Henry Salt’s introduction to the hospitality scene was as a work experience kid with Vue Group at 15. He was offered an apprenticeship right off the bat, but his parents told him to finish school first. So Salt started working for the group on weekends while at high school, and started his apprenticeship the week after he graduated.
He circled his way through all the venues (which at the time included Bistro Vue and Cafe Vue) before ending up at Vue de Monde. From there, Salt went to work at Peter Gunn’s recently closed restaurant Ides. In March, he took on the role of head chef at Jason Jones and Brahman Perera’s Greville Street brasserie Entrecote. We got in touch to see what Salt has in store for the decade-old restaurant.
How did you wind up at Entrecote?
After leaving Ides, I really had no plan. I knew I wanted a big change from what I’d been doing, but I wasn’t sure what. I went overseas to Spain for a month, which was just fantastic to experience a different side of hospitality compared to Melbourne. I knew I wanted something fast-paced and on a larger scale and that’s how I came to Entrecote. I’ve had a lot of experience with French cuisine and now it’s my time to showcase my style with elements of traditional French cuisine.
What impact did your time at Ides have on you?
I was at Ides for over eight years. It was such a small team and small kitchen, but what we were able to produce from there was remarkable. We only had a handful of chefs at a time, but this is what made it work so well – everyone was so passionate and put their love into what they were doing and it really showed with the food.
Ides was always bold and unique, and I really had some of the best years of my life working there. Working with Peter Gunn was fantastic as he really pushed me to be more daring and creative with the way I thought about food. There were also so many opportunities to cook all over Australia as well as internationally. When you can work with other chefs with similar intentions to you and see all these amazing restaurants, it really broadens your view of the hospitality landscape.
How would you describe your cooking style?
Flavour first is an idea I always go to. If you focus on the flavour, then the rest of the dish will follow.
Entrecote is such an established restaurant. How will you be adding your touch?
I understand Entrecote has become quite the institution and there’ll always be your classics like steak frites and crème brûlée. You can’t mess with something that’s beloved by everyone who dines here. But my style isn’t necessarily always taking the traditional approach. I like to use the fundamentals of basic cookery, but I’m not afraid to try new techniques or work with unusual flavour combinations. You’ll see a lot more unique methods of cookery, which I’m so excited to teach the team about.
What’s inspiring your cooking right now?
A recent holiday to Basque country has definitely influenced my cooking and flavour profile. When you’re surrounded by a new city or country, you really want to absorb as much as you can. I was eating and drinking out almost every meal every day and just really taking it all in.
Are there any dishes you’ve added to the menu that you’re particularly excited about?
We’ve put on a dish of beautiful yellowfin tuna. It’s sliced into these lovely thin rectangles and very lightly cured with salt and lemon zest. It’s layered over a delicious sauce made with broccoli stem, broccoli buds and a Basque-style chorizo. The richness and light spiciness of the pork in the sauce just goes so well with the texture and slight sweet and saltiness of the tuna. The tuna is then topped with some crispy Jerusalem artichokes to bring some more earthiness to the whole dish and it’s fantastic. Complimentary flavours with plenty of different textures.
Dining and Cooking