By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Jad Nehmetallah is a TV personality with big dreams beyond the small screen. While well-known for his witty Gogglebox one-liners, the hospitality industry has long been his proverbial bread and butter. With Jad’s various off-camera roles including the opening of the successful Picnic Cafe in Burwood in 2016 and the launch of the popular Misc. bar and restaurant in the heart of Parramatta Park in 2020.
A proud proponent of culinary collaborations, Jad’s latest venture recently saw him pair up with plant-based baking pioneer and Head Pastry Chef at Harrod’s London, Philip Khoury, who has returned to his hometown of Sydney for the launch of his groundbreaking cookbook, ‘A New Way to Bake,’ (click to read our review) at Misc.
The joint venture between the sweet artisan and the social media influencer was first baked to life with Philip personally crafting the cake for his brother’s wedding held at Misc. Ongoing conversations with Jad introduced Philip to the idea of hosting an event that not only showcased his book to the public but also unveiled the spectacular ‘Philip Khoury Wedding Cake’ - to both the culinary community and media alike at a recent ticketed event.
It was an evening that featured delicious roaming vegan canapés, live cake decorating demonstrations, plant-based banoffee pies served off the ‘skirts’ of event hostesses and a cheeky Q&A session moderated by Jad.
Philip told guests: "This book is my labour of love, reinventing and re-imagining cakes, bakes and desserts and was designed for professionals and the home baker. It unlocks the immense functionality of some of our most prized naturally plant-based and globally available ingredients.”
The evening culminated with Philip not only unveiling his book but also presenting a portion of the spectacular ‘Wedding Cake,’ to guests. The egg/butter/cream-free concoction, made of layers of hazelnutty torte, passionfruit gel and meticulously placed berries, proved to be a true showstopper that both the attending culinary community and media hungrily said ‘I do!’ to.
Following its launch, Jad confirmed that Misc. will feature Philip’s Wedding Cake as a limited-edition dessert item on its menu for two weeks in February, with a special dinner seating on Valentine's Day.
"This exclusive offering will provide diners with a rare opportunity to savour the same masterpiece created by the expert Chef. We invite everyone to experience the innovation of transforming plant-based sweet stuff into something truly prestigious,” Jad says.
