By Leigh O'Connor.
Leonardo de Marchi Bueno has a massive sweet tooth – he’s always snacking on desserts and his Pastry Chef isn’t surprised when some of her prep just ‘vanishes’.
Born in Sao Paulo, this Brazilian Chef now heads the kitchen at Chef-hatted Brunello (13) restaurant on City Walk in Canberra, bringing a European-style bistro to the heart of the CBD.
Offering the freshest local and seasonal produce straight to your table, along with more than 400 wines from around the globe, catch up with friends over a drink in stylish surrounds of shelves stacked with bottles, sleek tiles and marble-topped tables.
"Sao Paulo is a massive city and I’ve always had the opportunity to try many different restaurants with my family,” he tells AGFG. "My first job was an internship during my culinary studies which gave me the opportunity of working with many great Chefs and to discover my passion in pastry."
Coming to Australia about five years ago, Leonardo worked in several different venues from Nikkei cuisine to baking, grilling and pastry, landing a job at Brunello as Pastry Chef, developing recipes and new desserts.
"Now, as Head Chef, I realise that everyone has their own little flair and it’s up to me to let them show that. I like to share my passion with others so everyone gets to be a little creative."
Watching the women in his life cook has always fascinated him – there’s something about the fire, the chemical reactions in cooking that caught his eye and also sparked him to pursue an education in Chemical Engineering.
"That didn’t last more than two years; cooking at the time was a hobby and I always wanted to show off the pastries I made at home for family and friends – so I decided to follow a cookery career and here I am!”
Leonardo describes his style as revisiting classics and doing them differently, with most of his dishes having an acidic component to build brightness, no matter how rich or sweet a dish might appear.
Confessing to not being able to live without garlic, he says a simple spoon of confit garlic in any recipe makes it shine even brighter every single time.
Sharing a recipe for lightly fried eggplant, black and white tahini and goats’ cheese mousse, Leonard says this dish is accessible for everyone to share over a glass of wine and enjoy the moment. Coated in chickpea batter and deep-fried until golden, it is served with a mousse made with goats’ cheese, confit garlic and honey, making it look as good on the plate as on the palate.
"Cooking for me is a love language, sharing the food I love with others as well,” he explains.
Let’s just hope his Pastry Chef shares this love and has extra ‘mise en place’ for when he raids the dessert trolley!
