Located upstairs above the Old City Bank Bar the Old City Bank Brasserie serves modern Australian food with an Asian twist, thanks to the creative influences of its head chef. Think great pub food with a selection of vegetarian options.
Images: David Hill, Deep Hill Media
How did a bureaucrat with a business degree from the Philippines find his way to Katoomba?
My love of cooking began when I was young, spending hours in the kitchen experimenting with simple meals. Since this time, I dreamed of becoming a chef but it's hard to take that risk as my parents [like most parents in the Philippines] wanted their children to work in a corporate or government roles.
After graduating university in the Philippines, I held various corporate positions including a role as a government employee in internal revenues (like the ATO in Australia). But those jobs didn't interest me. They were boring to me and stressful mentally as well.
After completing my Masters in business administration, I decided to follow my passion and commence formal culinary studies in Manila. At the end of 2018 I had a friend who had moved to Australia, so in 2019 I came here to study commercial cookery. Although, my parents thought I was studying a Master’s in international business. They’re happy now though.
My first job in a kitchen was in a gourmet burger shop in Western Sydney in 2020. I was a kitchen hand, then a cook.
In November 2021, I started work here at the Carrington Hotel.
I'm loving Katoomba – I feel like this is my home. I love quiet, laid-back places. I love the greenery and nature. It's a reflection of who I am.
How would you describe the food in the Old City Bank Brasserie?
Katoomba has lots of visitors from around the world. We design our menu with our guests in mind and try to have something for everyone. My menu is modern Australian cuisine with Asian fusion.
People have usually been looking at the beautiful scenery around the Blue Mountains, so I try to make sure the food is as visually appealing as that.
We cook with love, and food needs to be nourishing for the body and the soul. We make sure that everything here is fresh, and most of the items are made every day.
What inspires your menus?
I have always loved food and in the Philippines, I used to eat out a lot with friends.
When I was a kid, we would cook at school in home economics and then we would sell the food in the canteen or go house to house.
My mum worked overseas when I was growing up, but my dad is a good cook. Whenever we had a family occasion, they would ask him to cook for everyone.
When I was in Manila, I went into a restaurant and was amazed by the uniforms of the chefs. That’s when I thought I would like to be a chef.
I’m like a toddler in this industry, I don’t have vast experience, so I like to eat out a lot. I love food, so I try different places in the Mountains and roam around Sydney and eat. I learn from everything I eat.
What can diners expect from your summer menu?
I use local seasonal ingredients as much as possible.
The parsley and parmesan crumbed lamb chops with Yorkshire pudding, roasted vegetables and blackberry sauce is our most popular dish this summer.
We also have crispy skin oven baked snapper with roast potatoes, celeriac puree and vegetables in a burnt butter and caper sauce.
I always make sure there are vegetarian and vegan options on every menu too, like the eggplant croquettes, the Filipino-inspired fresh spring rolls with sauteed mix vegetables, cashew cream, soy and peanut glaze and the crème caramel dessert.
The Old City Bank Brasserie is at 15 Katoomba St, Katoomba and is open seven days from 12pm.
Click HERE for online bookings.
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