The Hills best chefs and restaurants for 2021
With the restaurant industry set to fire back into life in just a matter of days we provide you with a list of the hottest chefs in the Hills in 2021.
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The Hills is fast establishing itself as something of a foodie hotspot with several top chefs deciding to show off their skills in the area. Ahead of the mass reopening next week, here are the hottest chefs in the Hills in 2021.
Alex Keene
Head chef at Sarino’s
Alex Keene first started his culinary journey after picking up an apprenticeship at Il Lago Italian Restaurant aged 17.
“I was in a team full of fresh off the boat Italians.
“They taught me the culture, language and everything about Italian cuisine,” he said.
Keene, who grew up in Kellyville, said working in the kitchen was an “eye opening” experience as a budding chef.
“I think the chef industry is one of the toughest industries.”
He then moved to Ormeggio at the Spit which was a one hat restaurant at the time and picked up a second hat during his time.
After a few years, Keene opened up Via Alta in Willoughby with two partners before he moved back to the Hills as senior sous chef at the Bella Vista Hotel.
After five years at the popular Momento Hospitality venue, he jumped at the opportunity to spearhead Sarino’s as executive chef last January.
“I was always keen to run and operate a restaurant in the Hills because there was nothing quite like it.
“A lot of people have told me they have to travel into the city to get the experience at Sarino’s.”
When asked how the Hills dining scene compared to the rest of Sydney he said the area has adapted a lot in the past years.
“Twenty years ago there weren’t many city class restaurants in the Hills.
“People’s idea of food has come a long way. They’re more adventurous now.”
While he said it’s been tough going through two lockdowns, he said he’s very excited to “start fresh” when diners return.
“I can’t wait,” he said.
Keene said his dream is to make Sarino’s a Good Food Guide hatted restaurant.
Joshua Mason
Owner and head chef at Quoi Dining
Joshua Mason who heads the Hills’ only hatted restaurant revealed its been tough as a fine dining restaurant operating in lockdown – yet he’s had plenty of time for reflection.
“For the four and a half years we’ve been here, we’ve never been a takeaway restaurant. It was a huge change to the system.”
Mason, who has worked in Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Atelier Crenn, said offering more premium family meals and takeaway 7-9 course degustations during lockdown worked a treat.
“We’ve had so many birthdays, engagements and anniversaries so it’s good we were able to provide something special with a degustation at home.
“I had a guy tonight write us a Facebook message saying ‘Josh Help!!!’
“After opening the message he said it was only a request for a last-minute special takeaway degustation for an anniversary.
“That’s our customers. They totally rely on us,” he laughed.
Mason, who grew up on the Central Coast, said he was surrounded by a lot of family in the hospitality industry.
“For me it was a really easy thing that I fell into. After finishing rugby league I’d go cooking on the weekends.”
Mason has been busy over the past months planning for his second restaurant Ciel at Norwest Business Park as well as creating his own wine.
Just before Covid, he flew down to the Barossa Valley to check up on his new Shiraz, Ciel, which was released about eight weeks ago.
“Making my wine has been a year and a half in the making. I finally found the right vineyard in Greenock Creek. The vines of my wine are 72 years old.”
Mason said he can’t wait to have his customers back through their doors come October 11.
“I think at the end of the day the heartbeat of the restaurant is its customers.
Asked if he has any plans to expand in other parts of Sydney, he said “no.”
“I can’t see myself out of the Hills. It’s my home now – I’m here to stay.”
“These last few months have really stapled the idea that I want our presence in the Hills to be only of the highest regard.
“Quoi will always be my main focus because it’s like my first child. It’s a very special place to me.”
Avik Kanjilal
Co-owner and head chef at Sirculo
Avik Kanjilal was first trained in France more than 17 years ago and since then he has worked in several kitchens in Asia, UAE and Canada.
“I’m a traveller and have been to more than 30 countries. My travelling experiences have defined what I put on the plate.
“I had that exposure to different cultures and being Indian, that’s a different food style.”
Kanjilal, who is originally from Kolkata, previously had his own cafe Stain in Hunters Hill before managing hatted restaurant Cod’s Gift in Dural.
He joined forces with Josh Sama and together they opened Sirculo at the end of 2019.
“We saw it as a great opportunity to bring something different to the Hills.”
“The concept is modern eatery meets Mediterranean deli. We’ve also got a deli section with our own cured meats.”
