Lino Sauro

Gangi, Sicily

 

I first started cooking at home in Sicily. I come from a long lineage of self-sufficient farmers and grew up with meals that were created with produce we had farmed ourselves on family land. It was at home in Sicily, I developed a passion for food and Sicilian culture. 

From a young age I loved travelling and cooking became a way for me to travel the world and work. I first moved to beautiful Lake Garda in Northern Italy before travelling Europe cooking in a number of 5-star restaurants from Germany to Switzerland. 

In each country I travelled to, I was passionate about sharing authentic Sicilian food and being an ambassador for my culture. After spending many years travelling from Europe to Asia, I had an opportunity to open my first solo restaurant. 

In 2009 I opened ‘Gattopardo’ in Singapore. It was a restaurant dedicated to serving authentic Sicilian food and celebrating Sicilian culture and traditions, including using sustainably-farmed seafood.

Being able to share why Sicilian is the new Italian with the world motivated me to do the same in Sydney and in early 2017 I opened ‘Olio’ before relocating to Australia fulltime. I first visited Australia backpacking when I was younger and loved the idea of being able to call it home one day. 

‘Olio’, which is Italian for ‘olive oil’ reflects my strong connection to Sicilian roots. Keeping it in the family, I source the olive oil - which is the base for all my dishes - from my family’s farm and we pride ourselves on sourcing the finest quality produce for each of our dishes. 

At home we’re surrounded by the ocean and olive trees, so olive oil and seafood are very important parts of our cuisine. Sicily’s historic past also means our cuisine is influenced by a melting pot of cultures from North Africa and Mediterranean Europe. It’s a beautiful cuisine and I believe it has really translated well in Australia. 

 

Yes, after growing up farming the land with my family, cooking became a natural progression being able to use the fresh produce and our olive oil in dishes.

Being a Chef has allowed me to travel and share my culture around the world. After travelling and cooking when I was younger this became my mission, to share and educate people about the exquisite cuisine and culture of my homeland. 

The flavours and ingredients used in my dishes are traditional and authentic Sicilian, but they’re presented in a contemporary way. 

 

Mild spice and combining both sweet and sour together for a unique flavour. 

 

I’m obsessive-compulsive about watching customers' reactions to my food. Seeing their expression and watching their face light up is so fulfilling.

 

My homeland. Sicilian culture is bold and diverse, it’s a melting pot of cultures combined to create something unique and amazing. 

 

I love that ‘Olio’ allows me to be an ambassador of Sicilian food and culture and to be able to share this with the world. 

Garlic, tomatoes and orange.

The ‘Olio’ dessert, it’s a citrus ganache with salted caramel and EVOO gelato, with a frozen basil meringue. 

Squid Ink Spaghetti with Moreton Bay bug, shellfish and spicy pork nduja. I’ve been making variations of this my whole career and it continues to evolve over time with seasonal produce and fresh flavours. 

 

Diners can expect traditional Sicilian flavours that have been presented in a contemporary style. Not only is being able to share in Sicilian culture so special, but they dine in a beautifully restored space with exposed brick and loft-style windows making it a charming space to enjoy our authentic cuisine. 

COVID has turned the industry upside down, I could honestly write a whole book on the shift in the industry. I’m not sure I can answer this in a few short sentences. 

I’m an open book, outside of the restaurant I’m a family man and my wife and kids are my priority. Something people often don’t expect is that aside from Sicilian, my favourite cuisine is Japanese which is extremely different to what I cook. 

In Australia, but not in Sydney. Stay tuned…