Peter Kang owns Dada with his wife, Kaye. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Who are you?
My name is Peter Kang. I’m the owner and chef at Dada Restaurant.
Tell me about Dada.
Dada is a Korean word which means ‘all for all’. So we’re catering for pretty much everyone: we try to do vegan, vegetarian and coeliac foods. My background is Korean, but the food here is Asian fusion.
How did you get involved in the hospitality industry?
I always wanted to become a chef when I was young; I was really inspired by my Mum. I went to uni to study Culinary Arts, as we call it in Korea. I did a US exchange in Houston, and I learned a lot of things there. I remember reading a lot of cookbooks to learn English, but also improving my skills at the same time.
If you weren’t in hospitality, what would you be doing instead?
I’d probably be a history teacher or maybe a handyman and make things.
Peter and Kaye Kang were inspired to start Dada after their daughter developed food allergies. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
What is your food philosophy?
Obviously, the most important thing is to make good food. But also minimising food waste by storing food properly is a big one for me. Fresh herbs like parsley or basil are so fragile: we asked the store we buy them from how they keep them fresh, and they said to remove the rubber band, wrap them individually in newspaper or paper towel and then in a plastic bag. It keeps so well so the customer always gets the freshest ingredients.
Do you like to dine out in Canberra?
It’s hard because we are closed on Sunday and Monday, as are many other Canberra restaurants! But I go to Sydney sometimes for special ingredients, so I usually go to some restaurants there. I recently went to King Clarence and Pellegrino 2000 because I really love Italian food.
What’s an underrated Canberra venue that you love?
Drunken Tiger in Melba. It’s a bit tucked away, but they have really good food. If Kaye wants a laksa, we always go there.
Dada makes Asian fusion food, like this black vinegar beef tartare with rice crisps. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
What is your favourite ingredient when cooking?
In Korean food, we use a lot of garlic. Without garlic, it’s hard to make good food; I use it a lot in my cooking. And we use a lot of extra virgin olive oil even though we are an Asian restaurant.
Who is your dream dinner party guest, and what would you make them?
Maybe I should say a famous chef, but actually, I will say my wife. Running the business and keeping up with our two kids is hard. But I trust her and admire her. She always inspires me and is my best guinea pig when I’m trying new dishes! So I would cook something special for her.
What is your current food obsession?
At the moment, I’m making a lot of ciabatta bread. I used to make a lot of bread, but since we opened Dada, I’ve been making a lot of rice bread. I’m working on a new menu at the moment which will have a red bean and ricotta ciabatta bread. And I’m working on an Asian-spiced dukkah.
The lemongrass pork dish at Dada is gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
What’s a food that reminds you of your childhood?
I am a real country boy, so my childhood memories are of organic, unprocessed foods. Always going out with a friend to climb a mountain and pick some sprouts. We would go fishing, or in autumn, we would go and get chestnuts from the trees. I get a lot of inspiration from my childhood.
Where are you travelling next?
I really want to go to Italy. Kaye and I wanted to go overseas before we had kids, but then we had a baby so we didn’t take the trip we had planned. I also want to go back to Korea to do some research.
What TV show or movie are you watching right now?
I just started watching Searching for Italy with Stanley Tucci. All the foods they show are related to a story or history.
An easy one to finish – what’s your go-to coffee order?
Barrio – oat milk latte with one shot. We love Barrio coffee. We also use it in the restaurant; it goes so well with Jersey milk.
Dada is located at G4/12 Furzer St, Phillip. Visit their website or follow them on Instagram.
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