THE GUILLAUME ZIKA INTERVIEW. WHAT CAN PDR DINERS EXPECT NEXT?

By Eloise King

Public Dining Room's Michelin star chef Guillaume Zika's 5 course Discovery Degustation sold out recently in just 48 hours. But who is Zika? And what can Sydney diners expect from his next offering? The answer is one magical night in Paris...  

Note: Guilluame's french-english has been left in unedited so you know you are consuming the french man's authentic thoughts, fully. 

Eloise: If you could explain the Michelin dining experience in three words, what would the be?

Guillaume: Creative, perfection, consistency 

Eloise: Where did you learn to dish out this kind of Michelin experience for diners?

Guillaume: I was Head Chef at “Hibiscus Restaurant” in London (2 Michelin star) and prior to that, worked at “Per Se” Thomas Keller in New York City (3 Michelin Stars), “Le Grand Vefour” Guy Martin in Paris (3 Michelin Stars), “Le Moulin de Mougins” Alain Llorca in Mougins (2 Michelin Star) and “Relais Louis XIII” In Paris (2 Michelin Star).

Eloise: You're new to Australia and cooking for Sydney diners for the first time ever. How did it feel when eight weeks worth of your Discovery Degustation dinners at Public Dining Room sold out solid in just 48 hours?

Guillaume (in unedited French-English): I wasn't expecting this at all, it is a very good things on the fact that people are interested on my food. But it is a lot of pressure for me, it's easier to be disappointed in a meal if people have high expectation of it. Even if the meal was good, people are more critical. I am very passionate about cooking and I have been very happy when such positive feedback comes back to me after they have experienced my degustation at Public Dining Room recently. 

Eloise: How do you expect your next Friday night weekly offering - A Night In Paris - to be received by PDR guests?

Guillaume: The food will be much more simple, beautiful, and I will be less risky on the mix of flavour cause when you have to choose out of an a la carte menu, most of the time people go for the safe dish unless you are an adventurous personality type. That is why a Discovery Degustation menu can be good! A Night in Paris, however, will be something new for the PDR diners. Everyone knows French food, but no one really knows it so my goal on my cooking is to transmit culture, to make you travel to France through your palate... When your spoon goes to your mouth with a warm Roquefort, crunchy candied walnut and the cold sour Granny Smith apple jelly, you will be experiencing Paris... I know it.

Eloise: Many high-profile Sydney chefs who have been to Europe for the sole purpose of becoming Michelin star trained, including Mark Best (Marque), Collin Fassnidge (Four in Hands), and Sam Aisbett (Quay). These chefs tell me that the Michelin restaurant training is tough, gruelling and tends to change people in a way that "separates the men from the boys" in cheffing. You have only ever worked in Michelin star restaurants. What do you believe are the main skills and/or qualities that Michelin restaurants tend to produce in chefs?

Guillaume: Michelin star restaurant is a crazy industry, the rhythm is so hard that you need to be young and healthy to survive, the mental conditions are extreme too, especially in Paris, all the chefs have strong skills, have worked in Michelin restaurant in the past, and try to be better than you. The competition is crazy! I remember one of the waiters of "Le Grand Vefour" (3 Michelin star in Paris) telling me that he couldn't be a chef, because to be chef, you need to be very strong in your head, it's a constant fight. But on the other side of it, you learn discipline, rigour, consistency, perfection, how to dress properly, to work smart, to respect produce and recipes. You also discover so many premium quality fish, meat, herbs, vegetable that you never heard of! This is the beauty of our job, the infinite way to learn. You also work with people who have amazing skills. You learn different techniques, my sous chef at Le Grand Vefour, Thomas l'Hérisson, used to tell me all the time, "there is 3 way to cut fillet this fish: the good way, the bad way, and my way." You realise why you are working so hard when you see chefs with bad training and backgrounds coming for trial in the kitchen, messing it up and doing sloppy work. The Michelin star kitchen is just another world professionally.

Eloise: Australia and Europe have vastly different climates and very different produce as a result. What are the biggest differences you notice with Australian produce?

Guillaume: The seasons are different, and some vegetable or fruit are longer in season here cause the sun is more out than in Europe. The fish is also very different cause it lives in warm water, so it obviously different. 

Eloise: What have you been most impressed by, or most enjoyed, about working at Public Dining Room?

Guillaume: I really like working with Public Dining Room's head chef Anthony Telford, he as a large knowledge on the Australian produce. Being a father of seven children he is a man who knows how to control himself and he will only speak out or blow up when it comes to the big important things that he has passion for around food. He knows how to manage himself in the kitchen well and he is the reason that there is such a strong team at Public Dining Room who have all worked together for a long time. That doesn't happen if the head chef only knows how to be a ball-breaker. 

Public Dining Room were sorry to see so many people turned away from the Discovery Degustation. Today, however, is a happy day as Guillaume's next highly anticipated offering titled A Night in Paris becomes available to PDR newsletter subscribers here first. Available 7 weeks only from Sept 13. To book, phone 9968 4880 or online at publicdiningroom.com.au