Ben O'Donoghue

South bank Surf Club update

ben — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:58:42 +0000

Hi Everyone!

Things are chugging along here at the Surf Club! We are Three weeks in to trading and we have found our feet in the kitchen and getting a great response from all the punters that are coming in! Service is improving daily as our team on the floor find their feet! We have been busy even with the Brisbane weather being unusually cold! The weekends have been Huge. Come along and check out the Bar for a Drink and food or have a meal in the restaurant!

Loads of other things happening at the same time as the restaurant! I will be doing Demos at the “Regional Flavours” event this weekend on Little Stanely street. Also doing some demos at Barbecues galore in logan on the 31st and 1st of August.

Also lauching a range of kitchen and BBQ utensils with Wiltshire for fathers Day so keep an eye otu for that!

All the best Guys

Ben

Spilt blood! sweat and tears

ben — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 05:32:25 +0000

Hi All! big apologies for the lack of contact! Opening restaurants is relentless business!! Finally the Stoves are fired up! beer is running through the lines and people are being fed and watered at the South Bank Surf Club!! Our opening party went of with a bang! I managed to stab my thumb with a oyster knife about 1/2 an hour before we kicked off. The Fist time in 23 years that I have had stitches from a cut whilst working!! I am thinking its a good omen!

As well as opening the restaurant, i finally managed to get my next book off to the publishers. Sigh!!

I hope you all get the opportunity to come and enjoy the view/food and atmosphere down here at the Surf Club!!

See you soon!

Ben

Big week!

ben — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:56:06 +0000

Hey All! hope you all had a great Easter! Although it seems like a month has gone by since. I made an appearance on the 9am show with my daughter Ruby cooking up a storm to promote the release of Cloudy with a chance of meat balls! After spending four fun days in Sydney i have been in Melbourne shooting the photography for my new book “Eating In” Its been Hard work and I think i have put on a few kilos eating all the recipes that we cooked!

Caught up with Curtis whilst I was here as well. poor fella is recovering from an appendix operation, He was looking a little this I thought but he recons its from being in hospital for a week. You can feel to sorry for the guy he was being dotted over buy his beautiful new lady!

tomorrow is the last day of the shoot and then its back to Brisbane and a heavy schedule getting the restaurant ready! Hope to see you all there at some point!

Cheers!

what’s going on!!

ben — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:47:34 +0000

Sorry for the lack of Blogging, Its a bit slack i know! but things have been hectic! for real!!

Just finished writing all of my recipes for my new book which will be out in November. We still have a way to go with editing etc. I will be in Melbourne from the 7th of April doing the Photography. Also writing recipes for NW magazine (52 a year) and have another shoot with Delicious in April to get another three months out of the way!

The restaurant is going full steam ahead, its all very exciting! the just did the hydraulics at the end of last week (does not sound to exciting) This is one of the Major jobs!! We have a holding web page up at www.southbanksurfclub.com.au and hopefully will be live shortly. PR shots were taken on Thursday capturing the mood of the site and surrounding area. I am also very excited about the fact that our table ware has arrived! Two years ago I colaborated with Australian Fine China and Robin Levien from London (an amazing Designer) on designing a range of table ware called “Beachcomber” its now in stock and we will be using it at the surf club.

In the next couple of weeks we will start to advertise for staff both Kitchen and front of house. So if you like in Brisbane or fancy a move to this beautiful river city send me your CV

I hope you all did your bit on Saturday night for Earth Hour!! i am going to do my bit to reduce my carbon foot print. Just spent sunday in the garden sorting out my worm farm and Bokashi bin and am going to planting my winter veg crop!

Also Finally started swimming again after the mental damage incurred doing the Rottnest swim. I can finally swim without feeling the dread that I felt in the first 30 minutes of that swim and am now looking forward to getting in shape and thinking about the next challenge “opening the restaurant”

ben

Big weekend!

ben — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:45:08 +0000

Hi All!

just had a great weekend. Firstly i flew down to Sydney on Friday to cook a meal for a Ron and Stella, they paid a load of money to Variety for myself and Jared Ingersol (I think thats how you spell it) to cook up a sorm for them and 8 friend. Big day! Jared was suffering from a bug that his little boy had given him and almost pulled the pin!

