Meet the young Adelaide chefs shaping the future of dining in South Australia
From a former tennis coach to a civil engineer and a Jock Zonfrillo protege, here are ten of SA’s rising young chefs – and where you can try their top dishes.
Lifestyle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News.
They’re not quite household names yet but SA’s emerging culinary stars are already showcasing their talents at some of the best venues around town.
Whether it’s fire-fuelled arkhe on The Parade, Norwood, SkyCity Adelaide’s Italian favourite iTL Kitchen, or arguably the country’s best fine diner, Restaurant Botanic, you’ll find the city’s best young chefs plying their wares at eateries all over the state.
And their diverse backgrounds, from all corners of the globe, might surprise you. Some started cooking as a young teenager, others dreamt of a career on the sporting field or in academia.
But they all share the same qualities, including a passion for food and plenty of creativity in the kitchen.
Here are 10 of our hottest young chefs and how they rose to the top of their field.
Nicola Pulera, 31
Like most Italians, Nicola Pulera’s love of food started as a young boy in his family’s kitchen, in the historic city of San Severo, Puglia, in southern Italy.
“Our family was all about food. On the weekends, I’d go over to nonna’s house and we’d cook everything together. That’s how it became my main passion,” he says.
By his nonna’s side, Pulera learned to make all kinds of traditional Italian fare, from pasta to sauces, desserts, and even the classic lemon-flavoured liqueur, limoncello.
“I always wanted to help. I was very young, maybe seven, eight, and she’d put me on the pasta machine. I just fell in love with cooking,” he says.
Fast forward two decades and Italian-born Pulera, now aged just 31, is head chef at iTL Kitchen, one of SkyCity Adelaide’s highly-rated restaurants. But his rise in the culinary world has been anything but conventional.
As an 18-year-old, spurred on by his parents, Pulera moved to the other end of Italy to study economics at a prestigious university in Milan.
“I wouldn't say I did it for my parents, but you think they want you to study … I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t love it either,” he says.
“I’d always work at restaurants on the side to pay the rent and I was becoming even more passionate (about it). Milan is a very important place for Italian cuisine.”
Pulera completed his three-year degree before deciding a life of numbers “wasn’t for him”.
Seeking a new challenge and still eyeing a career as a chef, the then 23-year-old packed his bags and moved to Adelaide in 2017.
It didn’t take him long to pick up work at acclaimed pizzeria, 400 Gradi, on The Parade, in Norwood.
Pulera developed his craft alongside award-winning pizza maker, Johnny Di Francesco, eventually earning a shot as sous chef at iTL Kitchen in 2020.
That’s where he would meet the love of his life, Victoria, the following year.
The striking brunette, a business entrepreneur and social media influencer, was a guest at the popular eatery one night, when the pair locked eyes across the crowded dining room.
“She came in and we exchanged glances, but I had to remain professional … and then she left,” Pulera says.
But Victoria – whose family owned beloved Henley Beach fish and chip shop, The Stunned Mullet, for over two decades – wasn’t giving up that easily.
She found Pulera on Instagram and asked him out on a date.
“She was like a detective, she found me on socials and messaged me. She said the food was amazing, I looked good and why don’t we get a drink soon?” he recalls.
“I couldn’t believe it.”
The rest is history and the couple tied the knot at a villa in Puglia, Italy, last year.
Pulera says Victoria is a “great cook” but, understandably, he takes control in their kitchen.
“She loves a good spaghetti alla vongole, or pasta with clams, and, of course, the pizzas as well,” he says.
And so does most of Adelaide, with those dishes among the most requested on Pulera’s new menu at iTL Kitchen, on the ground floor by Festival Plaza.
He says it’s all about revisiting traditional Italian plates with an “added twist”. These include the aforementioned spaghetti alla vongole, this time with lemon pangrattato, beef ravioli topped with sliced pancetta and a pistachio-flavoured tiramisu dessert.
“It’s a big responsibility, it’s a big restaurant and it’s very busy. But it seems to be working really well,” he says.
“Adelaide is more of a casual dining market but the quality is very high. There’s lots of very good Italian restaurants. The level has really grown since I’ve been here, the competition is very strong.”
Simon Ming, 30
Emerging Adelaide chef Simon Ming will never forget working for the late Jock Zonfrillo at Restaurant Orana, on Rundle St.
He had just completed a two-year course at Le Cordon Bleu, the respected Regency Park cooking school, when he secured his first job at Zonfrillo’s groundbreaking fine diner in 2017.
“I was very lucky. Straight into the best of the best,” says Ming, who started as an entry-level commis chef, working his way up to become a senior chef de partie.
“Jock was amazing. When people talk about Jock, it’s either love or hate. They say he was tough to get along with … but for me, it was all love.
