Jeremy Strode

February 1998

You can bank on good food at Pomme , Jeremy Strode's new restaurant, that opened in early February 1998, at 37 Toorak Road. Or at least that's what the Colonial State Bank believes.

On the strength of the reviews of chef Jeremy Strode's food, this bank undertook to finance Jeremy and partner Chris Young into their first restaurant (on the site of what was Cafe Margot). It gives new meaning to the importance of the critics when their words count for collateral with the finance gurus.

But for Jeremy and Chris it has meant being able to open their restaurant with a totally new kitchen including a Waldorf target top (which Jeremy has been lusting over for some time) and a complete re-fit of the front of house with fine crockery (Villeroy & Boch) and glassware (Riedel). Artwork, special photography and, last but by no means least, some of Melbourne's finest staff, complete the picture at Pomme.

They have recruited second chef Ashley Shergold (Quaglino's and Novelli's, London); pastry chef Simone Dale (Jacques Reymond, Brown's and French Fantasies); Kylie Balharrie (upstairs front of house manager at The Stokehouse); sommelier Patrick Epstein (Walter's and recently at Odd Bins in London and Martin Reid, (recently at est est est). It should be a strong team and well able to service the restaurant's 90 seats.

Pomme is the fulfilment of a long cherished dream for the 35 year old chef. In 1994 after leaving The George Jeremy started looking and thinking about his own restaurant, then after four months "out" decided to work again for someone else, this time at The Adelphi, where he quickly acquired many ardent fans to the hotel's basement restaurant .

Two years ago, Herald Sun colleague Graham Pearce suggested that the hotel should re-name the restaurant, Strode's, in order to keep Jeremy at the stoves there. "It was, " Chris Young recalls, "a very stimulating team." Brisbane born Chris (formerly assistant food and beverage manager at The Adelphi) and Jeremy met there and seem to be ideally suited to work together. The planning of the menu and the wine lists will be geared towards quick and instant changes. Menus will change according to market availability, especially the fish and seafood.

Jeremy is known as a chef who "has special affection for seafood" (to quote another Herald Sun review from Simon Plant).

It's a pity that he could not have been part of the splendid seafood dinner organised last week by Michael Bacash on the steps of the Old Treasury.

Bachash is chef owner of Toofey's in Carlton, considered to be Melbourne's best seafood restaurant. He has been concerned by suggestions that commercial fishing might be banned in Victorian bays and inlets and that only amateurs will be allowed to use these local waters. Were this to happen, many of our most popular fish, King George Whiting, Garfish, Black Bream, Calamari and Snapper, would not reach the markets and the restaurants and the plates of fish eaters.

So he asked fellow fish loving chefs, Andrew Blake, Greg Malouf, and Michael Lambie to join him in preparing a fantastic demonstration dinner for all of Melbourne to see at the top of Collins Street. Formally dressed fishing industry leaders sat alongside the Deputy Premier, Pat McNamara and the Hon Philip Davis, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Natural Resources and Environment. We were surrounded by flowers, candelabra and seduced by classic string music as we consumed four fantastic courses.

Salt and Pepper Squid on a bed of Beans, Lime and Coriander (Andrew Blake, Blake's) Grilled King George Whiting Salad with Lebanese Pickled Eggplant and waxy potatoes (Greg Malouf, O'Connells); Fillets of Black Bream with Olive Oil Mash and Sauce Antiboise (Michael Lambie, Stoke House) and finally a triumphant finish from Bacash himself of Garfish and Snapper Nori Rolls, a gloriously presented dish, normally done at Toofey's with prawn rather than snapper. Actually it wasn't quite the finish, a passionate speech outlining Victorians' "birthright" to eat fish from local waters followed from Bachash, completing a most persuasive argument.

It was a meal of heroic proportions served from make-shift equipment during a blustery summer night on the steps of one of the city's finest buildings. Pride and passion for the product must surely win out

These same qualities will, no doubt, be in evidence at Pomme where Jeremy Strode will be serving at least six fish main courses as well as four-five meat dishes and most of them with potatoes. Jeremy is known for his love of pommes de terre and is insistent that main courses should be complete in themselves.

"I want to get away from the "side dish thing". I want to give value for money and to do it for $25-30 for all mains, without adding extras. I'd also like to give each table a complimentary salad half way through their mains, this is something which is not usually done."

And those who remember Cafe Margot will be keen to know that Ricky Holt , the previous owner, is now concentrating his energies on The Rathdowne Street Food Store (no 617). His chefs there include Matthew Cartwright, baker Michael Zhou and Andrea Kleehammer who worked for several years with Michael Bacash at Toofey's.

Update May 2001: Jeremy moved to Langtons replacing Phillipe Mouchel in late 2000. His partner, and front of house, Chris Young, moved to Sydney with Phillipe to open Liberte at Cockle Bay. that restaurant has subsequently closed. Pomme was sold in April 2001.

Jeremy Strode in now at Langtons a 1999 interview (with recipes) can be found here.