Ben Bamford
Chefs
AUSTRALIAN GOOD FOOD GUIDE - Home of the Chef Hat Awards
Chathun Perera
Born:
Sri Lanka
History:
After finishing high school in Sri Lanka, I studied culinary arts in SLITHM and started my career in Dubai working for Trader Vic’s restaurant and then joined the Intercontinental Hotel group and had an opportunity to work for 3 Michelin-star Chef Pierre Gagnaire.
I spent almost 10 years in Dubai and worked for well-known hotels and restaurants, then in 2018 I moved to Australia and have worked at Darleys Restaurant as a Head Chef for the past 6 years.
Have you always wanted to be a Chef?
Not really, I always wanted to be in the music industry but then with the financial issues I always wanted to go out from the country and earn some money. Being a Chef is the easiest way to go out so I chose to become a Chef. However, from the first day I fell in love with the food and culture in kitchen and couldn’t even thinking about doing something else now.
How would you define your style?
Contemporary.
What is your feature flavour these days?
Umami.
Obsessive-compulsive about?
Quality of product.
What do you love about this business?
We get to be creative and meet different people.
An ingredient you can’t live without?
Coconut.
Most ‘eyebrow-raising’ menu item?
Porcini ice cream.
Signature dish:
I can’t say one signature dish. I believe over the years we have had several good dishes and it will improve over and over.
What can diners expect when they eat at your restaurant and what makes the experience special?
Good local ingredients cooked to perfection and balanced flavours.
What is your go-to meal at home when you don’t feel like cooking?
Fried egg and Vegemite sandwich.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
As a well-known international Chef.
Darleys
Steeped in style and elegance, multi-award-winning Darleys on Lilianfels Avenue in Katoomba, sparkles with newly revived old-world charm. Nestled in Lilianfels Resort & Spa, magnificent décor awaits guests, with an ornate fireplace, leadlight windows, crystal chandeliers and evocative artwork, setting a luxurious ambience. With breath-taking views of the Blue Mountains, this unrivalled restaurant boasts a menu to match, prepared using the best local and organic produce, complemented by an extensive wine list. Expect entrées like venison tartare, kimchi carrot, mountain pepper and saltbush, before a memorable main affair of char-grilled Wagyu beef, sunchoke, leeks, silverbeet and bone marrow jus, or butter poached Murray cod, dashi emulsion, clams, wakame, charred lettuce and sesame.
