Dan Hunter Accolades

David Kinch and Dan Hunter

Congratulations to Chef Dan Hunter of Royal Mail Hotel who joined David Kinch for two special "Cooking with Friends" dinners in September. He was most recently awarded Three Chefs Hats and Citibank Chef of the Year by Australia’s The Age Good Food Guide. The Chefs Hats are awarded to top-notch chefs and restaurants across the country recognizing their commitment to food excellence and consistency.
• Stay tuned for news of the next Australian chef heading to Manresa for the next "Cooking with Friends" dinners in 2012.

Manresa Welcomes Australian Chef Dan Hunter for "Cooking with Friends" Series

Dan Hunter

Manresa welcomes Chef Dan Hunter from the Royal Mail Hotel in Western Victoria, Australia for its annual “Cooking with Friends” series. On September 10 and September 11, Chef David Kinch and Royal Mail Hotel Chef Dan Hunter will collaborate on a 10-course menu with wine and cocktail pairings.

Chef Hunter’s philosophy is similar to that of Kinch’s as 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 collaborative menu will illustrate their similar experiences in working with farms and emphasize ingredients from Love Apple Farms, Manresa’s exclusive farm partner. Additional ingredient highlights include Matsutake mushrooms, Santa Barbara sea urchin, Australian winter truffles, baby lamb and abalone.

Chef Dan Hunter started his career in Melbourne and later moved to Spain to further explore the region’s culinary offerings. He worked at the Michelin-starred Caelis in Barcelona and later arranged three-month stage with Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz, a two Michelin-starred restaurant in Basque Country. His stage turned into roles including 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, he returned to Australia as Executive Chef of the Royal Mail Hotel.

The 10-course collaborative menu is $195 per person, exclusive of wine pairing, tax, and gratuity. Classic wine pairings are $95 per person and premium wine pairings are $195 per person.

To make reservations, please call Manresa at 408.354.4330. Please note that the regular menus will not be available on these evenings.

Dan Hunter

Dan Hunter to Cook at Manresa

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.