One of Brisbane’s most highly acclaimed chefs Josue Lopez will join forces with Philip Johnson and Chef Gert Pretorius at E’cco Bistro to create an artistic celebration of contemporary Australian cuisine on Tuesday 16 October.
Josue is known for his love of combining contemporary art and philosophy with fresh, local produce, now bringing his modern cuisine artistry to E’cco Bistro for one day only- a collaboration that seems more than fitting after E’cco took home the award for Best Contemporary Restaurant in the Australian Restaurant & Caterers Awards at the Royal International Convention Centre on 27 August. Event attendees will be presented with a five-course menu including an amuse bouche produced by the chef trio, followed by two courses presented by E’cco Bistro and three courses presented by Lopez. The carefully curated menu will carry a story in the making for each dish and can be optionally paired with wines hand selected by Ecco’s in-house sommelier.
Of the partnership event, Philip Johnson says, “This collaboration has been 10 years in the making, having often talked about cooking together, but never managing to make it happen. I am looking forward to working closely with both Josue and Gert to produce an extraordinary evening.” In true Lopez style, guests can expect to see a menu peppered with unusual ingredients, married with E’cco’s modern Australian fare. Camel milk, quandong and saltbush may be familiar flavours to those that have dined with Lopez before – but a surprise may come to some upon seeing the names of exotic plants usually found on a rainforest floor, such as monstera and lucerne, also gracing the menu.
Notably enthusiastic about the collaboration, Lopez states, “Philip and I first met at the 2008 Good food Awards and right from our first meeting I have considered him a mentor. This dinner will mark our first time together in the kitchen and I’m excited to create art inside e’cco’s new elegant space where guests will be able to see us working in his stunning open-plan kitchen.” Needless to say, this special event is not one to be missed and tickets are expected to sell out quickly.
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