No menu, no worries: this Melbourne eatery transports you around the world
In Victoria's capital, where iconic restaurants pepper each main street and back alley, it can be tricky to know where to start. But there's one new restaurant making the paralysis of choice just a little easier to handle.
At Freyja, diners are simply asked if there's anything they don't eat, won't eat or shouldn't eat before the dishes start rolling to the table. The secretive menu gives guests a chance to release control of the dining experience and let one of the city's most talented chefs bring plate after plate of seasonal, boundary-pushing food.
As a young chef, Jae Bang travelled from Seoul to sleep outside Ferran Adria's modernist El Bulli restaurant on Spain's Costa Brava until he was given a chance to cook. He worked his way through some of the most respected kitchens in the US, Europe and Asia before moving to Melbourne in 2022 and opening Freyja.
The restaurant, in one of the CBD's beautiful Gothic and Romanesque buildings, is a reflection of Chef Bang's career. He isn't constrained by cuisine, blending earthy Middle Eastern spices such as ras el hanout with Asian flavours like tangy makrut lime.
The meal starts with an oyster from Boomer Bay and a silky paté dotted with blackberries. Crusty sourdough mops up mussels in a delicate, buttery sauce before beef tartare with nasturtium hits the table. Chef Bang keeps the palate dancing when he serves melt-in-the-mouth pork ribs, roast cauliflower and a beet salad.
Inside the arched cathedral windows of Freyja is a classic Melbourne dining experience that tells the story of the city and its bakers, farmers, butchers and winemakers. freyjarestaurant.com
With all the must-see restaurants, bakeries and sandwich shops serving irresistible morsels, "I've been eating all day, I can't fit in another bite," goes the Melbourne visitor's frequent refrain.
In Victoria's capital, where iconic restaurants pepper each main street and back alley, it can be tricky to know where to start. But there's one new restaurant making the paralysis of choice just a little easier to handle.
At Freyja, diners are simply asked if there's anything they don't eat, won't eat or shouldn't eat before the dishes start rolling to the table. The secretive menu gives guests a chance to release control of the dining experience and let one of the city's most talented chefs bring plate after plate of seasonal, boundary-pushing food.
As a young chef, Jae Bang travelled from Seoul to sleep outside Ferran Adria's modernist El Bulli restaurant on Spain's Costa Brava until he was given a chance to cook. He worked his way through some of the most respected kitchens in the US, Europe and Asia before moving to Melbourne in 2022 and opening Freyja.
The restaurant, in one of the CBD's beautiful Gothic and Romanesque buildings, is a reflection of Chef Bang's career. He isn't constrained by cuisine, blending earthy Middle Eastern spices such as ras el hanout with Asian flavours like tangy makrut lime.
The meal starts with an oyster from Boomer Bay and a silky paté dotted with blackberries. Crusty sourdough mops up mussels in a delicate, buttery sauce before beef tartare with nasturtium hits the table. Chef Bang keeps the palate dancing when he serves melt-in-the-mouth pork ribs, roast cauliflower and a beet salad.
Inside the arched cathedral windows of Freyja is a classic Melbourne dining experience that tells the story of the city and its bakers, farmers, butchers and winemakers. freyjarestaurant.com
With all the must-see restaurants, bakeries and sandwich shops serving irresistible morsels, "I've been eating all day, I can't fit in another bite," goes the Melbourne visitor's frequent refrain.
In Victoria's capital, where iconic restaurants pepper each main street and back alley, it can be tricky to know where to start. But there's one new restaurant making the paralysis of choice just a little easier to handle.
At Freyja, diners are simply asked if there's anything they don't eat, won't eat or shouldn't eat before the dishes start rolling to the table. The secretive menu gives guests a chance to release control of the dining experience and let one of the city's most talented chefs bring plate after plate of seasonal, boundary-pushing food.
As a young chef, Jae Bang travelled from Seoul to sleep outside Ferran Adria's modernist El Bulli restaurant on Spain's Costa Brava until he was given a chance to cook. He worked his way through some of the most respected kitchens in the US, Europe and Asia before moving to Melbourne in 2022 and opening Freyja.