“He treated everyone the same and I was so humbled to learn from him.”
Ming says the former MasterChef judge, who died suddenly in 2023, remains a “huge influence” on his cooking to this day.
“I still get some inspiration from his early recipes … and he helped build all my professional skills that are fundamental to being a chef,” he says.
Ming has since used those expert skills to great effect, launching his own venue, ODE Bistro, in North Adelaide in January 2024.
Combining elegant, fine dining with a more casual ambience, ODE is virtually a new category of restaurant in Adelaide, Ming says.
“It’s about maintaining the highest standards of food and service, but we’re not forcing people to go on 15 or 20-course degustations and charging $300-$400 a head. It’s not that kind of vibe,” he says.
“This type of gastronomic bistro is more about value. We’re not compromising on anything, but the pricing is very reasonable.”
A fusion of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, ODE has already won many plaudits for Chinese-born Ming, including a nomination for Gourmet Traveller’s prestigious Best New Talent Award last year.
It’s a long way from his humble beginnings in the Sichuan region of China, an area famous for its spicy dishes.
Ming started learning the basics as a five-year-old, inspired by his beloved grandfather who he describes as a “great, great, great home cook”.
“He’d cook for the whole family, and I’d be his assistant in the kitchen. I could barely see above the bench but I’d help him with his dumplings, rolling his spring rolls and chopping vegetables,” he says.
“I just loved smelling and touching the fresh ingredients. I’d get so excited. That’s where my passion comes from.”
But after high school, he put food on the backburner and studied petroleum and natural gas engineering at university, eventually working as an assistant engineer.
“I wasn’t enjoying it at all. I spoke to my parents and told them I wanted to continue my journey as a professional chef,” Ming says.
“I told them that cooking makes me happy. It’s bizarre for a traditional Asian family but my parents were very supportive.”
Seeking to advance his culinary ambitions, he decided to move to Adelaide in 2015. After covid forced the closure of Orana, Ming went on to hone his craft at top venues here and interstate. These include Magill Penfolds Estate, Brae in regional Victoria, Quay in Circular Quay, plus a Sydney pop-up version of three Michelin-starred French fine diner Mirazur, then regarded as the best restaurant in the world.
“I experienced the highest standard of fine dining … and after that I felt like I needed to stop,” he says. “I felt like post-covid, fine dining had less connection with people. I decided I wanted to do something different.”
So ODE Bistro was born – and Ming couldn’t be happier with where he’s ended up.
“I’ve never regretted anything. Sometimes it can be hard running your own business but as soon as you get that big smile from your customers, that makes everything worthwhile,” he says.
Georgia Roberts, 35
Adelaide Hills-born Roberts stumbled into a career in the kitchen after studying environmental science at university, which piqued her interest in the ecology of our food systems.
“I started growing a lot of my own food, and then cooking was a natural extension of that,” she says.
“I fell in love with the reward you get from creating something delicious that you can share with others. And then soon after, the adrenaline rush of a busy restaurant kitchen.”
Inspired by her experiences, she went on to work as a sous chef and chef de partie in Canterbury, New Zealand before returning to a four-year tenure at top CBD restaurant Fino Vino.
Roberts recently enjoyed a residency at Loc Bottle Bar and was also the in-house baker at esteemed Hills bistro Thelma Piccadilly.
One of the stars of this year’s Tasting Australia festival, she cooked alongside top chefs Darren Robertson and Andy Allen, and has just returned from the US, where she helped Curtis Stone and Staguni’s Clare Falzon serve up a major Tourism Australia lunch.
Dubbed the Great Australian Bite, the event showcased Australia’s homegrown ingredients, cosmopolitan cuisine and world-class hospitality at Stone’s hilltop farm in Malibu.
But Roberts is far from one dimensional. She finished up at Thelma in February and has returned to uni to continue her studies in psychology.
“I am definitely still a chef. (But) I love cooking and think there’s definitely space for combining cooking and food growing with psychology – both in a therapeutic sense, and … looking at mental health within the industry,” she says.
Jamie Musgrave, 27
Musgrave followed in the footsteps of his acclaimed former boss, Justin James, when he took over the celebrated Adelaide restaurant in July last year.
“Reflecting on my new role, I am excited to showcase my ideas on food and hospitality,” he said at the time.
“I look forward to delving into the rich tapestry of native Australian ingredients.”
Born in picturesque Dunsborough, a coastal town in WA’s famed Margaret River wine region, Musgrave started his culinary career at age 15.
He left school early to dive into a cooking apprenticeship, and honed his skills at leading restaurants in his home state, followed by a brief stint at Sydney’s Rockpool Bar and Grill.
