Aussie acting royalty Claudia Karvan has starred in some of Australia’s best films and television shows (Bump, The Secret Life of Us, Love My Way and yes, a Star Wars film, too, to name but a few).

Most recently, her journey on the new series of the SBS’s Who Do You Think You Are? brought her back to our screens, as she travelled to England, Cyprus and New Zealand to walk in the shoes of her ancestors.

From a culinary perspective, Karvan’s stepfather, Arthur, remains a huge
influence − he introduced her to Greek cooking and opened the King’s Cross nightclub Arthur’s with her mother Gabrielle in Sydney in the 1970s.

Karvan also lived in Bali when she was 10, and fell in love with Indonesian cuisine. A maternal lineage takes her to central Otago, where the hills are covered in wild thyme. “It’s the only other place in the world outside of the Mediterranean where thyme naturally occurs,” says Karvan. “It really was exquisite − the smell is wonderful and comforting.”

We sat down with Karvan to discuss her food favourites, at home and further afield.

EATING IN

My signature dish at home

I bought a pizza oven a year ago and love making pizza dough and pizza. Once they’re ready, we put in a lamb shoulder with wine and herbs and cover it with foil and it cooks slowly overnight. It’s so beautiful and fragrant to wake up to.

The kitchen wisdom I cling to

Every kitchen needs a good knife. I recently visited the famous Tsukiji Market in Tokyo and bought a very good quality sharp Japanese knife. My dad, Arthur, always had one with a wooden handle, and now my son Albee and I have one too. I sharpen it at home, oil it, and use it with pleasure.

EATING OUT

My favourite hometown restaurants and dishes

I live in Sydney and I don’t go to a restaurant if I can’t walk or cycle to it. I love Japanese restaurant RK San in Redfern for their kingfish carpaccio and miso eggplant. You’ll also find me at Kindred restaurant in Darlington. I love their cabbage salad with currants and pine nuts. I like Bastardo in Surry Hills for a side of brussels sprouts and a steak done over the fire.

Izakaya Fujiyama in Surry Hills also makes a great eggplant miso. I highly recommend the dumplings and hand rolls. The atmosphere is very good and the sake range is fabulous. I also drop into RaRa Ramen for vegan and dry ramen noodles and rice bowls.

My favourite cafe and pub

My ultimate cafe is St Jude’s in Redfern. I always order Kermit the Juice – fresh-squeezed kale, cucumber, celery, lemon, ginger and apple – or the Golden Gaytime juice, filled with orange, turmeric, carrot and ginger. The food is delicious too – they make fabulous cauliflower tacos and the St Jude nasi goreng is a must, as is the katsu eggplant sandwich.

I love The Carrington in Redfern too – it’s a nice place to pop in for a
drink. I order a house burger and a beer – usually a Guinness – and I add some lemonade and make it a shandy.

Where I like to eat in Melbourne

I have been going to Caffe e Cucina since I was 16, when I first worked in Melbourne and always had a meal by myself. Any home-made pasta is what I go for – ravioli in a red sauce. I recently ate there with a group of friends
and we ordered spaghetti marinara – served in the chef’s cooking paper. It is such a familiar place.

Cicciolina in St Kilda is another fave – the sticky date pudding, spaghetti vongole, gnocchi, barramundi, burrata and mortadella – all yum.

Not long ago, I ate at a Hungarian cafe in Caulfield South called The Little Hungarian − it was like a time-travel place. I went at lunchtime and everyone was over 75 years old, and it had such a fantastic vibe. I ordered a wiener schnitzel, and apricot and plum dumplings for dessert. The helpings were generous and the stuffed cabbage was great.

My favourite places to eat in Australia

A childhood memory for me was always eating at Imperial Peking. It has closed down now, but our family would go to Double Bay and the floating one in Rose Bay, which was the most incredible experience as a kid.

These days, the place I go to regularly with my son is RK San. They make
an incredible edible salmon cigar that’s served on an ashtray with fake ash − it’s all quite bizarre. They also make a good vegetarian roll. We love the spiced edamame with dancing bonito. I also can’t resist agedashi tofu. My son’s first words were “agedashi tofu” when he was aged two! The wagyu carpaccio, spider rolls and prawn tempura are also noteworthy.

ON THE ROAD

I like Warung Local in Badung in Bali. The salads and beans are amazing, as are the fish skewers. Three Monkeys in Sanur is also worth a visit. It’s run by a Greek woman. The charred corn is very nice and you get great home-made bread too. They have pepes ikan tengirri (fish cooked in banana leaves), and spiced beef rendang on the menu. I am a sucker for halloumi and coconut crusted prawns too. And the moussaka is a must.

Kedai Emak is an Indonesian warung in Denpasar that’s also delicious and authentic. When in Bali I always eat nasi lemak, nasi campur, soto ayam [chicken soup] and rendang. You have to try babi guling; a spicy pork dish to enjoy with a Bintang beer.

Where to stay

Renting old traditional villas is always lovely and the way to go. I don’t like air-con, so this style suits me. Otherwise, try the Tandjung Sari Hotel in Sanur – a great place if you can splash out – the ultimate.

Claudia Karvan appears on Who Do You Think You Are?, available now on SBS On Demand.