americanized oriental food” took over.”

“I love Sichuan flavours but there’s nothing authentic about my food; popular dishes include a kung pao pastrami and salt-cod fried rice. The New York version of Mission Chinese Food serves duck baked in clay and Mission Cantina serves Mexican food my way – think cheeseburger with fermented green chillies. On a recent trip to Melbourne, I ‘married’ Ben Shewry before we cooked together at Attica.”

Who am I?

“I was born in Korea, adopted by parents in Oklahoma and attended culinary school in California. My career has been varied and eclectic: I’ve been a sushi chef, a burger cook in a Vietnamese market, a fine dining chef and I won the Pesto World Championship in Genoa when my boss entered me in the competition unbeknownst to me. I’ve had some interesting times: at one upscale restaurant, I was forced to do push-ups while other chefs watched and laughed. Other than cooking, I’ve been an optometrist’s assistant and a snow-cone salesman. I play drums in a band called Narx! with the singers from emo bands Thursday and Saves the Day. My San Francisco restaurant opened in 2010 as a pop-up inside another Chinese restaurant; gradually my style of “Americanized oriental food” took over.”

“I love Sichuan flavours but there’s nothing authentic about my food; popular dishes include a kung pao pastrami and salt-cod fried rice. The New York version of Mission Chinese Food serves duck baked in clay and Mission Cantina serves Mexican food my way – think cheeseburger with fermented green chillies. On a recent trip to Melbourne, I ‘married’ Ben Shewry before we cooked together at Attica.”

I AM DANNY BOWIEN.