For Tasmanian Chef Josh Strudwick, it’s all about letting produce, technique and flavour shine in the dishes he plates up at Lure Wine Bar Restaurant in Coles Bay.
Situated inside the Edge of the Bay on the iconic Freycinet Peninsula, this well-loved restaurant on Coles Bay Road features incredible water views over Great Oyster Bay and the famous Hazards Mountains. A stone’s throw from the water expect to see local wildlife and birds with the ever-present chance of dolphins and whales.
The menu has a strong focus on locally-sourced Tasmanian produce such as Cape Grim beef, Strelleyfield pasture-raised duck, Tasmanian truffles, Wild Clover lamb, Scottsdale free-range pork and fresh seafood.
Born in Sydney, Josh moved to the Apple Isle at a young age, starting in the kitchen at 16 and spending time at the once iconic Hobart restaurant Atlas under Chef Chris Jackman.
The Lure Wine Bar Restaurant team…Ling Chou, Josh Strudwick, Chris Lucas and Kuan Yu Chen.
Moving on to create the now institutional Blue Café Bar in Launceston, Josh was drawn to tropical Far North Queensland in 2006 where he met and worked with Chef Tony Sassi.
"Tony’s ethos completely changed my focus from modern fusion to a more traditional element, taking me back to the rustic 90s Australian dining scene, where produce, technique and flavour allowed dishes to shine,” he tells AGFG.
During his time in Queensland, Josh also took on many high-end catering gigs both in exclusive private venues as well as many amazing vessels and super yachts.
"This was an incredible opportunity and experience, not only cooking for rock stars, royalty, movie stars and a diverse client list, but also getting to see and immerse myself in some truly unbelievable locations," he explains.
"Having no cost boundaries with some of these clients allowed me to work and play with ingredients most Chefs can only read about or dream of using, with many of these ingredients now regularly appearing on the highlights menu at Lure."
Lure offers several different types of rarely seen European caviar along with being the state’s exclusive supplier of Yarra Valley caviar and this is one of the ingredients Josh showcases in his recipe for tartare of Tasmanian ocean trout, scallop and caviar.
Citrus-loaded ponzu and basil oil make this dish as pretty on the palate as the plate, with cubed trout, thinly sliced scallops and caviar sending the senses to tastebud heaven. This is an ideal starter for a memorable meal with your someone special, garnished with native coastal flowers, dragons breath mustard and black fennel.
Any edible flowers can be used if you can’t get your hands on native coastal blooms, while dragons breath can be replaced with endive or wild rocket.
Josh says one Chef doesn’t make a restaurant function - it takes an exceptional team behind the scenes and Lure is no exception.
"We have a truly talented and focused team of inspired Chefs including Chris Lucas, Kuan Yu Chen and Ling Chou.”
As well as working at Lure, Chris also owns What Grows exclusive private catering and produces incredible fresh produce for the restaurant from his garden; while Kuan and Ling have worked at two of the top 50 restaurants in Asia.
