Liam Nealon has come a long way from his first cooking experiment as a child when he used salt instead of sugar in a chocolate cake. As head chef at Siana, he’s responsible for the waterfront dining venue’s uniquely Asian menu.
What’s your favourite:
Word: caramelised. I use this word at least 20 times a day to instruct my team when cooking – plus it’s a great sounding and descriptive word.
Drink: Negroni. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures. Being a chef has taught me that it is sometimes the simplest ingredients that create the most complex tastes – this is definitely one of those times.
Fruit: mangosteen. The first time I tasted one was on the back of a cyclo taxi in Vietnam. Now every time I eat them it takes me straight back there.
Place for a holiday: Chiang Mai, Thailand. The people and culture intrigue me, plus the food is fantastic – and let’s face it, that’s what holidays are all about.
Website: I guess you could say I am not that computer savvy; however, Facebook is a great tool as it keeps me in touch with my family and friends from across the world.
Thing to eat for breakfast: black pudding. Dad would cook it for breakfast with a traditional English fry-up when we were children. I try to keep it to a minimum these days because it’s difficult to find good black pudding, and Dad and I are the only ones in the family who enjoy it. The faces seem to drop when you go out for breakfast and ask, “Do you have any black pudding?”.
Way to spend Sunday afternoon: Sunday afternoons are great regardless of the activity. I love catching up with friends for a cold beer and a good meal, especially if they are the ones cooking!
View in Brisbane: I have to say Siana. I work in a kitchen that overlooks the entire Brisbane River – what’s not to love?
What’s your middle name – does it have special significance? My grandfather and father have both donated my middle names, James and Michael. I have a close connection to my family so I carry both names with pride.
Do you still have anything from your childhood? My earliest (and funniest) memory was the first time I made a chocolate cake as a kid. For future reference salt doesn’t work as well in chocolate cake as sugar. It took me so long to figure out why it tasted so strange.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Right here in Brisbane. After travelling extensively I am confident in saying that this is easily the most liveable city in the world.
What can’t you live without? My family and friends. No matter what the situation, with those two elements, life is always great.
