Four of our photos were chosen among the thirty finalists (from around 80 entries) in the Good Food Month’s “Create and Capture @ The Fox” photography exhibition at Fish Lane Studios, The Fox Hotel, Brisbane. Here they are, together with our captions. In the final prizegiving on 30 July 2015, we received 3rd prize. (Click each photo to see it in full.)
Caffeine King
Skinny, the barista at Caffeine Kings Miami, reeks of attitude. When I asked him for a photo of him making coffee, he struck this pose and I took one shot only. This is it! To me it says “This is my kingdom. It’s who I am. Back off!”
It wasn’t the photo I’d asked for, but I didn’t take any more photos, because Skinny’s persona in this photo fits so well with the café’s owners who, in the midst of a coffee scene emphasising organic, local etc., insist on serving only Melbourne-sourced coffee on the Gold Coast.
Every Drop Carefully – 3rd PRIZE
“I would love to invite you to join me on a culinary journey, sharing with you flavours and recipes from my childhood growing up in Khandbari Nepal, a small rural village.”
Parashuram Pathak (Executive Chef, Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove Resort)
Eloquently yet humbly, Para took us beside him on his journey from the Himalayas where he was born to where he is today. As he plated up each dish of Smoked wild boar with buckwheat dhido, I saw a photo opportunity. With no motor drive, it took about 20 shots to capture this photo, on aperture priority to maximise lighting, trying to get the timing exact to capture the falling drop of jus.
To me it captures the artisan nature of the culinary arts (every drop carefully and very gently) and a core tenet of Buddhist life: take what you need, use it to the best of your ability, and strive to improve your world.
Harvest Moon
In ‘The Other James Street’, Burleigh Heads, Harvest Moon has a classic feel, similar to traditional bars near Bath, owner Jon Holden’s hometown. The bar menu is themed to the phases of the moon, an indication of how the night could progress: Crescent – crisp aperitifs and champagne cocktails; 1st Quarter – sharper sweet and sour citrus-driven drinks; Gibbous Moon fruit-driven Mojitos, Mules and Brambles; and the Waning Moon (premium spirits) – short, bold, stirred and savoured for the late night warriors.
Barman Jake, dressed in a traditional plaid waistcoat to match the era, makes me a Daisy de Santiago, a cocktail about which renowned cocktail writer Charles H. Baker Jr. notes in The Gentleman’s Companion “…along with the immortal Daiquiri, this is the best Bacardi drink on record.” With its origins in the prohibition era, it’s a mighty fine drink, probably at least as fine as the woman after which it was named!
Kiyomi
Chase Kojima, Executive Chef of Kiyomi, Jupiters’ signature restaurant, gives his own take on a dish of Hiramasa kingfish and miso ceviche with crispy potato. It’s a work of art, the delicate pieces of fish enhanced by miso, contrasting completely with ethereally crisp tendrils of potato. As artful as a Japanese painting of Mount Fiji, playfully exciting in mouth feel, the ceviche is anchored in an earthy triangular bowl imported from Japan.
Create & Capture, 2014
Last year our photograph of Richard Burt, chef of Ristorante Fellini, was awarded 2nd place in the competition.
We are really proud of the great work so many chefs and restaurant staff do as part of their daily work, and are really pleased to showcase the Gold Coast in a competition of this sort.
Every Peg Tells a Story – 2ND PLACE
Chef Richard Burt forms an integral part of the seamless service of Ristorante Fellini. Abandoning his original aspirations to be a brain surgeon, Richard was the Executive Chef of the Ramada Gold Coast and Ocean Blue, and part of the catering team for Expo ‘88. Now, as Executive Chef and partner with the Percuoco family at Fellini, his regional Italian cuisine has gathered loyal followers, from Gold Coast locals to royalty and celebrities. He has cooked for Queen Elizabeth II, the Sultan of Brunei, Freddy Prinze Jr, Kylie Minogue, Sarah Michelle Gellar and many more. A simple peg system is used to communicate table orders from the restaurant floor to the kitchen. Without verbal communication or the relentless dinging of bells, the service at Ristorante Fellini is a reminder of more gentile, civilised times.