Chef Dallas Cuddy
Restaurant
Resides
Bangkok
Trained
Sydney
Favorite Chef
Jean Georges
Mentors
Ian Curley
Who would you be nervous cooking for?
Food writers and critics
Dream Dinner Party Guests
Bill Hicks (American Comedian), Charlie Sheen and his Goddesses, Mark Rothko, Marco Pierre White (of 80s)
Favorite Music
Hip Hop
Hobbies
Live Bands, Theatre, Eating Out
What inspires you?
Latest trends, fellow chefs, personal satisfaction, training others, mutual motivation, new techniques.
Philosophy
Don’t serve anything I wouldn’t personally eat
Bio
Sydney born Chef Dallas Cuddy has racked up an impressive CV. Having completed his apprenticeship under Chef Ian Curley at The Point in Albert Park, Melbourne, who’s prime focus is French cuisine, Cuddy cut his teeth at Nobu London, where Japanese cuisine started its influence on his career.
From there, Cuddy also trained at Michelin Star restaurant Pied á Terre, Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Pétrus and at Melbourne’s own son John Torode’s Smiths of Smithfield.
After cooking at the now closed, but once prestigious Verge Restaurant in Melbourne under chef-owner Karen White, Cuddy took over as head chef for a few more months before becoming business partners with original owners Simon Denton and White. Denton and White also recruited long term waiter Ainslee Lubbock as co-owner.
Verge was operating for a decade before the decision was made to close the doors, as the pressures of running a boutique, fine dining restaurant had taken its toll.
Cuddy explored a few offers, eventually landing as chef-partner of Freebird, Bangkok.
Being Australian, and French and Japanese trained, Cuddy utilises all his training styles but for the most part, follows the ‘eat with your eyes first’ Japanese philosophy.
Cuddy cites Chef Ian Curley and David Braim, food writer and one time chef of Half Moon Brighton as mentors. His favourite chef is Jean Georges Vongerichton; he would be nervous cooking for food writers and critics; and his own philosophy is this: Don’t serve anything I wouldn’t personally eat.
***Please Note: When we first met Chef Dallas he was at Verge Restaurant in Melbourne (now closed)***