Musgrave would go on to join pioneering roaming restaurant, Fervor, before venturing overseas to work in kitchens in Hong Kong.
In 2021, he returned to Australia, moving to Adelaide where he played a pivotal role in re-launching Botanic alongside James.
Now Musgrave’s writing the restaurant’s next chapter, releasing a new menu highlighting local producers and ingredients sourced from across Australia – not just from the surrounding gardens.
Stand out dishes include Marron, featuring freshwater crayfish from Western Australia, and an innovative crocodile Chawanmushi, or savoury Japanese egg custard.
“I am excited about championing pristine produce and small batch artisans while showcasing some rare ingredients that diners may not have seen before,” Musgrave says.
Taiaha Ngawiki, 31
Ngawiki’s future career somehow seemed predestined. As a young boy growing up in Willunga, he’d explore the local farmers’ market, meeting the artisan producers, and tasting their fresh produce.
By the age of ten, he was already baking wood-fired sourdough bread under renowned baker John Downes, a pioneer of Australia’s sourdough movement. Four years later, he started working as an apprentice at the much-lauded FINO restaurant in Willunga under David Swain, just a short walk from his home and school.
“I’ve always loved the energy of a commercial kitchen and have been inspired by local produce,” he says.
“Seeing David working with the same produce and making world class restaurant dishes out of it was fascinating to me.”
And so began Ngawiki’s culinary journey. The young chef, of Maori heritage, cut his teeth at Hyde Park venues including Melt Pizzeria and Marrakech, before working under head chef Thomas Boden at Maxwell Wines’ Ellen Street Restaurant.
“I loved learning how to make things from scratch and understanding about different techniques and flavour combinations,” he says.
The ambitious young cook would next travel overseas, opening a burger bar in Auckland, New Zealand, followed by a gig at Goldie Winery on Waiheke Island.
But family would bring Ngawiki back home in 2019 and he soon reunited with his old boss Boden, this time at Harry’s Deli in Wirra Wirra Vineyards.
In April this year, the 31-year-old was appointed head chef of the popular eatery.
Known for his bold, colourful flavours, Ngawiki draws inspiration from North African, Asian and Mediterranean cuisines, with his signature dishes including a Ras el hanout lamb, and an Asian-inspired fried chicken.
“I love welcoming and warm honest food that features fresh, local and sustainable produce,” he says.
“I like using classic techniques and making whatever we can from scratch, building layers of flavour with balanced sauces that complement the main ingredients.”
Alice Weatherford, 44
It’s never too late to switch careers – just ask Alice Weatherford.
After seven years as a civil engineer, Weatherford knew she desperately needed a change of scenery in 2017.
“I had been working in a different industry which wasn’t a good fit for me and where my mental health was deteriorating pretty badly,” she reveals.
A longheld love of food and cooking led her to retrain as a chef, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Later that year, Weatherford started working at Press Food and Wine on Waymouth St where she stayed as a chef de partie until the end of 2020. She started at Fino Vino in 2021 and recently assumed the role of head chef.
Venue co-founder and industry leader Sharon Romeo says Weatherford is a “a standout talent” who has brought a “quiet strength, integrity, and a deeply thoughtful approach” to her work.
“Her journey into the industry is marked by courage and purpose, and I’m incredibly proud to support her continued growth as a chef and leader,” she says.
Weatherford says she loves being a part of the state’s dining scene which she describes as a “special place”.
“I am amazed on a regular basis by the talent of the people I work with and the quality of the produce that we have access to,” she says.
“On a more basic physical level, I love being on my feet in a warm kitchen instead of sitting at an airconditioned desk all day.”
Casey Chua-Lao, 27
She’s prepared meals for Hollywood superstars such as Dev Patel and Daniel Radcliffe, yet for Chua-Lao, it’s the simple things which she loves most about her chosen profession.
“I became a chef because I grew up around good food. Now after being in the game for so long, I love the fast paced environment and the mise en place aspect of the organisation,” she says. “I love bringing energy and great food to the events that we are doing.”
Chua-Lao was still a teenager when she decided to embark on a career in the kitchen.
Starting as an apprentice at Settlers Tavern in Ingle Farm, Chua-Lao quickly rose through the ranks to become sous chef, displaying immediate talent and drive.
She then honed her skills at Adelaide food institutions Argo on the Parade and then Golden Boy on East Tce, cooking for Harry Potter star Radcliffe while he was in town shooting the movie, Escape From Pretoria.
“I never knew what being a chef in a commercial kitchen actually meant but it always felt like my calling,” she says.
Chua-Lao was 22 when she helped launch Noi in 2019, and she’s been there ever since, drawing on her Filipino heritage and a love for Southeast Asian flavours, in particular Thai and Vietnamese.
