The Star Sydney is excited to announce the appointment of Adam Hall as the new Executive Chef at Flying Fish.
Leaning on his intimate knowledge of Flying Fish’s kitchen from two previous tenures at the restaurant, Hall will be leading the establishment into a new era; one that strips the menu back to basics, serving up simple, honest yet punchy dishes that celebrate the flavours and freshness of the very best produce from across Australia’s land and sea.
Having spent the past two years at Surry Hills’ degustation-only fine dining venue Arthur, Hall is excited to revitalise Flying Fish and bring sustainable, quality seafood and produce to the forefront explaining, “Flying Fish has been a mainstay in my career – it was the first fine dining restaurant I worked at when I moved to Sydney 11 years ago, and is also where I met my wife.”
“I’m honoured to now be taking the reins as Executive Chef, and have the opportunity to create a space that truly highlights and heroes the seafood producers and suppliers who devote so much passion to sustainably sourcing and farming.”
Diners can expect to see innovative seasonal menus focusing on local produce, native ingredients, and sustainable seafood from around Australia including a wide variety of edible seaweed and algaes.
Hall will also be shining a light on a wider range of fresh and cured seafood, with guests encouraged to take a stop at the raw bar which takes pride of place in the venue, on the way to their table. Rather than being bound by words that have cultural implications like ceviche, crudo or sashimi, the dishes here will be led by seasonal local suppliers with garnishes that elevate the natural flavours of the seafood. Think: Raw Shark Bay Scallops with pickled desert lime, lemon myrtle and cultured cream, Hiramasa Kingfish with green tomato and Geraldton wax, and Pacific Oysters with wakame cream and kelp oil.
The kitchen’s wood-fired grill will also be maximised in Hall’s menu with the likes of Jervis Bay Mussels being smoked over paperbark, seasoned with fermented chilli served with almond cream and saltbush flatbreads or barbequed Goolwa Pipis served piping hot with chickpea miso, warrigal greens and salted sunrise lime.
Jason Alcock, General Manager Food & Beverage at The Star Sydney adds, “Adam’s great enthusiasm for local organic produce, native ingredients and sustainably caught seafood as well as his genuine zest for providing exquisite hospitality is what makes him so perfect for the Executive Chef role at Flying Fish. With his close connection to the venue and clear dedication to rejuvenating the menu, we’re proud to have such great culinary talent within one of our signature dining venues at The Star Sydney.”
Growing up on a rural property near Port Macquarie on NSW’s mid-north coast, Hall recalls a childhood of living off the land and learning how to cook in his parent’s kitchen – from helping raise chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows on their farm, to tending to the veggie garden and fruit orchard, to going fishing and catching mud crabs in the local river.
This close connection to the food he and his family enjoyed together in his early years spurred his passionate commitment to using fresh local organic produce, native ingredients, sustainably caught seafood and ethically raised meats in his dishes right from the beginning of his career.
Starting out in local cafes before taking his first role at the Oaks Pacific Resort in Port Stephens, Hall’s long-standing relationship with Flying Fish then began in 2010 when he worked his way up to the position of Head Pastry Chef by age 23 under the guidance of then Executive Chef Stephen Seckold.
Hall credits a four-year stint in Melbourne from 2014 to 2018 to helping diversify his experience. From working across hatted fine dining establishments to then being Head Chef at a small farm-to-table cafe in Richmond, Hall reignited his passion for building strong connections to local farmers and producers and was reminded of what being a chef is all about: nurturing people and making them feel happy, well fed and looked after.
After returning to Sydney, Hall rejoined Flying Fish in 2018 as Head Pastry Chef and then Sous Chef, helping transition the world-class seafood restaurant from Jones Bay Wharf to its current home at The Star Sydney before his two year stint at Arthur.
Hall concludes saying, “building a new offering upon a restaurant with such established credentials is going to be a challenge but I’m really looking forward to getting creative and experimenting with redefining what an Australian seafood restaurant can be and what that will look like going forward.”
Flying Fish
The Star Sydney, Harbourside, The Star, Level G/80 Pyrmont St, Pyrmont NSW 2009
Tuesday – Friday 5pm to 10pm
Saturday 12pm to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm
www.star.com.au/sydney/eat-and-drink/signature-dining/flying-fish
Image credit: Samantha Rose