The crew from Bar Rochford as featured in the new book, Chefs Eat Canberra. Photo: Ashley St George.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to write a book, new Canberra author Chris Hansen can sum it up for you.
“Six months of 4 am starts.”
Running a recruitment business during the day doesn’t leave ample time for writing, yet Chris has just launched the presale of his new book Chefs Eat Canberra. At more than 300 pages, Chris hasn’t let the lack of time get in the way of writing a comprehensive guide to the best of Canberra’s dining scene and their secret recipes.
“I drummed up the idea over Christmas. I wanted to write a book that wasn’t just about Canberra, I wanted to delve into the chefs that make Canberra what it is,” Chris tells Region.
“It’s a book about their homes, their lives, places they’ve been. These guys know where to eat. It was about digging out those stories.”
The book’s opening line, “Canberra wasn’t always this good”, beautifully encapsulates the transition that Canberra has been through in the last decade or so. When asked about the journey Canberra’s dining scene has been on, Chris brings his usual candour and abundance of knowledge to the question.
“It all started with Gus at eighty-six. He broke all the rules in Canberra, and his willingness to let his chefs experiment, collaborate and break boundaries opened up the scene in Canberra to evolve; a lot of great chefs have come from eighty-six and now run some of the top venues in Canberra,” says Chris.
Ross McQuinn, Mal Hanslow and Dash Rumble from Such and Such feature in Chefs Eat Canberra. Photo: Ashley St George.
The book itself can’t be pigeonholed into a cookbook or a restaurant book.
The opening chapter is dedicated to the history of Canberra’s restaurant scene and remembers a time when bottle juices didn’t exist and motel dining was a legitimate night out.
Chris then hands you a VIP All Access Pass and takes you on a backstage tour of the industry as it is now.
The book’s glossy pages are filled with golden nuggets that are scattered in unexpected places and ways.
Want to steal Such and Such’s Spotify playlist, now you can.
Want to know Andrew Duong from Miss Van’s top four bowls of ramen in Canberra, it’s right here.
Tired of cooking Julia Child’s beef bourguignon, then have a crack at Ondine’s instead.
You’ll even spend 24 hours in Lyon with Les Bistronomes owner, Clement.
Chris partnered with well-known Canberra hospitality photographer Ashley St George of Pew Pew Studios to capture the essence of the venues and stories. Her expertise in shaping a mood through an image is stamped on every page of the book.
“Working with Ashley helped the stories come out. She’s a real professional. Across the board, all the chefs involved were enthusiastic and generous with their time. Many of them had more to say than they thought they would, and their willingness to share recipes that were not only some of their favourites but also the calling cards of their venues was astounding,” Chris explains.
Author Chris Hansen getting to know Eddy Tsai from Canteen. Photo: Ashley St George.
Sitting and chatting with Chris, his knowledge of and enthusiasm for the industry is ever-present. It’s also apparent that he’s a deeply connected man and calls some of Canberra’s finest chefs his best friends. He doesn’t let that stand in the way of digging deep with them, and he shaped the book through open curiosity.
“I approached the interviews with the sort of open questioning and curiosity for others that gets people talking. It’s the same way I approach my recruitment business, giving people the space to relax opens them up to share themselves and that’s when you really learn what someone is about,” says Chris.
Kingfish Ceviche, a recipe in the book from Canberra restaurant Champi. Photo: Ashley St George.
For those who want to test their skills and see if they can cook like a Canberra chef, the recipes Chris has dug out of Canberra’s commercial kitchens range from beginner to advanced.
“For beginner cooks, the slow-cooked dishes like the beef bourguignon from Ondine are a good starting point, or the Asian date pudding from Dada is approachable. The desserts from the Boat House are highly technical, some of the hardest to make, but so worth it. The pork jowl terrine from Grazing is complex but incredible.”
To get your hands on a copy of Chefs Eat Canberra, presales are now open online. The first copies will be shipped in early Spring.
The release of the book will launch a photography competition where readers can cook a dish from the book and photograph it to win one of six $1000 prizes, each prize consisting of five $200 vouchers to a range of restaurants featured in the book. Details for the competition are supplied in the book.
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