1. Who are you?

Luke Hayes-Alexander.

2. What do you do?

I am the Executive Chef at Luke’s Gastronomy.

3. Where can people find you?

We can be found at 264 Princess St. Our website is
lukesgastronomy.com

4. If you had a mission statement, what would it be?

I believe in gathering my ingredients from local farms and in showing my respect for those foods by preparing them in ways that will delight and amuse my customers.

5. Do you have a favourite recipe to prepare?

No, I can’t say I have a favourite. I love whatever it is that I’m working on at the time. Although, I am particularly excited when working on a new dish, which can take anywhere from two to
four months.

6. Where do you gather inspiration?

I gather inspiration from so many sources … recipes, a specific ingredient I want to highlight, a photo, nature. Sometimes ideas come in dreams. I have a vast collection of food books and food history books and they provide much inspiration. I’ll come across an obscure preparation from first Century Rome, for example, and will be inspired to create a dish around that.

7. How do you take an ingredient in its initial form like tobacco and transform it into one of your trademark creations?

That’s such a great question. When planning a new dish the first step is to do research … taking notes and jotting down ideas. Then I start to think about the flavours I want on the plate. Once a flavour has been chosen, vanilla pipe tobacco for example, I must decide on texture and temperature.
Then it’s time for playing/experimentation. This is why new dishes take such a long time. Some plates can have up to 15 flavour components and each one must be perfected before I can move on to next. During this stage I am always mindful of the contrasting textures and temperatures always present on all of my plates. As well, are all of the five taste sensations represented?

8. Have you ever attempted a new recipe that didn’t go as planned?

Oh, of course it happens. Because I don’t follow recipes … I experiment until I get to what I had imagined I wanted; not all experiments work.

9. Your Twitter account often gives followers a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes in your kitchen, how has having the account affected life at Luke’s?

I absolutely love Twitter. It’s very funny, actually, because I remember when a friend recommended that I join … almost two years ago. I think I rolled my eyes and muttered something about it not being something I’d be interested in.

Now I can’t imagine life without it. The friends I’ve made … it just blows me away. Chatting with, and getting to know, foodies and fellow chefs from literally all over the world leaves me speechless.

10. Do you have a particularly memorable guest who’s come to enjoy your work?

We’ve had so many incredible people in our dining room. People from all walks of life and from all over the world. But there is one table I will never forget. After the Financial Times did a feature on me, for some reason a lot of people in Australia started following me on Twitter.

One was a fellow named Franz … a restaurant critic, food writer, Oz’s foremost Whisky expert, blues musician extraordinaire … simply one of the most respected ‘Gourmands’ in the food world. Long story short … we soon became Twitter pen pals, and last November he and his wife flew from Sydney just to dine here two nights in a row.

They ate the entire menu and were blown away. After service we chatted for hours over good whisky … it was amazing!

11. How many guest books have you accumulated over the years?

Our current guest book is number six. We started this tradition the night I took over as Chef … the day after my 15th Birthday.

12. What’s your hope for those visiting your restaurant?

My hope is that they will have a dining experience unlike anything they’ve ever had; to have experienced pure culinary bliss. An experience they will not soon forget.

13. Do you listen to music when you’re cooking? If so, any favourites?

I don’t listen to music during service. But I couldn’t do my prep without it. Favourites? Neil Young, Massive Attack, Paul Weller, the Pretenders, Jamiroquai, East Village Opera Co. and Boom Crash Opera.

14. What’s the most rewarding part of your job? The most challenging?

Chatting with our customers and reading the guest book … affirmation that I am doing what I should be doing. The most challenging? That’s tough because I love challenging myself. But I guess I’d have to say that getting through my to-do lists can sometimes be a challenge.

15. What are your hopes for the future?

That’s a tough one. I want to do and accomplish so many things. I want to open Luke’s Gastronomy’s in other cities. I want to travel. I certainly want to do stages in the kitchens of the chefs I most admire. I want to publish books. And so on, and so on … and to keep changing the way people think of food … one plate at a time.

— Ally Hall