Chef Adrian Richardson (Melbourne, Australia)
Chef Adrian Richardson
We decided to spend the last day of our journey through Australia in the La Luna Bistro restaurant, owned by famous chef Adrian Richardson. Adrian Richardson is known to our TV audience and reading public from the TV shows “Secrets of Meat Cooking,” “Bachelor Party,” “Good Chef, Bad Chef,” and by his cookbook “Meat,” which enjoys astounding popularity in Australia. LA LUNA Restaurant, which means The Moon, is located in an old Victorian quarter of Melbourne. The restaurant’s interior is fashioned in country style with solid wooden furniture and wallpapers imitating “animal skins.” One always feels comfortable in the restaurant, in its friendly atmosphere, which is achieved, undoubtedly, because of the chef and his well selected staff. All meals at the restaurant are cooked with organic (ecologically clean) products,
products, which are thoroughly chosen by the chef himself at the farms near Melbourne.
What motivates a person who has gained his pilots’ license at 16, and whose father was also a pilot, to change tack mid stream and become a Chef? A passion for cooking inherited from his Grandfather could be one explanation, but whatever the reason, Melbourne and its food scene were fortunate to benefit from it. Adrian Richardson is what you would call a “Quiet Achiever”. His restaurant, La Luna is a successful and bustling place in North Carlton, serving up organic, fresh and innovative food.
From the age of 14 this passionate young Chef began working in Cafes and bistros. When he finished his 12th year at school, his boss at a café where he was working proposed that he would join an apprenticeship; and the rest, as they say, is history. Richardson spent time training at the Victoria Arts Centre, Le Restaurant at The Regent Hotel under Dietmar Sawyer, Liam Tomlin & Russell Armstrong, O’Connell’s Hotel with Greg Malouf, in the UK with Antony Worrall-Thompson and in Canada. But it was under the watchful eye of Michael Bacash at Toofey’s where he rounded off his experience and set upon his current course to open his own place.
Adrian has a simple philosophy with his food, which he calls “modern Mediterranean”, and that is to use the freshest ingredients and keep it simple. His rule for all his fish on the menu is “Fresh Fish or No Fish! He is so passionate about his food; he ripens his own avocados and tomatoes, makes his own pasta daily, ages his beef on the bone and uses mushrooms that have only been picked hours before arriving at his restaurant. This must be love!
And now Adrian is receiving the recognition he deserves with his well regarded appearances alongside Tobie Puttock in “Jamie’s Kitchen Australia”. Adrian’s restaurant La Luna Bistro even received personal appraisal from Jamie Oliver himself in front of a live audience of 6000 people, during Jamie’s live tour in Melbourne (Sept. 2006).
Adrian is one of the team of regular Chefs on Channel Ten’s new hit TV series “Ready Steady Cook”, which is now in it’s third season, and has filmed a number of cooking segments on the Channel Nine’s ‘Boat Show’ and “Car Show”. He has appeared on Channel Nine’s ‘Fresh’ and ‘Switching Lives’, and Channel Ten’s “Good Morning Australia”. Adrian has been a regular guest on talkback radio, and is in constant demand as a Guest Chef.
Autograph and Wish from Australian Chef Adrian Richardson
La Luna continues to thrive and is considered one of Melbourne’s best Mediterranean Bistros; so, with various projects in progress, there is never a dull moment in this passionate Chefs’ life.
As we were leaving the restaurant and saying our goodbye to Australia and Melbourne, I was happy to purchase the famous recipe book entitled “Meat,” upon which chef Adrian Richardson courteously left his autograph, wishing me to enjoy meat.
This article uses materials from the following web resources: http://www.lalunabistro.com.au and http://www.lifestylefood.com.au