Asked about the Hills dining scene, he said “It’s evolving.”
“Every year even during Covid there have been good places opening.”
Kanjilal also gave a sneak peek of the new seasonal menu featuring flat bread with lime crema and gin cured trout with smoked chilli oil, fennel and topped with salmon caviar.
Champagne lobster and fresh linguine tossed in a Bloody Mary sauce and topped with pangrattato will be making a reappearance on the dinner menu.
Kanjilal said two lockdowns have been a massive blow with the most recent one making resulting in a 65-70 per cent drop in revenue.
While he said it’s been stressful he said he is an “optimist” and hopes for a busy summer ahead.
“It would be good to see everyone sitting down enjoying food with a glass of wine again.”
Jomel Santos
Head chef at Entrata
Jomel Santos has worked as a chef for about 25 years in several countries including Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Christmas Island and Singapore.
“I first started as a kitchen hand at Holiday Inn in the Philippines,” Mr Santos said.
Santos, who is originally from the Philippines, said after working at Holiday Inn he worked as a chef in Saudi Arabia for seven years.
He then started a restaurant inside a diplomatic house quarter before working in the kitchen of a 5-star hotel in Cebu.
Santos later joined Shangri-La Hotel as an assistant Italian chef before transferring to Singapore.
He made the move to Australia and joined Entrata restaurant in 2015.
“I’ve found my place now,” he said.
He said he acquired his skills in European and Italian cooking after working with several Italian chefs in the hotel industry.
With Covid, he said he created a completely different takeaway menu with a vast range of cuisines including Thai, Phillipino and Middle Eastern dishes.
“Luckily I’m not focused on one cuisine but familiar with many different cuisines because I’ve worked in a lot of countries.”
“He’s a superstar,” the restaurant’s co-owner Isabella Pagano said.
Pagano said they switched up the menu because the presentation and level of food in the original menu was not suited for takeaway.
“We branched out and did many different dishes like curries, burgers, Singaporean chilli mud crabs and lobster mornay.”
Santos said he’s now been working on the new seasonal menu once diners return.
It features a marble score Wagyu beef medallion accompanied with prosciutto, gruyere cheese, black truffle, butter beans and potato.
A ragu bianco with osso buco, red emperor snapper and Biscoff cheesecake will also make appearances in the new menu.
Justin Ceselli
Head chef at Trevi Lakeside
Justin Ceselli first worked at a Mexican restaurant in Baulkham Hills called Nachos after leaving school at 16.
“I started there after school and when one of the chefs left the owner asked if I wanted to jump in. I thought ‘why not?’ it’s better than washing up.”
Ceselli grew up in Blacktown to a mixed Australian-Italian family.
“With my dad being Italian, we were very close to food and it was central to our home.”
Ceselli who has worked at the restaurant for about 13 years said “Trevi is home” for him.
“It’s a comfortable style of modern Italian food and it suits me.”
“I know my clientele and what they’re looking for.”
“I’m no Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsay but I’m looking to be consistent and maintain that level.”
The North Kellyville chef said in the past 10 years the industry has changed a lot.
“We used to make everything on the premise but then due to job shortages and less staff, we had to adapt.
“We’ve got more people coming into the restaurant with a smaller window of time to cook and margins are tighter than they’ve ever been.”
Yet Ceselli said he was still a believer of the ‘old school’ cooking style – cooking in a pan to order.
“There’s no pre-made sauce. I cook it to order.”
Asked how they’ve remained competitive, he said it was through a “good mix” of good food and service.
“I would say people are coming not just for the food but for the floor experience with the waiter. They know you and you know them.”
With lockdown to be lifted in just days, he said he hopes dining has been something people have been missing.
Vincenzo Papa
Head chef at Modo Mio
Vincenzo Papa’s culinary journey started off when he was a kid in Naples working seasons in a local pizzeria.
When he was 19 he made the move to London where he started to work professionally at an Italian restaurant in Shoreditch House.
“I worked with a well known Italian chef. He’s very Italian – very old school. He taught me everything.”
After living in London for four years, he had his sights on Australia and worked at the Grounds of Alexandria and Grounds of the City before he took the job as head chef at Modo Mio nine months ago.
While he’s still been busy cooking for takeaway, he said he’s very excited to finally welcome diners back in a few weeks.
“I’m pretty excited it would be nice because doing takeaway has been a bit boring.
“It would be so nice to actually see people when they eat again.”
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