The restaurant, in one of the CBD's beautiful Gothic and Romanesque buildings, is a reflection of Chef Bang's career. He isn't constrained by cuisine, blending earthy Middle Eastern spices such as ras el hanout with Asian flavours like tangy makrut lime.
The meal starts with an oyster from Boomer Bay and a silky paté dotted with blackberries. Crusty sourdough mops up mussels in a delicate, buttery sauce before beef tartare with nasturtium hits the table. Chef Bang keeps the palate dancing when he serves melt-in-the-mouth pork ribs, roast cauliflower and a beet salad.
Inside the arched cathedral windows of Freyja is a classic Melbourne dining experience that tells the story of the city and its bakers, farmers, butchers and winemakers. freyjarestaurant.com
With all the must-see restaurants, bakeries and sandwich shops serving irresistible morsels, "I've been eating all day, I can't fit in another bite," goes the Melbourne visitor's frequent refrain.
In Victoria's capital, where iconic restaurants pepper each main street and back alley, it can be tricky to know where to start. But there's one new restaurant making the paralysis of choice just a little easier to handle.
At Freyja, diners are simply asked if there's anything they don't eat, won't eat or shouldn't eat before the dishes start rolling to the table. The secretive menu gives guests a chance to release control of the dining experience and let one of the city's most talented chefs bring plate after plate of seasonal, boundary-pushing food.
As a young chef, Jae Bang travelled from Seoul to sleep outside Ferran Adria's modernist El Bulli restaurant on Spain's Costa Brava until he was given a chance to cook. He worked his way through some of the most respected kitchens in the US, Europe and Asia before moving to Melbourne in 2022 and opening Freyja.
The restaurant, in one of the CBD's beautiful Gothic and Romanesque buildings, is a reflection of Chef Bang's career. He isn't constrained by cuisine, blending earthy Middle Eastern spices such as ras el hanout with Asian flavours like tangy makrut lime.
The meal starts with an oyster from Boomer Bay and a silky paté dotted with blackberries. Crusty sourdough mops up mussels in a delicate, buttery sauce before beef tartare with nasturtium hits the table. Chef Bang keeps the palate dancing when he serves melt-in-the-mouth pork ribs, roast cauliflower and a beet salad.
Inside the arched cathedral windows of Freyja is a classic Melbourne dining experience that tells the story of the city and its bakers, farmers, butchers and winemakers. freyjarestaurant.com
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Sydney Morning Herald
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- Sydney Morning Herald
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In 1992 he moved to Perth and became sous chef at 44 King Street where he worked alongside a pre-Star Anise David Coomer and underneath head chef Russell Blaikie. Next came Melbourne and our man's Malouf era. First it was a stint at forward-thinking pub O'Connells Hotel, then being tapped to run MoMo: Malouf's fine diner at Melbourne's Grand Hyatt. Somewhere along the way, Sampson also found time to help his mentor produce cookbooks, something I discovered in 2023 when I stumbled on a second-hand copy of Greg and Lucy Malouf's Moorish (Hardie Grant, 2001) in which Sampson gets a shout-out in the book's thank you notes. Perth came calling a second time and Sampson returned west in 2009 to reunite with Coomer and, together with a pre-Greenhouse Matt Stone, opened Pata Negra: a spirited tapas bar with a strong North African influence. After leaving Pata Negra, Sampson teamed up with Bread & Circuses duo Siobhan Blumann and Hamish Fleming where, between 2014 and 2023, he oversaw the food at yesteryear watering hole The Dominion League, Middle Eastern stronghold Propeller and neighbourhood small bar Saint Brigid. While Dominion League's fried chicken ribs and Saint Brigid's potato scallops had their fans, it was Sampson's menu at Propeller that confirmed his status as one of Perth's most singular cooking talents. Offal and unglamorous ingredients were a strength, from the liver and toast on the breakfast menu to dainty quail's eggs sharpened with harissa. An all-offal long table dinner held in 2016 that started with minted lamb's brain omelette and finished with langues de chat ('cat's tongue biscuits' in French) remains a fond memory. Yet despite a tireless work ethic and knack for wrangling max flavour from unlikely sources, Sampson's legacy is defined as much by the way he treated people as the way he handled ingredients. Having had the pleasure of getting to know Sampson proteges over the years, similar stories keep resurfacing. Stories of a teacher who took joy in passing on knowledge. Stories of a leader that had the back of all his charges. (Albeit a leader that possessed an X-Men-esque superpower of being able to strike you down with a perfectly timed one-liner.) Stories of a committed father that pushed constantly to support his family. Stories of a chef that his peers all hailed as a chef's chef: the ultimate peer-given accolade in cooking circles. But as is often the case with chef's chefs, the glow of the spotlight made Sampson uncomfortable: