In the Kitchen With ... Paul Donnelly

Head chef at one of Sydney’s trendiest venues, Ms G’s, Paul Donnelly reveals to Sarah Swain all about Gordon Ramsay, celebrity diners, and why Australian kitchens are best.

 

When did you know you wanted to become a chef?

I got the notion when I was about 16 or 17, towards the end of school in Glasgow, Scotland, where I’m from. The only classes I was interested in were things such as cooking and art — creative things. Maths and English I didn’t bother going to. Eventually I got kicked out of school. My dad gave me an ultimatum, to either get a job, or get my own house, so I took on an apprenticeship as a chef at the Hilton in Glasgow.

We understand you also worked with fiery TV chef Gordon Ramsay?
I was staging [an unpaid internship for chefs] at Amaryllis, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in Glasgow. He was pretty cool. He’s not as full on or abusive as he seems on TV. After I finished my apprenticeship in 2006, I came to Australia.

What was the first thing you learned to cook?
The first thing I learned to cook that took me to another level was (Scottish dish) black pudding. I thought it was so cool! It was the first dish that taught me about the science behind cooking. You’ve got to get certain temperatures, it involves pig’s blood and pork fat, so it’s quite complicated!

What’s so special about Ms G’s?
What makes us unique from other fusion restaurants is the combination between East and West. We might have a curry on the menu for example, and instead of putting coriander on it we might use dill to give it a modern twist. Then there’s the desserts — we do things such as candied bacon, potato chip praline and deep-fried bananas. People ask if I would ever go back to fine dining and I say no. I don’t like all that messing around.

What’s your favourite dish on the menu and why?
King fish tostada. I cooked it on The Morning Show on Channel 7. Almost every order docket that comes in has it on. It’s clean and fresh and packed with flavour.

What’s the kitchen like in the restaurant?
We’ve just had a renovation, and we’ve got a big island bench in the middle with under-bench fridges. We have a couple of deep fryers and we use a robata grill, which we ignite every day with hot coals — we do steaks, prawns, chargrilled corn, pork neck for our Vietnamese pancake and octopus on there. It’s really hot and it doesn’t give that artificial flavour you get with gas. We’ve also got a wok burner, a combi oven, a Pacojet ice-cream machine, and an ice-shaving machine which we use with frozen coconut water.

How does it compare to your kitchen at home?
I live in a studio in Bondi but I’m fortunate, my kitchen is really nice (see photo, bottom right). It’s quite small, but it’s long. I’ve got a blender, a KitchenAid, a convection oven and a four-top burner.

What would be your dream kitchen?
My dream kitchen would have old-style rustic wooden floors and two benches; one stainless steel for vegetables and desserts, and another wooden bench for butchery. I’d have hooks coming from the ceiling for all my strainers and pots and pans to hang from. I’d also have a wok burner.

What are your must-have kitchen appliances for at home?
Everyone should have a KitchenAid and a mortar and pestle. Also an ice-cream machine such as a Pacojet and maybe a mincer — I use mine to make my curry paste as opposed to a blender.

What’s your top tip for creating the perfect home kitchen?
Make sure you’ve got lots of bench space for preparation.

What dishes do you cook at home?
I do cook at home but I don’t spend hours on it. I like to cook curries for me and my girlfriend, T–Honey — she’s half Maori. I like to make naan bread too, and Vietnamese rice paper rolls.

What’s your signature dinner party menu?
I used to be head chef at El Loco in Surry Hills, so in the past I have done Mexican as it’s really easy to do in bulk. You can make guacamole and chips, then tacos, and then churros for dessert.

Tell us about the celebrities you’ve cooked for?
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Pink, Chris Brown, Blake Lively… I was desperate to see Chris Brown when he came in. You need to pass the kitchen to get to the bathroom and as he passed I said: “Hi Chris, hope you enjoyed your meal,” and he gave me a high five. Leonardo made the bartender go through every Scotch in the bar, and then said ‘just give me the most expensive one’. We’ve also had chefs in — David Thompson of Naam in Thailand, David Chang from Momofuku and Alex Atawer who runs D.O.M. in São Paulo and is one of the best chefs in the world. I’d most like to cook for the Glasgow Celtic football team. I’d do an Asian banquet.

Have you noticed any differences in kitchens between the UK and Australia?
Yes. At work, the standards are a lot higher here and the chefs have more commitment! Home kitchens are different as well. Everywhere I’ve lived in Sydney the kitchen has been really nice and modern.

What’s next for Ms G’s and you?
I’m extremely happy at Ms G’s and I can’t see myself anywhere else at the moment, though I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t open my own restaurant, because I would. I’d also like to work in Hong Kong or Tokyo.

What’s your Sydney dining must-do?
Japanese BBQ Kashiwa on Falcon Street in Crows Nest. What sets it apart is the quality of the meat they use. It’s so good, and they also do a $20 lunch.

Ms G’s
155 Victoria Street, Potts Point NSW
02 9240 3000
merivale.com.au/msgs

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