He dug deep and and came through in flying colours. He did a little scallop dish to tickle the tasted buds, then I knocked out two courses. Firstly a Swimmer crab and pomello salad with wasabi. then Wagu fillet caramelized with miso and crispy ginger, shallots and garlic.

Mains was steamed groper with a Provencal style soup with mussels and clams

all this followed by a classic chocolate fondant. same recipe that i put in NW last week. Bloody awesome dish and so easy.

Saturday and Sunday were just domestic Bliss, hired a skip, filled it! Pho for sunday dinner!!!

On the restaurant front, I have hire a Head chef! You guy From Adelaide Sydney Strange. he’s a great chef. Made him cook a six course meal for the team i did three courses and he did three dishes. I have also found a sous chef and a chef de partie. Oh I forgot to mention the restaurant manager he’s hired to “Kolby Johnston” currently at the Pacific Dinning room in Byron!! so we are on track.

Still a bit to go but things are looking good!!

Hope to see you all there soon!

A light goes out!

ben — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:26:05 +0000

What can I say? I just heard the news that Rose Gray, one of the most inspiring people i have ever met and had the pleasure of working for passed away. I am glad that she has found peace after battling cancer. A part of her is in everything I cook. She changed the way I thought about food and life. Thank you for all you gave me and everyone that ever had the pleasure of working for and with you!

things are starting to happen

ben — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:42:37 +0000

Went down to the restaurant site today and it was all activity!!! finally work has started! well at least they are pulling things apart disconnecting power and water prior to fitting out the kitchen etc. So we are on course for a May opening!! very exciting. Hope to see you all there!

ben

Australia your standing in it!!

ben — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:24:23 +0000

Happy Australia day one and all! Enough said about our national dish, Maggie Beer thinks it should be a salad. Jill D thinks the idea of tom yum soups good? To be honest why do need to be defined by what we cook, are we that insecure? Does it matter? I think that we should be defined by our produce as are the English (Beef), the French (Chicken poulet nior. Foire Gras) we have some of the best seafood in the world and by far the best prawns and shellfish in the world. we live on the coast (well most of us) so just chuk another shrimp on the Barbie and love being who we are!!!

Brand new decade!

ben — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:54:57 +0000

7 days in to 2010 and its shaping up to be an awesome year!! I hope you all had a great festive season! Needless to say I consumed far to much food and alcohol. I just got back from a weekend up on the sunshine coast with friend and family. I trialed a recipe that i want t put on the menu at the Surf club. Jambalaya (i hope I spelt that right) I’ll try and find a picture and post it up!! I actually cooked quite a lot over the break, stand out was a meal cooked for friends in Bangalow which was a 6 course train smash!!! again more trialing recipes for the restaurant (my friend will be fat by the time this place opens!!) There’s a lot on this year new book, some TV, obviously the new restaurant some product sauces etc. There’s also a few mile stones. my youngest Cash just had his first day at Montessor which was very emotional! Also I turn 40 this year. Shit that’s hard to write!!! still feeling 25. Also back in the pool and training for the big Rotto swim this Feb. This is my year for being fit and healthy!!!! maybe drop a few kilo? Also get loads more recipes up! plus once my kitchen/house is done will start my video recipe diary!!

stay tuned and best wishes for this year!!!

Tassie Time

ben — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:46:33 +0000

Hi all, well i am down in not so sunny Tasmania for a few days. I am cooking for a group of people who helped support the heart foundation by buying a dinner cooked by me. I am looking forward to it! I am going to cook the Snowy morrison inspired hot smoked salmon (seemed the right thing to do in Tassie) as well as my BBQ tandor spice leg of lamb amongst other delicious things. I am also down here catching up with an old mate who has recently had a baby boy with his beautiful wife Ruby! Yes that’s two ruby’s but the scary thing is this mate is the guy I named my son Herb after before they met and now there are two Herb and ruby’s. Also hoping to catch a few brown trout while i am down here!!!

Ben