Jed Gareth on Australian Cuisine

If you are into trying out different cuisines, then you will have the opportunity to try out Australian food at the Radisson Blu Dhaka this weekend. The food festival, which started on March 17 and will continue till the 26th, offers a wide array of items, such as succulent lamb dishes, pies and delicious macaroons. From oysters to poached blue crabs and ‘kachchi biriyani’ cooked to perfection with lamb imported from Australia, there is no lack of variation for food enthusiasts. If that is not enough to intrigue you, you will also find a whole lamb being slow cooked on a spit rotisserie. 

According to Jed Gareth Archdeacon, the executive chef of Sublime Restaurant at the Radisson, the lamb has been brought in from Australia, along with herbs, oils and other items for the festival. 
About the food culture of Australia, Archdeacon who is also from the land down under, told this correspondent: “When it comes to modern Australian cuisine, it is basically produce based. The culinary scene in the world went from traditional French to fusion for a while, then it was molecular and all these different trends came in. I think now what’s really popular all over the world is basically focusing on produce. So, getting a good piece of brisket or cooking a lamb to perfection is better than having food on the plate you can hardly identify.” 
“Australian produce is some of the finest in the world and our beef is really good, if not the best. Our olive oils, vegetables, fruits, herbs, cheeses and wines are gaining popularity all over the world, so modern Australian cuisine is mainly produce based. When it comes to cultural influence on our cuisine, since the English settled in Australia, our baseline cuisine is based on British cuisine. Lamington is our most famous dessert and pies came from England, and they are extremely popular in Australia. In fact, you will find a variety of gourmet pies at this festival, including pigeon pie. Though our cuisines are very similar, British food is richer, while Australian is a little more on the light side. There is huge Asian influence on our food as well, like Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese. If you talk about real Australian cuisine in a restaurant, it is a blend, you know. A mixture of spices and flavours from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka mixed with herbs from Vietnam. That is really fine dining restaurant food, and we have so many influences all blended into one,” the chef continued. 
“Kangaroo meat has been consumed by the aboriginals (Australians) for centuries and is beautiful when cooked to perfection. But sadly we were unable to present it here at this festival. We do not have any trade agreement between Australia and Bangladesh for (importing) game items,” he added.  
Talking about fresh produce, Archdeacon said: “I have introduced a hydroponics lettuce tower at the festival since I am growing it here on the rooftop, and we are also growing our own mushrooms in the car park. We are also growing herbs such as basil, mint, celery and others. We have a pretty good hydroponics setup and we can crop 135 bunches of lettuce at a time here. We have a massive roof area and we are putting it to use to have the freshest ingredients at hand. The idea is so go into urban farming so that we have organic fruits and vegetables that are hard to find here in Dhaka. We will be introducing ‘spa cuisine’ here soon, and for that we need the freshest produce available to keep it on par with the usual standards. I am a really passionate person and I am working towards introducing the highest standard of fine dining experience here in Dhaka.”
Spa cuisine emphasises on wholesome natural ingredients, seasonal fruits and vegetables so the produce is always fresh, well-balanced and nutritious. 
Starting his career as a chef in his hometown of Perth, Western Australia, Archdeacon has worked under the guidance of world renowned chef Cheong Liew at his signature restaurants in both Perth and Adelaide. Archdeacon left Australia on a culinary journey that saw him working for some of the top luxury hotels and resorts throughout Asia and the Middle East. He headed the culinary operations for companies like Ritz Carlton, Hilton, Viceroy, Six Senses, COMO hotels, just to name a few, in exotic locations such as the Maldives, Bhutan, Thailand and China.

Photos: Writer, file

Jed Gareth on Australian Cuisine

If you are into trying out different cuisines, then you will have the opportunity to try out Australian food at the Radisson Blu Dhaka this weekend. The food festival, which started on March 17 and will continue till the 26th, offers a wide array of items, such as succulent lamb dishes, pies and delicious macaroons. From oysters to poached blue crabs and kachchi biriyani cooked to perfection with lamb imported from Australia, there is no lack of variation for food enthusiasts. If that is not enough to intrigue you, you will also find a whole lamb being slow cooked on a spit rotisserie. According to Jed Gareth Archdeacon, the executive chef of Sublime Restaurant at the Radisson, the lamb has been brought in from Australia, along with herbs, oils and other items for the festival. About the food culture of Australia, Archdeacon who is also from the land down under, told this correspondent: When it comes to modern Australian cuisine, it is basically produce based. The culinary scene in the world went from traditional French to fusion for a while, then it was molecular and all these different trends came in. I think now whats really popular all over the world is basically focusing on produce. So, getting a good piece of brisket or cooking a lamb to perfection is better than having food on the plate you can hardly identify. Australian produce is some of the finest in the world and our beef is really good, if not the best. Our olive oils, vegetables, fruits, herbs, cheeses and wines are gaining popularity all over the world, so modern Australian cuisine is mainly produce based. When it comes to cultural influence on our cuisine, since the English settled in Australia, our baseline cuisine is based on British cuisine. Lamington is our most famous dessert and pies came from England, and they are extremely popular in Australia. In fact, you will find a variety of gourmet pies at this festival, including pigeon pie. Though our cuisines are very similar, British food is richer, while Australian is a little more on the light side. There is huge Asian influence on our food as well, like Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese. If you talk about real Australian cuisine in a restaurant, it is a blend, you know. A mixture of spices and flavours from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka mixed with herbs from Vietnam. That is really fine dining restaurant food, and we have so many influences all blended into one, the chef continued. Kangaroo meat has been consumed by the aboriginals (Australians) for centuries and is beautiful when cooked to perfection. But sadly we were unable to present it here at this festival. We do not have any trade agreement between Australia and Bangladesh for (importing) game items, he added. Talking about fresh produce, Archdeacon said: I have introduced a hydroponics lettuce tower at the festival since I am growing it here on the rooftop, and we are also growing our own mushrooms in the car park. We are also growing herbs such as basil, mint, celery and others. We have a pretty good hydroponics setup and we can crop 135 bunches of lettuce at a time here. We have a massive roof area and we are putting it to use to have the freshest ingredients at hand. The idea is so go into urban farming so that we have organic fruits and vegetables that are hard to find here in Dhaka. We will be introducing spa cuisine here soon, and for that we need the freshest produce available to keep it on par with the usual standards. I am a really passionate person and I am working towards introducing the highest standard of fine dining experience here in Dhaka. Spa cuisine emphasises on wholesome natural ingredients, seasonal fruits and vegetables so the produce is always fresh, well-balanced and nutritious. Starting his career as a chef in his hometown of Perth, Western Australia, Archdeacon has worked under the guidance of world renowned chef Cheong Liew at his signature restaurants in both Perth and Adelaide. Archdeacon left Australia on a culinary journey that saw him working for some of the top luxury hotels and resorts throughout Asia and the Middle East. He headed the culinary operations for companies like Ritz Carlton, Hilton, Viceroy, Six Senses, COMO hotels, just to name a few, in exotic locations such as the Maldives, Bhutan, Thailand and China. Photos: Writer, file