Her favourite dishes – such as the crispy fried barramundi – celebrate fresh, vibrant ingredients, and showcase heart and precision.
“My food philosophy is salt or fish sauce on everything, taste your food. Experience and consistency is key,” Chua-Lao says.
Zak Kranjcec, 32
Before he became an ace in the kitchen, Kranjcec had dreams of a career in the tennis industry.
Focused on serving up forehands rather than foie gras, the teenager’s passion for the sport saw him work as a professional tennis coach in his home state of Victoria, even taking on a role as a racquet stringer for Tennis Australia.
But after four years, Kranjcec’s passion for creativity and cooking drew him back to restaurants. He worked as a chef in several top Melbourne establishments, including Velvet Bar, the Exchange Hotel, and Dutchess, before relocating to Adelaide to develop his culinary skills.
“Embracing the fast pace and intensity of a bustling kitchen suited the young adult that I was when entering the industry,” he says.
The father-of-two spent time at The Lion Hotel, advancing to sous chef at Glenelg Golf Club, and holding head chef positions at the Republic Hotel, Coast Restaurant, Pier Hotel and Fishbank. In July last year, he took over the menu at the McLaren Vale Hotel, succeeding rock star chef Paul Wilson.
“Coming to our restaurant is not just about having an excellent meal and drinks — it’s about the whole experience,” he says.
“We offer guests an honest style of cooking that elevates fresh, local hero ingredients and in-house processes, where it’s clear that extra love and care has gone into everything we deliver.”
Always in the back of his mind is Kranjcec’s Croatian-born grandmother who inspired his love of food as a youngster.
“I spent a lot of my childhood visiting her in Adelaide surrounded by her cooking. We would spend holidays picking olives and fresh herbs from their garden,” he says.
“To this day, the first thing she does in her morning is put on her apron for the day.”
Jessica Helinda, 28
As a cafe owner and sous chef at CBD hotspot Sora On Pirie, Helinda regularly works up to 100 hours a week – but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“This is the life I chose and I didn’t choose this career because it was easy. I chose it because I feel enjoyment and this is what makes me who I am now,” she says.
Born in Indonesia, Helinda moved to Australia in 2016 to pursue her passion for cooking. Formally trained as a pastry chef, she was originally based in Sydney before moving to Adelaide in late 2021.
Helinda has worked both front of house and in the kitchen at various establishments, including for The Star Entertainment Group in Sydney, at the Crowne Plaza and Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge.
“I’ve always believed that food is one of the most powerful ways to connect people and once I experienced the energy of working in hospitality, I never looked back,” she says.
Leading Adelaide chef Adam Liston has been a key mentor for the rising star, helping to guide her at his beloved Leigh St eatery Shobosho and also at modern rooftop restaurant Sora.
More recently, Helinda launched her own Japanese-inspired coffee shop, Two Sisters Cafe in Woodville South, alongside her business partner and sibling Angella Candra.
“I believe in cooking with purpose. For me, the best dishes are the one where every ingredient is respected,” she says.
“There is always room for improvement and we all will keep learning to be better and better but I’m just happy to be achieving my dreams.”
Andreas Frank, 27
Frank has worked with some of Australia’s best and most prominent chefs, including his current boss, Adelaide’s revered Jake Kellie. But few can hold a candle to his mother, whom he describes as an “absolute wizard” when it comes to food.
“It probably sounds like a cliche, but the person who inspired me most in the kitchen is my mum,” he says.
“Her love for cooking was always obvious, and it really rubbed off on me. Growing up, we always made the effort to sit down and eat together as a
family, and that time around the table made food feel important.”
Originally from central Victoria, Frank was just 16 when he started an apprenticeship at a local pub before going on to complete his commercial cookery training at Bendigo TAFE. From there, his culinary journey accelerated.
Frank developed his craft in various roles at country kitchens and in fine dining restaurants, building his skills and finding his style along the way.
After working as sous chef at top regional venues such as Bendigo’s Alium Dining and Rocks on Rosalind, Frank eventually made the move to SA, drawn by the state’s top-quality produce and vibrant food scene.
“Working closely with Jake (Kellie) over the years has been a big part of shaping the kind of chef I’ve become,” he says.
“I just try to cook food that feels genuine. I’m not interested in overcomplicating things or chasing trends. For me, it’s about understanding where ingredients come from, using solid technique, and putting up food that people actually want to eat.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Meet the young Adelaide chefs shaping the future of dining in South Australia
Experts warn over misuse of controversial weight-loss drugs
If you’ve heard the term “food noise” a lot lately, you are a not alone.
‘Shame’: 30yo’s big idea after broken hand
A woman who broke her hand and was left crying on the floor because she couldn’t do her own makeup has turned her misfortune into a roaring business.