No taste like home, according to Neil Perry

TOP Australian chef Neil Perry says that Australians visiting New York should prepare themselves for the American palate.

escape there's no taste like home

TOP Australian chef Neil Perry says that Australians visiting New York should prepare themselves for the American palate.

"Americans love their food to be smothered with ketchup and mayonnaise and if you serve them something simple, even with very good produce, they say, 'Where's the flavour? This doesn't taste of anything'," Perry says.

"They are used to powerful flavours and sweet flavours. It's very different from what we are used to here."

Perry had a starring role on MasterChef this year, participating in a teams challenge in which contestants had to prepare meals for Qantas first-class passengers.

He says the challenge was difficult, but contestants did a reasonable job in tough circumstances.

"One of the dishes had XO sauce," he says.

"When we make XO sauce for Qantas, I usually have a guy who spends all day just making it, but they had to do it in an hour."

Perry's Rockpool group is responsible for Qantas business and first-class food. It prepares 1600 different dishes each year for the airline.

He says the key to creating successful airline food is to start with dishes that taste good on the ground.

"The reality of it is, if a dish tastes really good on the ground, it will taste good in the air."

He says many Australians appreciate getting back on board a Qantas plane after a trip away so they can eat as they do at home.

"A lot of the guys who travel with us, they get on and they want a steak sandwich," he says.

"People want flavour and comfort when they fly, so we always offer a couple of roasts of the day, and a great curry or a fantastic tagine, a great braise or a pie. Simple, produce-driven food."

As for New York, Perry advises travellers to do their research before heading out to dine.

"Asian food there is generally a disaster," he warns.

For a fine-dining experience, he recommends Per Se (www.perseny.com) as one of the world's greatest, but he also loves Eataly (eatalyny.com) for its excellent Italian dishes and vibe.

For a quick bite on the run, he says go to Bouchon Bakery (www.bouchonbakery.com) at Columbus Circle.

And for a great restaurant meal, he recommends Blue Hill in Greenwich Village (www.bluehillfarm.com), which serves food using local produce in a historic brownstone building.

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