Restaurant: Adelaide Convention Centre
Melanie Gowers has done well these last few years. Six years ago she began working at the Adelaide Convention Centre, last year she was runner up young chef of the year, and this year she won the title. Not bad for someone who’s only 29. In the next six years she hopes to have “worked and learned from the best in my profession, both locally and internationally. I have a passion for cooking and would like to be recognised as one of Adelaide’s leading chefs”. That almost seems modest given her prize as young chef of the year, which includes work experience at Richard Branson’s Moroccan resort, Kasbah Tomadot.
She worked hard to win it, impressing the likes of Cheong Liew, Peter Doyle and Cath Claringbold in the state championships with her winter menu. For an entree Melanie prepared a prawn and leek mille-feuille with lemon and thyme jelly and micro herbs. Her main course was a roast lamb rack with fondant potato, winter vegetables and cinnamon and star anise glaze; while her dessert was a simple trilogy of apple. With burgeoning home-grown talent like this around, we’ve got some rosy dinners to look forward to in the future.
Sarah Theeboom, September 2007
