Yotam Ottolenghi visits Fugazzi and the Central Market during a flying Adelaide trip
Beloved chef Yotam Ottolenghi has had a taste of Adelaide’s food scene during a flying visit, even sitting down for a chat in a family-run Market stalwart.
Food & Wine
Don't miss out on the headlines from Food & Wine. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi is making the most of his flying visit to Adelaide, with dinner at popular city restaurant Fugazzi and a trip to Adelaide Central Market.
The Israeli-UK chef is in town for this Flavour of Life – Live on Stage tour, which took place at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Monday night.
On Tuesday, Ottolenghi paid a visit to Central Market icon Lucia’s for a chat and a bite.
The superstar chef sat down with Lucia’s Nicci Bugeja and Maria Rosella - daughters of the restaurant’s namesake Lucia Rosella, who opened the original Central Market stall in 1957 - and Ms Rosella’s granddaughter Emma Phillips.
“Even more lovely in person, it was such a pleasure to have you grace us with your presence,” Lucia’s wrote in a post shared to Instagram.
“Thank you for taking the time to visit us, and you’re welcome back, ALWAYS.”
On Monday, Ottolenghi popped in for a pre-show meal at Italian restaurant Fugazzi Bar & Dining Room, which he told his stage audience was “wonderful”.
“Unfortunately I couldn’t finish dinner because I had to get here (to the Convention Centre), but I want to come back,” he said.
Fugazzi head chef Max Sharrad, who runs the restaurant with his wife and former MasterChef star Laura, said the star’s visit was a welcome surprise.
“Someone walks up to me while I’m standing in the kitchen last night and said, ‘dude, Yotam Ottolenghi is in the bar’,” Mr Sharrad said.
“He sat in there (in the lounge area) with two other people and they had a couple of natural oysters, the pecorino cream cheese filled wagyu bresaola cracker, the market fish crudo and the scorched cabbage dish.
“They said they enjoyed everything. It was cool to have him in.”
Local chocolatier Alex Crawford of The Sugar Man also managed to get some of his speciality chocolates to the confessed chocolaholic, including his peanut butter caramel, marmalade croissant, summer pavlova and pistachio baklava flavours.
Ottolenghi, 53, whose cookbook sales have outsold Nigella Lawson in Australia, also plans to visit the Adelaide Central Market before heading to Auckland for the New Zealand leg of his tour.
It’s not the first time Fugazzi has hosted food royalty – Nigella Lawson also popped in Adelaide in May last year.
Historic Port Adelaide pub closed until further notice
Port Adelaide’s oldest licensed pub has shut its doors – and it’s unclear if and when it will reopen.
Iconic wine brand pulls pin on Barossa cellar door
A much-loved Barossa Valley cellar door will close and another in McLaren Vale will follow as rising business costs and reduced consumer spending cripple the state’s wine sector.