Just Like Nonna Made It…12 Aussie Chefs Get Nostalgic about Their Favourite Comfort Food

By Marie-Antoinette Issa.

Despite their reputation for creating fine dining dishes, once the kitchen is closed, some of Australia’s most popular Chefs often have a soft spot for their childhood favourites. A craving for the comfort of simple, familiar dishes that sit in contrast to the fancy plates and delicate flavours that are often their professional signature.

This Comfort Food Week, we caught up with 12 Chefs across the country and got them to spill the beans (or hot chips) on the tastes that have a magical way of transporting them back to happy moments.

They also tell us how they infuse their menus with these cherished flavours, to create dishes that not only tantalise the taste buds and stir the soul, but deliver a delicious dose of joyful nostalgia 

 

Stefano Manfredi's youthful memories of cooking in the kitchen are woven into the very fabric of his professional creations.

"My comfort foods are those of my childhood that my mother and grandmother used to prepare both in Italy, where I was born and spent the first six years of my life and then in Australia,” he says.

"Gnocchi with burnt butter and Parmigiano, hearty osso buco and comforting minestrone are the first tastes I remember, the flavours that have been indelibly stamped in my memory and the standards by which I judge my preferences to this day.”

It is for these reasons that, regardless of the season, you will always find a comforting bowl of gnocchi on the menu at his Pizzaperta Manfredi West HQ restaurant. 

 

Similarly, for Italian-born Giuseppe Barillari, risotto is more than just a dish; it's a journey back in time to his family's kitchen.

"Risotto has always been my go-to comfort food. Growing up, it was a dish my family would come together to make and enjoy, filling our home with warmth and rich, savoury aromas.” 

Today, as he stirs the creamy arborio rice and earthy mushrooms to make the popular risotto porcini at La Piazza at Bankstown Sports, Giuseppe delivers a delightful dish that has been crafted to evoke those cherished memories of home-cooked meals.

"I believe that every bite should transport you to a place of comfort and joy, just like it does for me.”

 

Rounding out the trifecta of carby Italian comfort food, Johnny Di Francesco's passion for popularising authentic Neapolitan pizza in Australia is rooted in his travels to Italy and the cherished memories of home-cooked meals.

"At 400 Gradi, each pizza is a homage to tradition, with every bite offering a taste of the rustic flavours and simple pleasures of Italian cuisine,” says Johnny, who has perfected a menu that also features other classic dishes paying tribute to the comforting flavours of home, ensuring that every diner experiences a slice of culinary nostalgia.

Chef Detlef Haupt's culinary creations are a reflection of his global travels and German heritage; with a passion for cooking that he traces back to watching his parents in the kitchen, especially his mother, making Hungarian-inspired segedin goulash.

To translate this love for hearty, meaty goodness and thick sauces to his family-owned The Fine Food Store cafe in The Rocks, he has perfected a soul-soothing rustic Tuscan chicken and Winter vegetable soup served with toast.

"Like a good goulash, I think the chunkier the soup, the better. I want to see and taste every ingredient,” says Detlef.

In a further nod to the favourite childhood comfort foods, he suggests pairing it with a spiced apple cider with caramel and cream with Swedish cinnamon and cardamom for the ultimate comfort combo.

"In my world, comfort food isn't just about taste,” he says. "It's about bringing people together and creating lasting memories, one delicious meal at a time.”

 

Chef Kevin Vu Ha's love for black garlic tonkotsu ramen stems from his childhood memories of rainy days and steaming bowls of broth.

"I remember after school, my friends and I would get ramen on cold rainy days. There's nothing like a rich and creamy tonkotsu broth to help you stay warm.”

Today, at Tabe-ru, each ramen dish is a labour of love, meticulously prepared to capture the rich flavours and comforting aromas of his youth. Including the black garlic tonkotsu ramen. 

"We age and cure the garlic cloves over a consistently high temperature for several weeks, giving it a rich, creamy, earthy, and umami flavour,” says Kevin. The result? A dish that offers diners a taste of nostalgia with every single slurp of broth and bite of noodles.

 

For Citrique at JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa Executive Chef Paul Smart, when it comes to comfort food, you cannot go past stewed fruits with vanilla ice cream - a memory rooted in his formative years.

"My Nanna's house in South Australia had a huge backyard. Well, it seemed huge when I was between the age of 4-10 years old. There were a lot of fruit trees and I recall always running around chasing chickens in the backyard with my brother and sister while plucking fruit straight from the trees and eating them. How good it was! My favourite was the peaches and apricots. When they were too ripe my Nanna would stew them into jams.”

Currently, many of the dishes at Citrique continue this celebration of seasonal ingredients and cherished memories.

