Page 36 - Foodservice magazine may 2019

36
CHEFS’ CORNER
Never, Sometimes, Always
MELBOURNE’S BOMBA OPENED SIX YEARS AGO, HITTING THE CBD WITH WHAT WOULD TURN OUT TO BE SOME OF THE BEST BAR SNACKS AND HEARTY SPANISH FOOD IN TOWN. POPULAR DISHES QUICKLY MADE THEMSELVES KNOWN, AND SOME HAVEN’T CHANGED SINCE DAY DOT. OWNER AND EXECUTIVE CHEF JESSE GERNER SAYS HE COULD NEVER TAKE THE PEDRO XIMENEZ-BRAISED PORK JOWL OFF THE MENU BECAUSE HIS REGULARS WOULD HAVE A FIT. SO HOW OFTEN SHOULD A RESTAURANT CHANGE ITS OFFERING? GERNER WEIGHS IN.
Arestaurant menu should be an evolving document. There’s no right answer to exactly how often it should change, but it should always offer new flavours and experiences to regulars and first-timers alike.
I like to think of the menu in three equal parts – the never-changing, the sometimes- changing and the always-changing dishes.
We don’t offer daily specials at Bomba, so it’s important that there’s evolution
in the menu.
The never-changing dishes are those that have stayed the same since our first day of trade. These are the dishes that people come back for time and time again, like our bone marrow, Cecina montadito, or Pedro Ximenez-braised pork jowl. These dishes are all based on classic flavours without seasonally dependent ingredients, which allows us to serve them year round.
The second category is the sometimes- changing dishes. Our paellas, for example, will never come off our menu, but we’re always refreshing the flavours and ingredients with the seasons or available produce. Every week our seafood paella could be slightly different, with a new combination of fish and shellfish. We also find hero ingredients that we love, like Hervey Bay scallops, and put them on the
“Most long-term regulars love that they can dine with us knowing that their favourites are safe, and that there will always be something on the menu they haven’t seen before.”
menu whenever we can get them. But we change their accompaniments regularly, like pairing them with a truffle or Joselito Iberico jamon compound butter. These are the dishes that we know people love and look forward to, but they also present an opportunity for our chefs to be creative, and for diners to try something new.
The always-changing dishes are those
that centre around seasonality, and are designed to highlight the best fresh produce available. We see the strongest changes in our vegetable and seafood dishes as our suppliers provide the current crop. These dishes
are by no means finished products, and always evolve during their time on the menu.
At Bomba, we endeavour to always present something new and interesting, without alienating regulars by playing around with their most beloved dishes too much. We have the benefit of a large menu, which allows us the scope and freedom to work the balance between classics and new. Most long-term regulars love that they can dine with us knowing that their favourites are safe, and that there will always be something on the menu they haven’t seen before.