AUSTRALIAN GOOD FOOD GUIDE - Home of the Chef Hat Awards
Andrea Vagge
Born: Milan , Italy
History:
I was brought up by my grandfather and from a young age I became interested in food and cooking, my grandfather was a huge inspiration to me and it is because of him I became a chef. Italy is very regional in its cooking and I learnt to make all the classic Lombardy region Italian dishes such as Minestrone, Tortelli di Zucca, Risotto alla Milanese, Ossobuco and Torta di Cioccolato which became our signature dessert when we had La Locanda restaurant in Bronte, it never came off the menu! I am entirely self-taught – well apart from what my grandfather taught me as a school kid. I moved to Australia in 2001 and started working in the kitchens of Otto for free to kick start my career. From there I went onto open La Locanda in Bronte for 8 years and now Greenheart Espresso in the CBD.
Have you always wanted to be a Chef?
Yes since childhood, rolling out the gnocchi on the marble kitchen bench top!
How would you define your style?
Fresh and wholesome the older I get the healthier my food becomes!!
Obsessive compulsive about?
Making the best pizza dough ever.
Your greatest culinary inspirations/influences:
Giorgio Locatelli, Yotam Ottolenhi and The River Café in London.
Signature Dish:
History:
I was brought up by my grandfather and from a young age I became interested in food and cooking, my grandfather was a huge inspiration to me and it is because of him I became a chef. Italy is very regional in its cooking and I learnt to make all the classic Lombardy region Italian dishes such as Minestrone, Tortelli di Zucca, Risotto alla Milanese, Ossobuco and Torta di Cioccolato which became our signature dessert when we had La Locanda restaurant in Bronte, it never came off the menu! I am entirely self-taught – well apart from what my grandfather taught me as a school kid. I moved to Australia in 2001 and started working in the kitchens of Otto for free to kick start my career. From there I went onto open La Locanda in Bronte for 8 years and now Greenheart Espresso in the CBD.
Have you always wanted to be a Chef?
Yes since childhood, rolling out the gnocchi on the marble kitchen bench top!
How would you define your style?
Fresh and wholesome the older I get the healthier my food becomes!!
Obsessive compulsive about?
Making the best pizza dough ever.
Your greatest culinary inspirations/influences:
Giorgio Locatelli, Yotam Ottolenhi and The River Café in London.
Signature Dish:
My menu is weekly changing at the café so at the moment it’s a braised beef brisket salad with organic red Quinoa, roast harissa eggplant and cauliflower, beetroot leaves, with cumin yoghurt dressing and toasted almonds. When we had the restaurant it was my home made gnocchi with gorgonzola.
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