Head chef Patrick Dang began his cooking career at Spargo's in Victoria a few years back. From there he took his culinary talents overseas, overseeing kitchens at Singapore's T8 Restaurant before settling into an executive sous position with the US-based Viceroy Hotel Group. Now Dang returns to Australian shores at the helm of one of Potts Point's hottest openings for 2011.
For his debut menu at Concrete Blonde, Dang has lost none of his down-home American charm, spruiking a menu that features arugula and cilantro - that's rocket and coriander to you and me - not to mention a dish of Kentucky-fried quail.
Idiosyncrasies aside, Dang's menu falls roughly into the category of mod-Oz/mod-Asian fusion. There are a few nods in the direction of Mexican cuisine, such as ceviche-style Crystal Bay prawns with banana guacamole and jalapenos, but they are more than matched by dishes of wagyu beef
tataki and Zhenjiang black vinegar toffee pork.
It's immediately evident that provenance is also key at Concrete Blonde. The menu rarely passes up an opportunity to flaunt the terroir of its produce - Thirlmere duck, Berkshire pork and Rangers Valley beef to name just a few.
In all, Dang and his accomplices at Concrete Blonde will be a welcome addition to the already diverse dining set in Potts Point, and their success is all but a foregone conclusion. He may have deprived us of his talents for a number of years but Dengy, we're not angry anymore.
(Note: If you got that obscure reference to the Concrete Blonde song, you are probably not cool enough to eat here.)
Nick Eggert
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