Global plates, local roots: the world-class chef making Geelong’s ingredients sing

GEELONG’s dining scene has expanded with the arrival of Italian-inspired restaurant Sociali and rooftop venue Skyline Bar inside the city’s new Crowne Plaza hotel.

Downstairs, Sociali serves contemporary Italian fare in a relaxed setting, while upstairs Skyline Bar pairs cocktails, local wines and small plates with panoramic views across Corio Bay.

Executive chef Atish Chaudhuri is leading the culinary direction of both venues, bringing experience from kitchens across India, Dubai, Hong Kong, England, the United States and Australia.

His menus place a strong emphasis on local produce from Geelong, the Bellarine and Surf Coast, while drawing on Italian influences.

 

“Cooking is a form of expression,” Chaudhuri said. “It’s about taking a bunch of ingredients together and making them sing.

“It’s an artistic form that we want people to understand and remember. We are always thinking of what we can do to hit that extra note to make it even better.

“For me, it’s bringing all my life in cooking together and putting our own spin on it.”

Among Chaudhuri’s favourite dishes on the menu are the Calabrese ragu, chicken corletta, pork belly, lamb shoulder pizza, beetroot carpaccio and anchovy butter bread.

“We try to make each menu item a signature of its own, with its twists” he said.

 

“For us, it’s having a point of distinction from what you’d usually do. There should be something unique. Maybe people won’t like it, but we are always striving for brilliance and difference.”

Crowne Plaza Geelong general manager John Dickson said appointing Chaudhuri to lead the 30-strong kitchen brigade had been a major coup for the hotel.

“I’ve been doing this for 40 years and food and beverage is very much up to the individual,” he said.

“The way it’s been received here is incredible. The food and beverage offering has been so pleasing and well supported, and that’s a credit to Atish and his experienced team.

“We’ve got a good level of consistency. The same dish with the same delicious flavours comes out no matter who is here cooking.

 

“We’ve got everyone covered here at Crowne Plaza. There’s no variety like this in Geelong in terms of what we have here.”

Just a few months into the role, Chaudhuri said the team was already looking ahead to its next menu refresh.

“We started off big with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and Festival of Sails and it’s kept rolling on from there, with thousands coming through the doors,” he said.

“What we are doing here is electric, particularly upstairs with the Skyline Bar. It’s conducive to sitting down, having some side plates and nibbling away.

 

“We just want to keep pushing and pushing to make it better.”

A new winter menu will be introduced in the coming weeks, alongside an expanded conference and catering offering.

“One day our chefs are doing fine dining, the next it’s conferences, the next you’re making muffins. It’s ever-changing and always exciting,” Chaudhuri said.

“One dish we are really excited to release is a local Meredith goat casserole pasta. We picked this inspiration up from Sicily. I don’t think many places are doing this.

“It’s wholesome, delicious and hearty. Also expect local kingfish, flank steaks for crudo and more.

 

“What we’ve done so far is our base menu, and now it’s about taking it up and up from here.”

Homemade pizzas and slow-cooked meats remain menu staples, with meats roasted overnight in the pizza oven.

“These techniques are not available in regular kitchens, so we are very lucky,” Chaudhuri said.

The drinks list also has a strong local focus, with about 70 per cent of the wines, beers and spirits sourced from the region. Local labels, including Blackman’s Brewery, sit alongside Italian and New Zealand wines, as well as familiar staples such as Guinness and Hahn.

The cocktail menu ranges from classics such as espresso martinis to fruit-forward signatures and sweeter creations.

 

To coincide with the Geelong Gallery’s Impressionist exhibition, the venue is also serving a limited range of French-inspired cocktails over the next three months.

Dickson said the venues had been designed to cater for a wide range of occasions.

“Anyone can come here for any occasion,” he said.

“We want people to bring their families, work colleagues and friends to enjoy a bite big or small. Same goes with our cocktails.

“People in Geelong are welcoming, they love the region and we can’t wait to continue working together to support our region and bring visitors into the city.”

 

For more information, head to ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/geelong/gexcr/hoteldetail/dining