Christopher Bonello has won Best Ōra King Dish Australia 2017 in Tokyo with his dish Ōra King Salmon, Noodles and Rocks.
The salmon was lightly cured and thickly sliced to present a firm yet creamy mouth feel. The salmon was accompanied by Nikka whisky soba noodles (whisky jelly made from gellan, piped into tubes to set, then extracted using a nitrogen dioxide dispenser).
Bonello from MPD Steak Kitchen in Victoria attributes the inspiration for his dish to the Japanese way of treating food.
“Let the produce shine and garnish accordingly. Ōra King salmon speaks for itself, and in my eyes, you do not need to do anything over the top to it,” says Bonello.
Ōra King Best Dish Australia judge Anthony Huckstep described Bonello’s effort as “a wonderfully balanced, creative dish by a chef that is confidently in tune with not only his abilities but also with the ingredients he is using. Every element on the plate plays a supporting role to underpin the unique properties of the Ōra King salmon.”
Bonello competed against over 100 Australian chefs to take out the award. Finalists included Joshua Askew from Swissotel Sydney and Sean Collett from Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.
The winners of the 2017 Ōra King Best Dish Awards are:
- Best Ōra King Dish Australia, Christopher Bonello, MPD Steak Kitchen Melbourne
- Best Ōra King Dish New Zealand, Marc Soper, Wharekauhau Country Estate, Featherston
- Best Ōra King Dish North America, Travis Swikard, Boulud Sud New York City
- Best Ōra King Dish Japan, Yosuke Kanai, Fleuve, Hotel Granvia Osaka.