Wabi Sabi

‘Pare down to the essence but don’t remove the Poetry’ Leonard Koren

 

Perfectly Imperfect- the Japanese have a traditional aesthetic ‘Wabi Sabi’ that embodies this idea. Wabi Sabi is an aesthetic attached to Zen Buddhism and refers to the beauty in authenticity, imperfection and impermanence. It celebrates the real and embraces the notion of original beauty. This idea of beauty in the moment, the authentic and the impermanent can also be applied to food- especially celebration food.

 

Whether we are designing a menu for Finger Food on the Gold Coast, a Festival Style Wedding in Byron Bay, a sumptuous long Italian lunch to celebrate a special birthday or want catering Gold Coast platters we take the Wabi Sabi approach. Each dish, beautiful in its right, a radiant sum of its parts. Fresh local ingredients, treated with consideration and respect, transformed by our chef’s skills into delicious dishes to grace your celebration. We love the act of sharing food, it is impermanence and transition in action. We love that the delicious trays of finger food, shared platters and plates, leave the kitchen as a reflection of the Chef’s vision and return, askew, smeared and empty but having contributed to a bigger conversation and as part of a memorable experience for our clients- one that they take forward with them into their own stories.  

 

We do not aspire to the idea that the food is an after thought, the ‘feed and fill approach’ where the dining experience lacks quality and consideration. As with so many things, less is more- a menu that is well considered and allows for enough food over the span of the day is always our goal- food treated with regard and refinement.

We place huge importance on creating a menu where the food reflects our client, their individual celebration and the provenance of the food.

 

 

A little taste of our Finger Food to inspire the Wabi Sabi in you…

 

  • zucchini, pea & haloumi fritters, lemony yoghurt

  •  sweetcorn doughnuts, chilli salsa sprinkle, guacamole

  •  salmon gravalax, light rye, lemon dill cream cheese, hot mustard, pickled red onion

  •  bbq prawn skewers, chilli, garlic, lemon & herb marinade, caramelized lemon squeezes

  •  salt & pepper crispy squid, chilli kaffir soy

  •  orange caramelised pork belly, cauliflower puree, quince & orange syrup, crispy sage

  •  mojo pulled pork slider, mojito mayo and red cabbage slaw

  •  rare roast beef, horseradish cream, cornichon, parmesan toast

  •  tempura zucchini flower, pesto chevre stuffing

  •  chinese steamed bun; shredded 5 spice duck, pickled cherry, tatsoi, spring

  •  kingfish ceviche, lemon oil, fennel & walnut crumble, mustard leaf

Sarah DeNardi