Hot chefs line-up for Escape
Rene Redzepi says the hot list of chefs visiting Margaret River for the inaugural Gourmet Escape have as much to gain from the region as the town does from their appearances this weekend.
Sitting alongside American David Chang, Cape Lodge’s Tony Howell, Peter Gilmore and George Calombaris at a media conference this morning, the Danish culinary master said the four-day event had assembled one of the best line-ups of chefs he had ever seen.
Calombaris, of Masterchef fame, admitted to feeling humbled by the line-up of star chefs.
“The calibre of chefs here … you have to pinch yourself,” he said.
“They’re people you read about and get inspired by and that you learn from.
“There’s an amazing energy.”
Chang, who runs New York’s Momofuku Ko restaurant, said he was looking forward to hunting down some of the region’s hidden produce secrets and getting stuck into its world-famous marrons.
“The marron here in WA is the pinnacle of crustaceans. The meat is so sweet,” he said.
Redzepi said the region offered up a vast array of flavours which were foreign to his broad palate.
“From cape to cape there’s a 140km stretch and on each side there is a different climate, the weather’s different – there’s just so much to discover,” he said.
“I discovered what you call a Dhufish. Everything is different from what I’m use to.”
The Gourmet Escape, which kicked off yesterday with an official launch party at Yallingup’s Smiths Beach, will run until Sunday.