a shame, I think, as his input was always thoughtful and smart. When it came to receiving praise, Sampson would typically deflect and direct people's attention elsewhere. To the farmer, to the rest of the kitchen crew, to the front-of-house. While I'm not convinced that he necessarily hated having all eyes on him – although he probably did – I suspect that he felt more comfortable getting on with things behind the scenes. He was, after all, someone that didn't do shortcuts and thought nothing of changing menus last minute to make the most of produce that he was excited about. A minute spent answering a journalist's questions was a minute fewer he could put towards butterflying boxes of garfish. As mentioned previously, while food was central to Sampson's identity, his dream post-MND diagnosis was to reconnect with New Zealand and share his homeland with his family. A 2023 fundraiser made this possible and the Sampsons have spent the better part of two years exploring the many forests, beaches and mountains of Aotearoa. Relocating to New Zealand, naturally, also allowed Sampson to (re)immerse himself in rugby culture, from cheering on The Highlanders of Otago. Kurt Sampson was born on April 29 1968 in Napier, New Zealand but spent most of his childhood in Gisborne, a major city three hours north of his birthplace.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
Kurt Sampson, one of Australia's most accomplished chefs, passes away aged 57
In 1992 he moved to Perth and became sous chef at 44 King Street where he worked alongside a pre-Star Anise David Coomer and underneath head chef Russell Blaikie. Next came Melbourne and our man's Malouf era. First it was a stint at forward-thinking pub O'Connells Hotel, then being tapped to run MoMo: Malouf's fine diner at Melbourne's Grand Hyatt. Somewhere along the way, Sampson also found time to help his mentor produce cookbooks, something I discovered in 2023 when I stumbled on a second-hand copy of Greg and Lucy Malouf's Moorish (Hardie Grant, 2001) in which Sampson gets a shout-out in the book's thank you notes. Perth came calling a second time and Sampson returned west in 2009 to reunite with Coomer and, together with a pre-Greenhouse Matt Stone, opened Pata Negra: a spirited tapas bar with a strong North African influence. After leaving Pata Negra, Sampson teamed up with Bread & Circuses duo Siobhan Blumann and Hamish Fleming where, between 2014 and 2023, he oversaw the food at yesteryear watering hole The Dominion League, Middle Eastern stronghold Propeller and neighbourhood small bar Saint Brigid. While Dominion League's fried chicken ribs and Saint Brigid's potato scallops had their fans, it was Sampson's menu at Propeller that confirmed his status as one of Perth's most singular cooking talents. Offal and unglamorous ingredients were a strength, from the liver and toast on the breakfast menu to dainty quail's eggs sharpened with harissa. An all-offal long table dinner held in 2016 that started with minted lamb's brain omelette and finished with langues de chat ('cat's tongue biscuits' in French) remains a fond memory. Yet despite a tireless work ethic and knack for wrangling max flavour from unlikely sources, Sampson's legacy is defined as much by the way he treated people as the way he handled ingredients. Having had the pleasure of getting to know Sampson proteges over the years, similar stories keep resurfacing. Stories of a teacher who took joy in passing on knowledge. Stories of a leader that had the back of all his charges. (Albeit a leader that possessed an X-Men-esque superpower of being able to strike you down with a perfectly timed one-liner.) Stories of a committed father that pushed constantly to support his family. Stories of a chef that his peers all hailed as a chef's chef: the ultimate peer-given accolade in cooking circles. But as is often the case with chef's chefs, the glow of the spotlight made Sampson uncomfortable: a shame, I think, as his input was always thoughtful and smart. When it came to receiving praise, Sampson would typically deflect and direct people's attention elsewhere. To the farmer, to the rest of the kitchen crew, to the front-of-house. While I'm not convinced that he necessarily hated having all eyes on him – although he probably did – I suspect that he felt more comfortable getting on with things behind the scenes. He was, after all, someone that didn't do shortcuts and thought nothing of changing menus last minute to make the most of produce that he was excited about. A minute spent answering a journalist's questions was a minute fewer he could put towards butterflying boxes of garfish. As mentioned previously, while food was central to Sampson's identity, his dream post-MND diagnosis was to reconnect with New Zealand and share his homeland with his family. A 2023 fundraiser made this possible and the Sampsons have spent the better part of two years exploring the many forests, beaches and mountains of Aotearoa. Relocating to New Zealand, naturally, also allowed Sampson to (re)immerse himself in rugby culture, from cheering on The Highlanders of Otago. Kurt Sampson was born on April 29 1968 in Napier, New Zealand but spent most of his childhood in Gisborne, a major city three hours north of his birthplace.
