"Going to a restaurant should be a treat, so I respect what people tell me about their likes and dislikes. I don't try to force anything on them."
Although Wakuda is considered one of the founders of fusion cooking -- a mix of international ingredients and techniques -- he would be more likely to use the term Australian cuisine. Dominant in his cooking are French techniques and Japanese ingredients, which he uses to highlight flavors and surprise the palate.
"I find the freshest and best ingredients and then use herbs or spices or the coo-king method to enhance it. Cooking is a science that has to be mastered, but for me it's all about taste."
Take his recipe for fresh scampi. "I season them with salt and pepper and a little crushed tea, because the tannin in the tea lifts the sweetness of the scampi."
"Then I roast them in the oven so they are translucent in the center, make a sauce with the heads and use this to infuse the oil. It's so simple that anyone can do it."
Not all his recipes are so straight-forward, and Wakuda is fondly known among his staff as "the gadget king."
"I adore kitchens and I have all the latest appliances. You don't necessarily need them to cook well, but when you're serving such large number they can help you be consistent."
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