Page 38 - Tropic Magazine Issue 29

TROPIC • FOOD

Let’s meet
for Italian

TROPIC TASTE
Flynn’s Italian, Crystalbrook
Collection’s newest place to
wine and dine, is in the
expert hands of accomplished
Executive Chef Hilary Langdon.

In quintessential Italian style, Flynn’s Tell us a bit about your background and
Iatest offering is loud and fun, with a how you came to be the Executive Chef
warm, inviting and communal family at Flynn’s Italian?
feel. Featuring an extensive wine list, I’m originally from New Zealand where
cocktails and an ever-changing spritz I trained in Auckland in the late 1990s.
cart, as well as classic dishes like beef I’ve worked on Hayman Island in the
carpaccio, truffle and mushroom risotto Whitsundays where I focused on oriental
and hearty pasta, Flynn’s Italian speaks cuisine, and in Dubai where I worked Is there any produce you were surprised
to the region’s history and heritage of with fine dining seafood across a number to find growing in FNQ?
Italian immigration. Each dish is expertly of restaurants. During my six years there I was impressed with the amount of
crafted by the hotel’s Executive Chef, I was involved in events including Taste produce and the quality in the Tablelands.
Hilary Langdon, who has run fine dining of Dubai the Dubai Open, led a team On my last trip up to visit suppliers and
restaurants from New Zealand to Dubai. of over 50 chefs at Madinat Jumeirah, growers it was the quality and size of the
and opened the city’s first gastro pub. operations that I found most impressive.
After another stint on Hayman Island I would have thought it’s too hot to grow
as Executive Sous Chef and then a break quality herbs, lettuce and tomatoes.
on the Gold Coast, an opportunity to be
Executive Chef at Crystalbrook Collection What cuisine would you like to see more
came up in 2019. My family and I decided of in Cairns?
to make the move north and now I have Modern Australian done really well.
the exciting opportunity to put my mark
on Flynn’s Italian. What’s your go-to breakfast/lunch at
Rusty’s Markets?
How would you describe your approach My son loves the sugarcane juice with a
to food? splash of lime, while I prefer the
Fresh, seasonal, locally sourced and not som tum (green papaya salad – with
too fussy. I like to let the quality of the extra chili), and you can’t beat a pastry
produce do the talking. from Frenchie’s.

38 • Tropic • Issue 29