What kind of Italian food did you grow up with?
Pizza Hut and spaghetti Bolognese seasoned with fish sauce, cooked by my mother. She doesn’t have a sweet palate like most Filipinos, so I was saved from the sweet sauce and hot dogs.
You’ve worked at Brae, Mr Wong and you once catered for a film. Had you been in an Italian kitchen before 10 William St?
I had never professionally cooked Italian food in a restaurant. It creeps into most facets of cooking, so as a chef you always do feel connected to it through your work. One reason why I took the job is so I can learn as much as I can about Italian culture and cuisine.
Has visiting the country inspired your approach?
Going to Italy last year was a pivotal point as we cooked most days and rarely went to restaurants. The produce was alive and spoke of history and terroir. Sicilian lemons, Bronte pistachio nuts, and Mount Etna wine were all mind-blowing. Everything we ate was to the season and in its moment.
Besides strozzapreti with pistachio pesto, what else are you cooking at 10 William St?
Each day it changes. I am sort of cooking off the cuff and trying to let every product have its moment. Mizu-nasu eggplant has been my favourite vegetable this season. It can be eaten raw, tastes of banana custard and has been perfect for a Caprese salad or caponata.
When you took over the kitchen, were there certain things you couldn’t remove from the menu?
The pretzel, a ragù pasta and the tiramisù all came with the employment contract.
Which ingredients are you looking forward to using next?
Tomato leaves after the season is over, mushrooms when the rain comes, Jerusalem artichokes when the flowers die, all the bitter leaves grown by Epicurean Harvest and brassicas by Boon Luck Farm.
10 William St, Paddington, NSW, (02) 9360 3310, 10williamst.com.au