"We use raspberries on our scallop dish which works really well with the acidity in the raspberry and sweetness of the scallop. Also, on the pork belly dish, we have textures of pear which include a pear vanilla purée, pear chip and grilled baby pears. One of our best desserts features passionfruit gel and mango sorbet with our famous baked cheesecake.”

 

Chef Brian Cole’s ultimate comfort lies in his mother's curries and stews.

"When I think of comfort food, these dishes, rich in flavour and steeped in tradition, always transport me back. Eaten with rice or any starchy accompaniment, my mother's curries and stews evoke a sense of calm and comfort. Every bite is a journey back to simpler times and the flavours provide a comforting embrace that can turn even the most stressful day around,” says Brian.

Today, the backdrop may be a little more elevated at Hearth at The Ritz-Carlton Perth, but each dish pays homage to this nostalgia.

"I still strive to infuse the same depth and warmth into my own culinary creations. While the process may involve numerous components, the effort invested in these dishes pays off, as they offer a taste experience that is both nostalgic and innovative,” says Brian. 

 

Given Chef Pawel Klodowski’s diverse culinary journey - which has taken him from his roots in Poland to NYC, Denmark and the South Pacific - it is little surprise to find several food items on the menu at The Lex at W Brisbane that take inspiration from these travels and experiences, specifically, Sundays spent in Samoa.

"When I lived in Samoa, my favourite day of the week was Sunday and not only because it was my day off. Every Sunday, Samoans would rise early to attend church and prepare to’ona’i, the traditional Samoan Sunday lunch.

"Our friends would cook a few dishes, but delicious pork cooked slowly in an umu, a traditional underground oven, was always on the menu. Sunday afternoon was spent enjoying a delicious feast with family and friends,” recounts Pawel.

As a result, this inspired one of the most popular dishes at The Lex - slow-cooked and grilled pork belly paired with seasonal apple chutney, offering a balance of savoury and sweet flavours.

 

Hot chips hold a special place in Chef Graeme Hunt's heart, reminding him of family meals and childhood adventures.

"Chips bring back memories of getting some after swim training as a child, wrapped up in paper and tearing the end of the paper off, seeing all the steam blow out and eating them even though they are burning my mouth.”

More recently, Graeme reimagined the classic that is fried potatoes for Zaffi Sydney’s Lebanese-inspired menu in the form of batata harra (spicy potatoes). 

"We get Sebago potatoes, cut and rinse them to remove excess starch, then we steam them to cook them through. They then get blanched in oil at a low temp to give them a crust and then they get a final fry when we serve them at a high temperature.

"This gives them a wonderfully crispy exterior and soft fluffy interior. We dust them with our harissa salt, coriander, chilli paste and a touch of lemon. So, if I'm ever getting a little chippy craving during dinner service, there are always a couple extra around!” says Graeme. 

 

For Chef Faheem Noor, comfort is found in the layers of flavours in a hearty bouillabaisse., inspired by his culinary journey through France and the United Kingdom.

"It is one of the first dishes I made in cooking school in the UK and reminds me of the best time I’ve had while living in Toulouse with my dad. We would go over to Marseille over the weekend and hunt for the best bouillabaisse, very nostalgic to me,” he says.

Nowadays, he has earned a reputation for his innovative incorporation of Southeast Asian flavours in unconventional dishes, including a tom yum bouillabaisse for his Double Bay restaurant Bartiga.

"We've incorporated the technique while using Southeast Asian ingredients and serving it as a pasta dish at Bartiga,” says Faheem. "This has cemented itself as being a crowd favourite to this date,” he adds.

 

Sebastiaan De Kort's love for fried fish finger sandwiches stems from his memories as a young Chef working with Javier Codina.

"I invited Javier’s family to Yeppoon (in North Queensland) where I spent a lot of time as a kid. My uncle, who was a farmer and now retired fisherman, caught a beautiful kingfish, which Javier proceeded to turn into ceviche using passionfruit and lime. The next day my uncle deep fried it and put it on a sandwich. Javier was not only shocked that my uncle deep fried it but also at how good it was!”

Today, Sebastiaan’s tempura fish sandwich - at both his Allonda and Nota restaurants in Brisbane, is a nod to those cherished moments, offering diners a taste of comfort and camaraderie.

While this version is probably a little bit more sophisticated than the ‘fried fish finger sandwich, made with lots of dill, pickles and a buttered bun or white bread’ that inspired it, it nonetheless certainly delivers a dose of nostalgia with every bite.

 

For English–born Sean Connolly, Yorkshire puddings are more than just comfort food; they're a tribute to his origins: "harking back to my heritage and home country.”

At Steak & Oyster Co West HQ, similarly nostalgic dishes inspired by the classic English Sunday roast continue to take centre stage, inviting diners to indulge in the timeless flavours of home. These include "duck fat roast potatoes cooked as my Grandmother Esther used to cook,” says Sean, to ensure that every meal is a celebration of tradition and love.