His family's restaurant in France introduced Christophe Niklaus to hospitality, but originally more front of house and management.
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"I took an interest from 20 to 25 watching the chefs cook, all the food coming out of the kitchen, asked questions, researched a little bit and took the first step in the kitchen in my own business," he said.
Niklaus joined Albury's Pemberton Pantry about six months ago after a year in Rutherglen and a decade in Sydney, where started his French cafe restaurant.
"We started really classic and as the years went by, I took an interest more into modern, fusion foods," he said.
"Front of house, it's all about calm, customer service, smiling, the kitchen it's a little bit more intense, with the heat, it's always under pressure.
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"When I work in the kitchen, I want the customer to have the best experience possible, every dish that comes out is to be as perfect as we can make it."
Niklaus was a Pemberton Pantry customer before joining the cafe and appreciates owner George Jones' focus on quality, sustainability and local produce.
What's your favourite dish? That's a hard one, but the one main ingredient that always comes back is duck, I love duck flavour-wise, it's very versatile, there's many things you can do with it.
What's your favourite season? Spring's great, the freshness, the smell of flowers, herbs.
What are the staples in your pantry now? All the classics of course, like olive oil, vinegar, but also buckwheat flour, coconut cream and lots of nuts.
What is your earliest cooking memory? It brings me back home, my mum being from hospitality, I remember good foods, good wines, family.
Which ingredients do you grow yourself? I'm still working on my green thumb, but I do grow herbs.
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Which six people would you invite to dinner I'd invite my family over. While I cook for my wife and son at home, I don't have the rest of my family here, they're back in Europe, but if I could, I'd have my parents here, my brother. Cooking's about a bit of love, cooking for the loved ones, it's special.
What is your favourite foodie ritual? I always start the day with a cabbage juice, it's great for the stomach.
What did you have for dinner last night? I had Milawa chicken thigh, greens and a sweet from Geoffrey Michael Patissier.
What are you drinking at the moment? Allpress coffee (a Pemberton Pantry feature), of course, every morning, and last week we visited a few wineries.
Details:
Pemberton Pantry
696 Pemberton Street
Albury
(02) 6067 0618
