Melbourne magicians
Donovan Cooke is a laconic Yorkshireman not given to exaggeration. But he readily admits to being on the crest of a wave since he and his wife, Philippa Sibley-Cooke, opened their Melbourne restaurant, Est Est Est, in February.
In its short life, the 70-seat fine-dining restaurant has been unanimously acclaimed by Australia's food critics as one of the best eateries in a city that likes to think of itself as the nation's cultural and food capital. More importantly, the restaurant is solidly booked two weeks in advance for weekdays and eight weeks in advance for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
"We're running at around 80-90 covers every day," says Donovan, with evident pleasure seeping through his even-toned Northern vowels. So, what's the secret of Est Est Est's success? "We're different," he says succinctly, adding when prompted: "There's a lot of East-meets-West dining over here, and we're offering modern French food cooked with passion, using only the freshest of ingredients. People are quick to recognise the quality that results."
Quality and Donovan clearly go hand in hand. But then, what else would you expect from a man who learnt his trade with Michel Roux at the Waterside Inn and with Marco Pierre White, first at Harveys and then at The Restaurant, where he rose to the position of head chef?
"I couldn't begin to tell you what I learnt from Michel and Marco," says 28-year-old Donovan, whose character has been likened to that of Gordon Ramsay. Roux, though, is the chef whom Cooke cites as his greatest mentor and who stimulated his own love of food at an early stage in his career.
Donovan describes Roux as "passionate" about all forms of food and it is an attitude that he has clearly inherited and values. He is recognised for demanding high standards and commitment from those around him. In the past, as Philippa attests, this has led to a certain volatility in the kitchen.
"There was a lot of testosterone at Harveys," says Philippa of the place where she met her husband, "but then it was a dog-eat-dog situation, whereas that doesn't work here in Australia. It freaks people out. Now, he inspires and amuses the staff with tales of his past culinary experiences. He gets the best out of them by nurturing them, whereas in the past he used to scare them to death!"
The Cookes met in 1992 when Philippa, now 29, a Melbourne-born Australian whose early training and experience was acquired in her home town, managed to get herself a day's work at Harveys while holidaying in the UK. "I figured I had got my foot in one of the best kitchen doors in the world and so uprooted myself to London," she says.
However, on returning to England, Philippa initially worked her way up through the ranks at Quaglino's before transferring to the Canteen, where she worked under Stephen Terry, who is now executive chef at Coast, and then in 1994 she moved with Donovan to La Côte St Jacques, where she discovered she possessed a flair for pastry.
This turned out, in her words, to be perfect, because it was the one area in which her husband had no experience. So, at Est Est Est, desserts are her province, although demarcation lines in a small kitchen accommodating six people (four brigade, plus the Cookes) and a 40-year-old stove are of necessity not set in stone.
Donovan identifies his wife's pastry skill as a key factor in their restaurant's startling success. "The standard of Philippa's desserts has created quite a talking point, due to the fact that they complete the total dining experience," he says with obvious pride.
Philippa bases her desserts on classic marriages of ingredients such as berries and mascarpone, chocolate and orange, autumn fruit and Sauternes. For example, a starting point of citrus fruit and cardamom might result in savarin with lemon cream, citrus fruits, mandarin sorbet and cardamom ice-cream. "Once you know the basics - puff, brioche, crème anglaise - you can come up with new and interesting combinations forever," she says modestly.
Seasonal fruits are a particular source of inspiration. "I couldn't get through the summer without using stone fruits and berries, or autumn without using quinces and figs," she explains. With Australia heading into autumn, she has added a hot quince tart with honey sabayon to her dessert menu.
"I poach the quinces gently for up to six hours until they are the most amazing bright red colour, then bake them on a puff-pastry disc with a little almond cream under the fruit, and serve it with a fluffy Kangaroo Island honey sabayon," she says. Kangaroo Island, located in the southern ocean between the Victorian coast and Tasmania, she explains, has the only colony of Italian Ligurian bees in Australia and these produce an expensive but "beautiful" honey.
The quince tart has already proved popular, as has a mandarin-scented Valrhona Manjari chocolate delice with citrus fruit salad, and chocolate and mandarin sorbets which Philippa describes as the ultimate chocolate orange: "It's a fantastic combination of rich, creamy mousse with cold, intense sorbets and the tang of fruits - a great finisher."
Though her creativity in the main derives from seasonal ingredients, Philippa also acknowledges the influence of books - Michel Roux's pastry volumes are bibles, but she also cites Chicago restaurateur Charlie Trotter as an influence because of his simple use of fresh fruit.
And, of course, both she and Donovan bounce ideas off each other before trying out new dishes and, like all artists, will make minor adjustments to their creations if necessary. For Donovan, however, the bulk of his creativity comes from his training - as he accurately puts it: "Without a solid base to work with, there's no depth."
His training, unsurprisingly, has taught him that flavour is first above all things, and that means always working with fresh, seasonal produce to get the maximum taste. As for favourite ingredients, he confesses to being happy to work with most things, from the classically exotic, such as foie gras, to the new-world exotic, such as local fish species.
Donovan serves barramundi, a freshwater fish with a subtle flavour, grilled, with sauce antiboise. The light sauce is ideal for the hot Australian summers. Hapuka, unlike barramundi, is a deep-sea fish, similar in flavour and texture to sea bass. "It's perfect for roasting on the skin, served with moist, soft mussels and clams, and a slightly sharp à la grecque sauce to give a nice contrast," says Donovan. Like his barramundi dish, this is offered at Est Est Est as a main dish, but it is perhaps a deceptively simple Morton Bay bug starter which best illustrates Donovan's skill.
Morton Bay bugs are Australia's equivalent of squat lobsters and Donovan uses them to make a farce, flavoured with lime and coriander to give it zing, which he uses to stuff tortellini. Making pasta is an art form in itself and fashioning the tiny, delicate tortellini requires great technical skill. Donovan complements it by serving it with aromatic vegetables, blanched and sautéd at the last minute with garlic chives to give crispness, and a blue swimmer crab jus. The latter has a touch of ginger, coriander and lobster oil to intensify the flavour.
The dish, like other fish offerings, goes down well with the restaurant's customers, but Australians have no hangups about what they eat and will try most things, including veal, which has been on the menu in one shape or form since Est Est Est opened. Its current incarnation (as on this issue's cover) is in the form of a Parmesan and sage-crusted cutlet with broad beans and saffron gnocchi.
Given the receptiveness of Melbourne diners to his food, it is not surprising that Donovan has no regrets about moving to Australia, but he is quick to insist that he was not disillusioned with the food scene in Europe. "I moved here because Philippa's from Melbourne and I wanted a change," he says. "Money was never an issue, but dollars do go further than the pound because the cost of living is generally cheaper." Pushed, he says he would not rule out an eventual return to the UK, although he points out: "I've begun to love it here."
Est Est Est, 440 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne 3205, Victoria, Australia. Tel: 00 61 3 968 25688
