I recently read the fabulous article celebrating Tetsuya Wakuda’s Lifetime Achievement Award by Franz Scheurer in one of my favourite online newsletters - Australian Gourmet Pages. It moved me to pen my own tribute to a ground breaking, game changing chef that has remained humble despite all the accolades he has received over his career spanning more than 30 years.
I recently read the fabulous article celebrating Tetsuya Wakuda’s Lifetime Achievement Award by Franz Scheurer in one of my favourite online newsletters - Australian Gourmet Pages. It moved me to pen my own tribute to a ground breaking, game changing chef that has remained humble despite all the accolades he has received over his career spanning more than 30 years.It also made me reflect on how many personal and professional milestones I have personally shared with either the man himself or the restaurant.
Firstly, and most poignantly, Tetsuyas is where I took my wife, Sohani on our first date. It was the 15th of December 1991 and I was suited up in chinos, a white silk shirt with a chain collar and tasselled loafers. My beautiful wife wore a brightly coloured striped dress (think liquorice all sort) and took my breath away. Needless to say, the rest is history. It was simply the most perfect first date you could imagine for us and I am convinced it sealed the deal J
I still remember the dishes we enjoyed, including of course his signature ocean trout, we also devoured some incredible oysters from Pipe Clay Lagoon in Tasmania and a memorable Blue Cheese Bavarois served with Nashi Pear. Perfection.
Since then, we have been back once a year, religiously, to celebrate that first date. The outfits have improved but the restaurant and its atmosphere never needed to. It excelled every time. However it’s not just the food. The tranquil space Tetsuya has created within the bustling centre of Sydney is extraordinary. The minute you pass the iron gates, a calm comes across you and you know you are in for a truly memorable experience. It fascinates me that diners sit for hours with no concept of the time that is passing by despite this crazy time anxious world we live in.
I was lucky enough to be introduced to Tetsuya early on in my Australian career and found him to be so generous with his time and advice. We have worked together on a few projects over the years, most memorably a 4 chef’s gift box with Charmaine Solomon, Maggie Beer, Tetsuyas and Bitton. Still I consider this to be one of my biggest achievements – simply being able to convince him and 2 other top Australian culinary icons to put their brands next to mine. I will forever be grateful that they gave me that opportunity.
I would imagine that many people reading this have had at least one strong memory forged at Tetsuyas. To me, that’s what makes a restaurant an institution. It becomes not only a place for excellent food and service, but also a place where politicians make history, business men network, people fall in love and families gather. It becomes part of the soul of a city.
Following is Franz’s article for your enjoyment and please, if you are at all interested in food or dining, make sure you subscribe to the Australian Gourmet Pages. He always writes with such knowledge, depth and respect. You can subscribe here
http://www.classic.com.au/wizard/subs.htm
Australian Gourmet Pages Newsletter
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