LUCKY STAR
What made you want to become a chef?
There are few chefs who could say they’ve emerged from the past year with a renewed sense of energy, and Kylie Kwong feels fortunate to count herself as one of them. “I know I am on the best path for this next chapter because everything just feels right and I feel completely reinvigorated,” says Kwong.
This next chapter is opening Lucky Kwong, an Australian-Cantonese cafeteria-style restaurant located within the South Eveleigh precinct. Kwong describes it as “super-casual, fast, open, warm, welcoming, energetic – it will feel like you are in [my] home for a meal”. Unlike her seminal restaurant Billy Kwong, it will be a walk-in, no-bookings setup, with a small menu and daily specials. But similarly, it will deliver Kwong’s signature dishes that combine creativity, care and most importantly, the thoughtful and delicious flavours she is known for. Think delicate steamed prawn dumplings with Sichuan chilli dressing and native bush mint; Cantonese-style fried rice with sticky pork belly and chilli; or steamed savoury pancakes with fried egg, vegetables, red-braised, caramelised beef brisket, black bean and sweet Thai basil.
Native plants that underpin many of the dishes will be sourced from the nearby Jiwah Indigenous garden, managed by long-time collaborator and friend, Clarence Slockee. “For a chef to be in such close contact with their food producer is very exciting,” says Kwong. The restaurant will also collaborate with food producers and chefs including Palisa Anderson of Boon Luck Farm and Josh Niland of Fish Butchery.
While Lucky Kwong may move at a faster, more casual pace, the vision for it is detailed and Kwong’s drive is inherently personal, informed by her Buddhist spirituality, connection to the wider South Eveleigh precinct, and the historical and Indigenous significance of the site. “I want Lucky Kwong to nourish and feed people’s spirits, to be a force for good,” says Kwong. “It’s a simple and humble offering that is very clear in its intention and motivation to positively contribute to society.”
For Kwong, “Lucky” isn’t just a feeling, but also the name her and her wife Nell gave to their baby son who they lost to stillbirth in 2012. “Since this life-changing event, I have been on the most extraordinary personal journey which has really prompted me to re-focus, re-evaluate and re-assess every aspect of my life,” says Kwong. “I have called my new place after our child, as an acknowledgement of this transformational journey; of what he has brought to my life and yes, because I now feel, genuinely lucky.” luckykwong.com.au
How does Kisumé’s dining experience work?
Kisumé houses a few dining spaces, each offering a completely different experience. Guests can sit in the windowless basement or at the ground level sushi counter. Then on level one, Kuro Kisumé offers private kaiseki-style dining, which is our most intimate experience, seating 12 guests at a time, with two dedicated chefs preparing your meal. What are some of the most interesting ingredients on your current menu? I’m enjoying using lion’s mane mushroom, pearl meat and myoga (Japanese ginger).
Cooking has always been part of my life and was very much part of my childhood. I loved spending time with my mum in the kitchen, cooking together for our family. I then went on to study art and loved painting when I was a teenager, and now as a chef, I think of cooking almost like drawing; creating the final product I want to present to guests – using colour, contrast and balanced flavours on the plate.
What are some of the most important things people should look for in a well-made piece of sushi or nigiri?
It’s all about fresh, well-aged fish. Equally though, shari (rice) and shari-zu (seasoned sushi vinegar) are just as important as the quality of fish you use, as it makes up 40 per cent of a piece of nigiri, and you need to carefully balance the acidity of the mix. Good shari is not too firm and not too soft. As a rule of thumb, it’s better to have a very small amount of high acidity when served with fatty fish or protein like tuna belly, bonito, wagyu, salmon belly, and low acidity when served with lean fish such as tuna akami, snapper and dory.
Kisumé, 175 Flinders Ln, Melbourne. kisume.com.au