By Leigh O’Connor.
Cooking is the only work Emilio Llausas has ever undertaken and he infuses his own Filipino heritage and style into every dish.
Born in the Philippines, Emilio had no clue what to do professionally – his parents owned farms where he would go every Summer and cook for the whole family and workers.
After studying agriculture and finishing a degree in Business Management, Emilio was encouraged to come to Australia for a better future and also because his parents wanted to migrate here one day.
Fast forward and Emilio now has 19 years’ as a Chef under his apron and is in his seventh year at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains by MGallery, where you’ll find him at Chef-hatted No.1 Sublime Pt in Leura on Friday and Saturday nights.
The rest of the week, Emilio oversees the entire operations of the other five restaurants and banquet operations for more than 400 people throughout two hotels in the Blue Mountains.
"I always liked cooking when I was young and became more obsessed with it when I moved to Australia,” he tells AGFG. "I love classic flavour combinations using the knowledge I have acquired through the years and understanding where I can create and infuse Filipino flavours with modern techniques and elegance in plating.”
Diners at No.1 Sublime Pt are taken on a complete dining experience with a unique five-course degustation, complemented by wine pairings for every dish, along with seamless attentive service in a picturesque location overlooking the Jamison Valley.
"The menu highlights the vibrant freshness of seasonal produce and changes every six weeks with a new marriage of flavours incorporating locally-sourced ingredients."
Emilio shares his recipe for Wagyu beef fillet with mushroom, potato and bone marrow – the dish he says won the restaurant its first Chef Hat.
"This dish is quite special to us as it was the most well-received beef dish on the tasting menu when we won our first Chef Hat this year.”
While this dish is complicated and you will need to be adventurous to try it at home, it is a simple bowl of steamed rice with a fried egg, soy and chilli that is Emilio’s go-to at home.
As for the future, his dream job awaits working in a test kitchen, creating and developing dishes.
