Two and a half years ago, Tommy Payne was a Melbourne-based chef with a ‘meh’ attitude to towards Mexican cuisine. He didn’t mind the food, but hadn’t been struck by its magic.
That was, of course, until he tried Sam Wood’s menu at Perth establishment , a place he’d serendipitously applied to work, simply craving a sea change.
“The first time I fell in love with Mexican was at El Publico and [that grew] with my trips to Mexico,” says Tommy, who is now head chef of the restaurant.
“I came here [to Perth] for three-quarter day-trip to find a job or somewhere to live,” he recalls. “I found both.”
Offered a role as sous chef, Tommy soon learned his superior, New Zealander and then head chef Sam Ward, had succession planning in mind.
“I found out after my trial the head chef was leaving, so they were looking for someone to take over,” he says. “I worked with old head chef for a few months and, when he left, I took over the kitchen.”
Keen for Tommy to experience authentic Mexican food and create his own unique take in Perth, El Publico’s owners sent him to the motherland for a research expedition.
“They’ve taken it seriously,” explains Tommy. “[The owners] spend money on their chefs to learn and travel.”
“The whole time I was in Mexico I was with food guides; I was doing stages at restaurants and cooking with food authorities and authors.”
On his month-long trip, Tommy went to Mexico city, Oaxaca and Baja California which, slightly confusingly, sits on the California Peninsula in north-western Mexico.
Source: El Publico
“I really like the food from Mexico City because it’s got a modern approach,” muses Tommy. “The chefs in the bigger cities have a fresher look on the cuisines.”
“I also love the food from Baja,” he adds. “[Baja has] a similar climate to Western Australia, and good seafood like W.A. They have a really fun and fresh way to cook Mexican, which lends itself to El Publico.”
Pouring over , it’s easy to see those influences in action. For one thing, much of the menu is written in Spanish, making the ‘101’ breakout box rather handy indeed. Divided into botanas (snacks), entradas (entrees), ensalada (salad), tacos y tostadas, parrilla (grill) and postres (desserts), the short, yet enticing selection has ‘playfulness’ written all over it.
How so? Well, where else would you find shark bay crab tostada with ‘pico de thousand island’ (a modern riff on the sweet sauce), or smoked chicken wings with peanut mole and brittle?
Tommy says aguachile is one of his favourites on the menu. While it translates as “chile water”, aguachile is essentially a Mexican take on ceviche, and at El Publico it’s made with kingfish, coconut and boozy mezcal watermelon.
Chilli, or ‘chile’, is another important element of the menu.
“At the moment I’m using about eight different types at El Publico – all imported from Mexico,” says Tommy who cites his top three as ancho, chipotle, and the one he “couldn’t live without” guajillo.
“It’s really expensive [being] in Perth, but if you’re serious about [Mexican food] you need to invest in some chillies.”
While Tommy Payne’s love affair with Mexican cuisine may have only sparked a few years ago, it’s clear this head chef is indeed serious the stuff. Keen to brush up on his Spanish, if only to read menus better, he’s eager to add a few more trips to his sleeve.
“I think the cuisine’s got a great history, and it’s still got a lot of potential to grow in Australia,” says Tommy.
“I can’t wait to get back there.”
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