ABOUT CHEONG LIEW
Whilst Cheong Liew has long been synonymous with Adelaide, Melbourne was his original home city when he first came to Australia just over 40 years ago to pursue studies in electrical engineering.
Moving to Adelaide in 1971 to join his brother Khai Liew, now one of the Australia’s finest, most original and internationally renowned furniture designers, he discovered a passion for the hospitality industry after a stint as a grill cook in a Greek restaurant.
Fortunately for Australian cuisine, electrical engineering studies went out the window and Cheong embarked on a journey of self-education about different cuisines, their cultural roots and the cooking techniques used. This almost obsessive need to understand every possible aspect of a cuisine remains to this day. As Cheong puts it, "You must understand the rules first before you start of break them."
In-depth exploration and creative experimentation resulted in new dishes born of a harmonious marriage of elements of different cuisines. His highly individual style of cuisine, best described as ‘cuisine sans frontières’, is a moving feast: constantly evolving, bringing fresh, exciting but never confused new sensory experiences.
Cheong’s contribution to Australian gastronomy made him the first Australian chef to be awarded an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Birthday honors list in 1999. Earlier that same year, he was voted "one of the 10 hottest chefs alive" by US Food & Wine magazine.
Cheong’s approach to food has been strongly influenced by his grandmother. Freshness and quality of raw ingredients were the foundation stones of Grandma’s cooking. The lessons learned by osmosis through watching her select fresh ingredients at the wet markets continue to be applied by him to this day.
The variety and quality of produce at Melbourne’s various municipal and farmers' markets has fired his imagination. Expect to see exciting new dishes on Botanical’s various menus, many inspired by ingredients from small speciality growers and producers.
Seasonality is core to Cheong's approach to food. For him, seasonal eating is not only about using produce that is at its peak but also about using the appropriate cooking techniques to ensure the body stays in harmony with the environment for the best of health.
