Into Africa: meet the cooks and restaurants flying the flags for African cuisine in Perth
While the head chef of Hearth at the Ritz-Carlton Perth spends his working hours exploring the possibilities of native ingredients and open fires, his days off are spent showcasing African food culture.
First, it was tacos with jerk sauce at a major food show last year, then a trip to Sydney to join forces with fellow grillers Anason and Firepop for a Good Food event at The Streets of Barangaroo. Cole's contribution to this year's Taste Great Southern party, meanwhile, included grilled lamb skewers hit with suya, a punchy Nigerian spice mix that's been embraced throughout West Africa.
March, however, allowed Cole to really express himself. As part of the Kita Food Festival in Singapore, he took over modern African restaurant Tamba and served a thrilling seven-course meal inspired by traditional Sierra Leonese flavours and his mother Elsie's home cooking. (The dinner will go down, no question, as one of my favourite meals of 2025.)
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