Rob Hartwell is the 2008 Acorn Scholar. As part of a year's development activity, he has been given a sabbatical from his sous chef role with Peach Pub Company to take a four-month cooks tour.
After finishing my stint at Bills, although I felt that I hadn't really learnt anything to further my cooking skills, I had discovered how people like to run their kitchens differently. I won't elaborate but I like the traditional way better.
The weekend before starting at Rockpool, Neil Perry's flagship Sydney eatery, I went up to Terrigal, a popular getaway for trendy Sydney folk.
I have to admit I'd been abusing my taste buds with a major onslaught of Sambuca and jugs of cold beer at an extended house party on the beach and was trying to find some food to kick them back into a state of high alert.
I'd been dreaming of the fresh tasty fusion food the Australians can do so well but instead was greeted with a half assed attempt of a Frito misto and aioli.
When I mentioned this to the owner and offered to tell him how to put it right, he threw me out. So not everyone wants to learn from their customer feedback.
Monday morning, with freshly ironed whites, I headed off to the 'Pool thinking 'This really needs to be better than Bill's' or Oz cooking is surely doomed.
As soon as I walked though the door though, I was amazed. I was instantly given a smell and taste of flavours that I never new existed, freshness that matched the fish in Fiji and an organised kitchen that could stand the test anywhere in the UK and beyond.
These guys really know what they're doing. I learnt a lot there: not only how to cook his signature stir-fried blue swimmer crab omelette and an incredible Chinese roast pidgeon, I learned about their fantastic relationships with the best suppliers and how they really respect the ingredients they cook with.
I learned how badly we fish our oceans; how we could do it better and how we consume fish.
It helped working under such a passionate head chef, Michael, who is one of Neil's prodigies. He was so passionate about his kitchen and the food he produced; it was easy to see how the Rockpool is such a success.
There is a heavy Asian influence and an emphasis on the freshest possible seafood and produce. With his signature ponytail and line of Neil Perry Fresh food products, Perry is a Sydney cultural fixture.
Although the menu has changed over the years, some dishes, such as the China Roast Pigeon, remain time-honoured favourites.
I left the Rockpool in high spirits, thoroughly inspired, with a book full of recipes and ideas and filled with excitement for the next leg of my tour.
I'm now in Singapore, where it is very hot and sticky but exciting. Every street is filled with a clashing, though wonderful, mix of strange food, smells and languages. It feels like a place you could lose yourself for a few days and no one would notice.
On my first day there we asked our bus driver to drop us some where nice but cheap for dinner. We ended up at Frog Porridge Café, which far from being just a quirky name, was a description of their signature dish. It was tasty but not quite sure what was in there apart from the rice and the frog?!
Due to the heat and the time changes, time I have found it hard to sleep at night and I have got in to the habit of late night walks. It started in Sydney where I use to walk around for a late night snack, and now in Singapore to find that 'little restaurant' and ask for the chef's special and a few beers to wash it down with.
The food always seem to taste better when you don't know what's coming and the beer compliments the food - all together a great combo.
One night, I felt as though I was lost in no man's land and up for eating anything in the back of a small kitchen with an 70+ year old chef cooking up his best dish.
He was enthusiastic about giving me a good quantity to gorge myself on and happy to share his "secrets" (more notes for my book).
He and his team (aka family) watched me eat every mouthful. Occasionally you get "let's play with the westerner" that's when they put scuds (small chilies that could wipe out a huge population) in your food and watch you squirm.
I know I am not quite in reality at the moment but I feel I am learning lots about myself and food every day.
I am due to fly to Bangkok tomorrow but not before trying the chili crab from the east coast, supposedly the best in Singapore and wash it down with a Singapore Sling from Raffles - well it's got to be done!
