All eyes are on Etta this month, as owner Hannah Green appoints a new chef to head up the kitchens across her two Brunswick East restaurants. His name is Ralph So, and with a résumé clocking more than 15 years in the industry and several of the city’s bigger names – Supernormal, Spice Temple and the late Rosetta – it’s safe to say he’s got the chops to pick up where outgoing chef Lorcán Kan left off and make it his own.
For So, the rules look more like loose guidelines in the kitchen at Etta. Searing South-East Asian flavours make themselves known across the new menu, and there are hints of Korean, Chinese and wider European sensibilities across what’s on offer, too. What does that look like in practice, though? Here’s exactly how So is planning to pull it all off.
I’m passionate about cooking over fire, hot sauces, claypots and seaweed! I love telling stories through food, and collaboratively exploring and celebrating the cultures of our kitchen team.
Which means I like to cook comfort food, and dishes that draw people back to warm memories. For me, this is tied to my childhood and cultural upbringing, meaning I love making steamed buns in the morning for my children, Hakka-style yam gnocchi, and drunken dressing for cold dishes. I hope to bring some of these elements onto the menu as we progress.
The brief for my new gig is to oversee the kitchens at Etta and Daphne and develop the talent in both teams. Etta will be the focus to begin. Our new menu is rolling out over the coming weeks, then I’ll be across Daphne in the new year as well. I’m looking forward to exploring the different personalities of each venue and getting our neighbourhood excited about them. Making food that is delicious is paramount, then it’s all about adding layers to the dining experience as we move forward.
I’ve been cooking professionally since 2009, across four major cities in Australia. You might have spotted me behind the pass at such establishments as Supernormal, Ho Jiak Melbourne, Chin Chin Sydney, Howard Smith Wharves, Spice Temple and Rosetta Melbourne.
The way I go about putting together a new menu is a marathon. I start with produce and flavours that I’m familiar with, then build the menu around a few core elements, and work with the boss Hannah Green and our talented kitchen teams to find the right balance. For my new menu at Etta, this means celebrating seasonal vegetables, smoke and fire with South-East and East Asian flavours, and rounding out dishes with classic European technique. It’s a big task, given my predecessors have done a fantastic job, but I’m enjoying finding my own voice with Hannah’s mentorship.
And the one thing I want you to try from the menu before you leave is the barbecued Black Angus beef rib with smoked onion and kohlrabi. The meat is cooked sous vide, briefly hits the wood fire, then is finished with a nashi pear glaze. It comes with our take on pajeori, a scallion salad traditionally served with Korean barbecue to cut through rich grilled meat. Ours adds in kohlrabi and is dressed with gochugaru and sesame.
Etta, 60 Lygon St, Brunswick East, ettadining.com.au, @etta_melbourne; Daphne, 52 Lygon St, Brunswick East, daphne.melbourne, @daphne.3057