Join Manresa for two special evenings of "Cooking with Friends" dinners on Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11. David Kinch welcomes Chef Dan Hunter of Australia's Royal Mail Hotel to join him in the kitchen to collaborate on a 10-course menu with wine and cocktail pairings.
“We are honored to have Dan Hunter representing the Royal Mail Hotel and the Victoria region of Australia,” says Chef Kinch. “We have a lot of similarities from our approach to food to our unique relationships with farms. I’m very excited to finally work with him in the kitchen to craft an unforgettable dining experience.”
Chef Dan Hunter started his career in Melbourne working in a number of culinary roles, learning the importance of produce and their seasons as well as exploring the creative side of menu conception. In 2003, Hunter became interested in what was happening in food in Spain and moved to Barcelona to work at the Michelin-starred Caelis restaurant to explore the style and quality of cuisine coming out of the region. While in Barcelona, he was introduced to Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz, a two Michelin-starred restaurant located in the Basque Country. He arranged a three-month period of work experience at Mugaritz which later turned into roles as Chef de Partie, Sous Chef and Head Chef. In the time Hunter was at Mugaritz, the restaurant was named tenth best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine UK and has been featured as a top five best restaurant in the world since 2008.
In 2007, Hunter returned to Australia and moved to Dunkeld, Western Victoria to take up the position of Executive Chef at the Royal Mail Hotel. This move has allowed him access to his own kitchen gardens, fruit orchards, egg laying hens, and a green house for herb production. He works closely with his kitchen and garden team to produce a unique style of food that blends his understanding of modern technique with an immense respect for nature, produce, and seasonality.
The “Cooking with Friends” dinner featuring Chef Dan Hunter will feature 10-courses for $195 per person, exclusive of wine pairing, tax, and gratuity. Wine & Beverage Director Jeff Bareilles will offer two different pairings, featuring a selection of Australian wines. Classic wine pairings are $95 per person or you can choose premium wine pairings for $195 per person. Reservations are available by calling Manresa at 408.354.4330. Please note that the regular menus will not available on these evenings.
