Adam Lane – Kiyomi
“Definitely fresh seafood. At Kiyomi, we have a very close relationship with our suppliers as it is imperative that we only use the freshest fish. Every morning I receive a text message telling me what has been unloaded off the trawlers and then it is on the menu that night.”

Jason Burt – Little Truffle Dining Room & Bar
“I like working with poultry, it lends itself to multiple cooking techniques and goes with plenty of ingredients. In the winter I like to confit or roast whole for a flavour-filled farce, in the summer I prefer to marinade and grill or poach in a master stock.”

Michael Simpson – Bonita Bonita
“I have been using a lot of chilli recently, working at Bonita Bonita has really broadened my views on them. Queensland is a great chilli-growing region and fresh varieties are readily available. My favourite is the habanero, a staple in southern Mexican cuisine, the flavour is fruity, sweet and sour with a heat that sneaks up on you! So many times I have seen brave fools scoff that it’s not that hot in the seconds after a bite or a drop and what follows is priceless. I have also been making fermented habanero sauces in traditional Mexican-style, they bring a taco to life but they are only for the brave and the foolish!”

Sam Cruize – Easy Street Diner
“Probably an egg because they are so versatile. For breakfast, perfectly poached on an eggs benedict. For lunch, a curried egg sandwich with just under hard-boiled eggs, lightly seasoned with salt pepper and a few pinches of curry powder mixed with Japanese mayonnaise on soft white bread and for dinner, steak tataki. Seared Eye Fillet of beef sliced thinly and dipped in soy and a raw egg yolk. It doesn’t get much better. After dinner, I’d make a stiff cocktail using egg whites, my personal favourite is a whisky sour.”

Kelvin Andrew – The Fish House
“Hands down, lemon. It’s sweet and sour, enhances food and can have it on almost everything!”