Courier-Mail
2 days ago
- Courier-Mail
Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral wasn't just restored after the fire, it was reborn
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Sitting at the rooftop bar of the Hôtel Dame des Arts above the beating heart of Paris's Latin Quarter, I admire the unobstructed 360-degree views of the city. The Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides' gilded golden dome, too many rooftops and tucked-away balconies to count, and nearby the soaring medieval beauty of the city's Gothic wonder, Notre-Dame Cathedral. This repository of French culture dating back to the 12th century has seen everything from the coronation of Napoleon to the funerals of presidents. On one night in 2019, however, the view would have been vastly different. It would have been horrific. On April 15, around 6.30pm, a fire started in Notre-Dame's roof, destroying much of its 13th-century oak ceiling, its upper walls, and its symbolic crown, a glorious lead-lined 19th-century timber spire. Flames, fed by the forest of timbers in its ceilings, spread toxic lead and dust across a city stunned into shock and disbelief. The process to restore it, at a cost of €700 million ($1.25bn), befits its monumental status. Over 1000 oak trees from almost 200 public and private forests went through 35 sawmills on their way to the French capital. More than 2000 artisans, including carpenters and stonemasons, glassmakers and scaffolders, painters and sculptors and iron forgers joined to help it rise from the ashes, and Notre-Dame reopened to the public on December 7, 2024. I last visited Notre-Dame in 2010. Back then its interior seemed to me a shadowy realm, a bleak-looking sanctuary, weathered by centuries of neglect. Bacteria and an accumulation of grime and pollution had infiltrated its porous, Lutetian limestone. The passing of time had turned it black. The interior isn't just renewed, it shines. After joining a short but growing queue at 7.45am opening time, what I see when I enter this time, armed only with that memory of a somewhat faded masterpiece, stops me in my tracks. The interior isn't just renewed, it shines. Everything – pillars and pointed arches, its ribbed vaulted ceilings and its statuary and every carving both great and small – seems alive. Though some of its stained glasses have been replaced, most survived the fire and have been cleaned and are alive with colour. Lasers were used to vaporise eight centuries of grime from carvings and hard-to-get-at niches. Calcium carbonate-based abrasives were applied under low pressure to its broader surfaces such as pillars and walls, and its stonework is now without blemish. You can take a guided tour of the renewed cathedral, but I prefer instead to wander on my own and contemplate this enduring testament to the ingenuity of an army of dedicated artisans, and of a people of indomitable faith. Entry to Notre-Dame is always free. How much does admission cost at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris Entry to Notre-Dame is always free. It's open from 7.45am-7pm Monday to Friday, and 8.15am-7.30pm on weekends. A range of paid guided tours is also available. Best place to stay in Paris Hôtel Dame des Arts is close to the cathedral. The author was a guest of the Hôtel Dame des Arts. Originally published as Notre-Dame Cathedral wasn't just restored after the fire, it was reborn
