Playing with Fire. With Agnes chef, Ben WilliamsonAgnes Restaurant was recently awarded Restaurant of the Year by Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant. In this episode of ExtraVirgin, Natascha Mirosch chats with Agnes executive chef, Ben Williamson, who also co-owns other popular restaurants Same Same, Bianca, Honto and Agnes Bakery. Western Australian-born Ben spent time travelling the Middle East, where he sharpenened his kitchen skills and learned about cooking from the heart - something that would become the cornerstone of his culinary philosophy. On his return to Australia, he settled in Brisbane, working in some of the city's most highly regarded restaurants, including a lengthy tenture at Gerard's Bistro, where introduced the city to his modern re-imagining of the cuisine of The Levant, gaining the venue many accolades including two hats. He then went on to establish Agnes, a wood-fired restaurant in a characterful, historic building; a restaurant generally regarded as the best in Brisbane. In their chat, Natascha and Ben not only delve into his background, but discuss his food philosophy and influences, what he might have done differently in his career, food trends, where he likes to eat out, his future plans and more.
