Five Minutes with Reece Inkpen, Paranormal Wines

Who are you?

Reece Inkpen. I started my cooking career in Canberra before moving to London for a few years, and I’m now working at Paranormal Wines.

Tell me about Paranormal Wines.

It’s a wine bar full of really interesting natural wines from Australia and cool international producers, and we serve share plates of food. It aims to be accessible in terms of price, and we also do a bunch of events: we’ve got Pete Cooksley coming in a couple of weeks to cook with us.

How did you get involved in the hospitality industry?

My next-door neighbour Nathan was the head chef at a cafe called Urban Food (where Rebel Rebel is now), and so I started in the kitchen with him at 16 and loved it.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing instead?

I was quite lucky to find something that I loved so early on, but burnout in the industry is real, and it can be very unsustainable and draining. I’ve recently taken up pottery, which has been very therapeutic. I like that you get something physical out of it, and I’m making something with my hands.

What is your food philosophy?

The things I like eating the most are simple and restrained, so I’m always trying to translate that into the food I cook. It’s very easy to keep adding things, but often, the most delicious things are simple.

What is your current food obsession?

I’ve started making a lot of miso. I made a roasted garlic miso, which is crazy good: garlicky and deeply savoury. It’s a really great addition to most things you can cook. I feel a bit guilty about how much I use in the staff meals, considering it takes such a long time to make!

What’s an underrated Canberra venue that you love?

The Scholar in Dickson – it’s a Chinese restaurant with a live seafood tank. I’ve introduced a lot of friends to it. We always order a couple of different things, but the main staple we get is the Singapore-style mud crab with noodles.

Who do you admire in the Canberra food scene?

A standout is Mal from Pilot and Such & Such. I got to work very closely with him just after Pilot opened. It was very cool working in such an interesting place. It almost didn’t feel like Canberra at all. Everything he makes is delicious, and I think he’s just an incredible cook.

Who is your dream dinner party guest, and what would you make them?

I want to pick my two best friends in the UK: Drew and Gaetan. When we made meals together, I’d usually be on dessert. I’d make a custard tart. It’s such a nice thing to have at a dinner party because it’s not too sweet, and it’s just great comfort food. Because we’re all chefs and we all have very high expectations of ourselves, the tart is going to have the perfect wobble!

Eating with the people you care about and sharing those moments is definitely one of the things I miss being on the other side of the world.

What’s the best thing you ate this week?

Grilled prawns with Goan curry at The Inn.

What’s a food that reminds you of your childhood?

My grandma always made congee when she came to visit, so it’s something I make when I’m feeling a bit run down. It’s very rejuvenating and it always reminds me of her.

What’s a normal breakfast for you?

At the moment, I’ve been loving fried rice with mushrooms, heaps of spring onion and really wet scrambled eggs seasoned with a little bit of soy and lao gan ma. A lot of my friends find it weird that I eat so much for breakfast.

Where are you excited to eat next?

I like trying new places. There are lots of places on my list I haven’t been yet. I’m excited to check out Mínima, and I want to go to Dada, but number one on my list is Canteen.

Where are you travelling next?

My next planned travel is back to the UK for two weeks at the end of September to see all my friends there and check out some new restaurants that have opened since I’ve been here.

I also want to go to Japan … but a lifetime goal is to travel through China and spend some time exploring my Chinese roots and food identity. I just know I’d eat really well, and nobody would judge me for eating rice for breakfast!

Tell me something you love about living in Canberra.

I like how the hospitality culture and community is really strong here. Even though it’s a city, it still has those small country town vibes: everyone knows each other and is supportive of each other. It’s nice to be reintroduced back into the community here.

What TV show are you watching right now?

I’ve just watched The Bear. It was really well done and it captures all the very important points of what hospitality culture can be. I’ve worked in places that are very shouty and aggressive. It’s pretty difficult and unsustainable when you’re working 16 to 18 hours a day being yelled at in a high-pressure situation, so comparing The Bear to my past experiences and what my work-life balance is now has reinforced why I love Paranormal so much. My schedule lets me do so many other things, like pottery.

An easy one to finish – what’s your go-to coffee order?

A small oat flat white: anything bigger, I get very shaky! I go to Intra in Campbell five times a week and the coffee is always exceptional.

Follow Reece and Paranormal Wines on Instagram.