Ten Minutes with Tony

Lochiel House's Head Chef Tony doesn't have much spare time in between creating amazing new dishes, perfecting existing ones and teaching his apprentices how to hone their skills, but he did have ten minutes to sit down with me over a cup of chai tea and reflect on the things he enjoys doing most during his precious free time.

Tony dressed up for a Japanese speciality night - showing his tough side...

What (cook)book are you reading at the moment? Chef's Warehouse in Surry Hills called me recently and told me that Peter Gilmore's latest book 'Quay' was out and they asked me if I wanted a copy and I had to say yes!

Another of my favourites is the book from Noma which is a famous restaurant in Scandinavia.

I've also been reading 'An Autobiography of a Yogi' which is about a yogi from India who lived in the South of India and moved to America to teach yoga during the 1920s to 50s.

Quay by Peter Gilmore

What's the best wine you've tried recently? (He begins with a sigh - there are just SO many!) I really enjoyed the 2007 Freycinet Pinot Noir from Tasmania (so much that it's now on our wine list!), it's powerful and concentrated but still very elegant. They use high quality fruit. There was also an amazing Pinot Gris from Alsace called 'Zind' that I got to taste.

What restaurant are you hanging out to try? Rockpool - the original. I haven't been there for 10 years, not since I was working there! I'd also like to try restaurant Arras because I've heard great things.

What did you do on your weekend? Besides paperwork and ordering, Monique and I got ready for our wine cellar to be built. This meant three hours of moving boxes of wine and our belongings ready for part of our house to be gyprocked to crate the perfect temperature for storing wine. I also spent time in the garden cutting back the crysanthemum.

What's the most interesting thing you've seen at the fruit and veg market recently? I saw cassava the other day which is a root vegetable which they use a lot in Africa. It can be used in a similar way to potatoes. I've never tried it before, but I'd like to try cooking it in coconut milk. I also saw something which was being marketed as a "mango melon" which looks like a rockmelon but has pink flesh. I guess it tastes like mango!

What plans do you have for 2011? Not much at this stage but hopefully Monique and I will be able to take a trip to Japan, we are also wanting to go to Victoria and explore the restaurants and wineries. Hopefully we will be upgrading and expanding the dessert section in the kitchen, but I've got to work on Monique a little bit more for this one, she's not keen on logisitics!