AUSTRALIAN GOOD FOOD GUIDE - Home of the Chef Hat Awards
Christine Manfield
Christine Manfield is a dedicated chef whose commitment to culinary excellence rates her amongst the world’s best. She is an ambassador for Australian gastronomy with a passion for spice that has guided her career to span broad horizons across the globe.
Her aptly named and critically acclaimed Universal Restaurant opened in August 2007, reflecting her bold personality and perfectionist ethic within Sydney’s effervescent restaurant scene. The restaurant name is inspired by the many flavours of the world and the perfect follow-up to Paramount, her previous Sydney based restaurant. Universal is a modern establishment and colourful space complementing Christine’s gastronomic delights and coveted desserts known for their flamboyant names and unforgettable flavours..
“Our motto is food without borders, and we encourage our clients to throw convention out the window and take up the challenge. Countless stories can be told through food.Now more than ever, it’s important to stand out.”-Christine Manfield
At Universal the exceptional service reflects Christine’s own charisma and extroversion and the dining experience as a whole continues to receive rave reviews by diners. Universal’s philosophy of inclusion is the driving principle behind their open-minded and adventurous approach to good food and wine, ensuring that their pleasurable and friendly experience is accessible to a broad spectrum of Sydney diners.
Emerging Into Universal by Christine Manfield
Just as Universal takes a diverse and dynamic approach in presenting the natural symmetry between food and wine, Christine Manfield seizes a career spectrum reflecting creative roles of many sorts. Chef, restaurateur, author, gastronomic traveller and host, food manufacturer, presenter and teacher, Christine holds an uncompromising belief in pursuing many facets of global food and travel with passion.
Having launched her professional culinary career in the mid 1980’s, Christine eventually moved from Paragon at Circular Quay in 1990 to the Phoenix in Woollahra, and then to the legendary Paramount in 1993 where she remained until 2000. Relocating to London in 2003, she opened and ran award winning East @ West until 2005 when the property was sold by the owners. By August 2007, Christine’s career enjoyed a new climax when she opening Univeral that remains seducing diners with its ingenious mix of sweet, savoury and spice.
Christine Manfield Books, Travel & Mentorship
Christine Manfield’s writing exhibits the sweet side of life with her book on desserts and reveals the spicy complexity of global foods in “Fire & Spice” amongst others. Entrenched by years of travel to exotic destinations, sometimes luxurious excursions, her publish works include “Tasting India” and she is a feature travel writer for newspapers such as The Australian.
With seven book publications under her belt, Christine is versed in the love of flavour and shares select simple and sustainable foods in her own Spice Collection product line, marketed in Australia and abroad. Having appeared on MasterChef and Junior MasterChef, her publicity continues to grow and as one to give back she is a mentor and judge for Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Young Restaurateur of the Year.
Always with a universal mindset, Christine Manfield is an ambassador for Amnesty International Australia in their ‘A Taste of Freedom’ campaign, celebrating the non-profit’s 50th anniversary of humanitarian service. With the firm belief that education leads to positive change, she also supports ‘Room to Read’ in the aim of teaching girls in third world countries; in addition she remains actively involved in other positive impact campaigns.