Team behind Korean fine diner Allta opens French brasserie Joie in Chatswood
Taking on a new level of luxury in Chatswood Chase, it serves oversized vol-au-vent with prawn biscuit sauce and “burnt” pavlova with passion fruit curd and sorbet.
Chatswood may be rich with delicious dining options, but it’s not exactly a hotbed for hatted chefs who are expanding their repertoire with new cuisines and spin-off restaurant concepts. However, at this week’s opening of French brasserie Joie, led by Jung-Su Chang of Korean fine dining Allta in Surry Hills, he was rewarded with two hats. Good Food Guide – A promising change of momentum for the North Sydney suburb.
Why didn’t the town’s most acclaimed Korean chef stick to his usual culinary style? “Ninety percent of the eateries and restaurants in Chatswood are Asian; we think they want something different,” general manager John Kuak said. And French food is Jung-Su Chang’s first professional love.
“I started at a French restaurant in Korea, then worked in San Francisco. I learned how to make all the French sauces,” Chang said.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t bring his own touches to the kitchen; The chef admits he puts some soy in the gastrique sauce served with the pork chops at Joie.
Shopping malls have proven to be a challenging area for hatted chefs; Following high-profile losses such as Justin North’s Becasse at Westfield in the Sydney CBD, few dared to go there. Kuak said Joie won’t fall into the trap of fine dining. An “approachable” brasserie at a new level of luxury in Chatswood Chase, home to luxury stores Louis Vuitton and Dior. Vuza Group, whose stable also includes Allta and Joie, has found success in more casual venues such as Butter and Chippendale bakery and café.
The team was also impressed by the diners’ progressive attitude towards hospitality in Chatswood. Community consultations are currently underway to create a dedicated entertainment precinct around Victoria Avenue and the Chatswood station area with the aim of developing an “evening economy”.
Chang enjoys the more relaxed cooking at Joie, compared to the delicate craft required at Allta. She enjoys the oversized vol-au-vent with shrimp biscuit gravy. “I had never seen vol-au-vent before going to San Francisco, so I wasn’t sure how to eat it.”
Octopus with smoked butter sauce has been popular among Joie’s early customers in recent days, Chang said, and the menu doesn’t shy away from jumping the gun a little: There’s “rolled” lasagna and potato gnocchi with duck ragu. Chang doesn’t want to feel constrained by Joie and will travel far and wide for inspiration. He plans to put a classic French onion soup on the menu when the temperatures drop.
There is also a nod to his adopted country with the pavlova at the end of the menu. Chang’s first taste of the Antipodean specialty with an Australian chef at a café in Seoul left a lasting impression. His version is deliberately “burned” to enhance a caramelized flavor and served with passion fruit curd and sorbet.
“Joie’s goal is to find joy every day,” Chang said. “Food that is refined but never scary.”
Open daily from 9am to 6pm
Tenancy 1,001 Chatswood Chase, 345 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, joiesydney.com.au
