By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Across Australia, a new generation of Chefs is stepping back into the flavours of their childhood and bringing them into the present with skill, curiosity and confidence. These second-generation Australian cooks aren’t theorising about diaspora cooking - they’re living it every day in their kitchens.
From reworking their parents’ signature dishes to navigating the balance between authenticity and evolution, they’re taking the memories they grew up with and reshaping them through modern techniques.
Seven Aussie Chefs share the real, hard-won tips behind their reinventions - the practical steps, clever swaps and guiding principles that help them honour tradition while making it unmistakably their own.
For Harry’s Deli, Wirra Wirra Chef Taiaha Ngawiki, nostalgia runs sweet in his grandmother’s Christmas pudding. "My Grandma’s Christmas pudding is such a nostalgic recipe for me that I’ve resisted the temptation to change it too much." Traditionally doused in brandy and served with brandy butter, the pudding was a festive ritual.
Taiaha’s twist is in presentation. He creates smaller, individual puddings served with lightly whipped mascarpone and cream, giving the traditional dessert a modern elegance. The subtle shift transforms a family favourite into a refined, contemporary dish while retaining the comforting warmth of the original.
Sergio Tourn’s culinary roots are steeped in resourcefulness and family tradition. "I was born in a very small town of about 4500 people and into a large, multi-generational family all living under the one roof. My grandmother worked at the local abattoir, which meant we always had 'leftover' cuts of meat. We learned to use every single part we were given; nothing went to waste. That early lesson became a philosophy that I carry with me to this day."
He continues: "Under the same roof, was my uncle who was a baker. With half my family being Italian, I grew up knee-deep in flour, surrounded by everything from fresh pasta to churros. Given this upbringing, creating an entirely gluten-free restaurant has been my most inspiring challenge. It's a continuous journey and we are excited to be reinterpreting the flavours of my past for today's audience."
Sergio’s dishes at Hotel Nacional merge humble beginnings with modern technique, respecting the past while delighting contemporary diners.
David Vargas’ signature dishes at Mother Vine draw from his Colombian upbringing. "My formal cooking career started when my family moved to Australia from Colombia. However, my love and passion for cooking started in the kitchen with my mum growing up. My mum would always make the most delicious food from humble ingredients, really letting the love that she put in the food shine, which has really inspired the way I cook."
His elevated beef brisket with cheese arepas pairs braised brisket with handmade cornmeal and cheese bread, served alongside tomato, olive and labneh salad. The dish combines Colombian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences, honouring heritage while adding modern sophistication.
On Rottnest Island, Lontara’s Zack Fong honours his grandmother’s dumplings through an Australian lens. "Every family has their own version, their own rhythm in the folding, the filling and the sharing. For me, the memory of finishing a bowl of my grandmother’s dumplings during the Winter Solstice still warms me to this day. They were her way of feeding both body and soul."
Using Shark Bay Tiger prawns and hand-beating the dough, Zack pairs them with nam jim jaew sauce, combining local produce with Southeast Asian influences while respecting traditional technique. The dish is a bridge between heritage and modernity.
At McLaren Vale Hotel Zak Kranjcec reimagines his Nanna Katica’s walnut kifli as a seasonal tart. "The recipe is my Nanna's (Katica) walnut kifli. They are delicate walnut cookies shaped like a small horseshoe, dusted in powdered sugar. They have an incredible texture to them that just crumbles in your mouth and yet magically stays moist and are the perfect balance of sweet and savoury."
His kiflice apple tart pairs spiced apple, walnut praline, Biscoff crumb and housemade vanilla bean ice cream atop a crisp tart base, evoking the memory of the original while embracing Autumnal flavours and contemporary plating.
OGI’s Gabriele Coniglio reinvents Italian fried calamari with a gluten-free twist. "Fried calamari is very popular in Italy and it is something that really takes me back to my childhood. During our Summer holidays in Sicily, in the province of Trapani, my father used to go down to the port early in the morning to buy fresh calamari straight from the fishermen as they came back from the sea.
"My mother would clean them and cook them for lunch, simply dusted in semolina and fried in olive oil - nothing fancy, just that incredible freshness and flavour of the sea."
By coating calamari in rice flour and gluten-free tempura batter, Gabriele achieves a crisp, delicate finish, keeping tradition alive while refining technique for modern diners.
Mathieu Wyatt focuses on inclusive reinterpretation at Subiaco’s Intuition Wine and Kitchen. "Reinterpretation for me is about preserving the heart of a traditional dish while opening it up to everyone at the table. I don’t want to reinvent for the sake of it, I want to honour the feeling behind it, that sense of comfort and connection, but make it inclusive and modern."
His mushroom pâté and gluten-free tempura zucchini flowers show how small, thoughtful adaptations allow more guests to enjoy traditional flavours while keeping the soul of the dish intact.
