By Leigh O’Connor.
Jake Rosen has fond memories growing up of skipping school with friends, heading to the local butcher and then home to whip up a treat together.
These days, he whips up treats for all to savour as Head Chef at Restaurant Santino in Wollongong. Tucked away in the corner of a lively laneway in the centre of the city, this Italian-style bistro on Globe Lane has a classic feel with an ambience ideal for a Dirty Martini and a number from Nina Simone.
With an uncle and cousin who are Chefs, Jake’s early life revolved around kitchens, food preparation, cooking and presentation. At 14, he began working at an Italian restaurant in Thirroul, moving from kitchen hand to signing up as an apprentice Chef.
"I completed my apprenticeship while working at the Beach House Seafood Restaurant on Wollongong Harbour,” he tells AGFG. "Following a couple of Winter seasons cooking at a ski lodge in Perisher Valley, I travelled to Europe to deepen my experience.”
From Northern Italy to London and ski lodges in Switzerland, Jake cooked his way around Europe before returning to Australia in 2012.
"Now I am back at my first love, cooking modern Italian cuisine – a round trip of about 22 years.”
Jake says he has always wanted to be on the pans from watching his uncle and other family members gather around the kitchen or barbeque on Sundays and special occasions.
"They would create amazing dishes and just talk trash with each other, it always brings back fond memories. They had me hooked!”
Dining at Restaurant Santino transports you to another era – it’s cosy and warm, with a full view of the Chefs doing their dance in the kitchen.
"The food we put up is a modern version of Italian classics, you know, those relatable dishes we’ve all had exposure to in some way or another.”
It is his recipe for scallop crudo with orange broth and mint oil that Jake shares with AGFG home cooks.
"This is a dish that reminds me of my time spent in Ibiza. It’s a spin-off from a mentor that I worked with over there for a Summer while living in London. It is a dish that reminds me of paradise, it’s fresh, tasty and easy to execute.”
With a love of flying, in another life Jake would have become a pilot and also dreams of owning a little piece of hospitality life in Thailand with a small 30-seater restaurant - dream on...
