Jean Munos

Jean was born in the south of France. Attracted to the bar side of hospitality, Jean started his career in Toulouse, France in nightclubs and

then moved around France, following seasons, ending up in Paris. He worked at ‘Buddha Bar’ where he became passionate about cocktails, before coming to Australia in 2006. Jean started his Australian adventure

at the Sofitel Hotel as bar manager. Since then, Jean has been managing some of the busiest and most popular bars in Sydney

including Zeta Bar at the Sydney Hilton, The Lincoln, Pocket bar and Felix restaurant. During this time Jean has represented Australia twice in

cocktail competitions on an international level. He has also worked for one of the countries most respected bar consulting companies, BarSolutions, as consultant and bar trainer. Jean was also Grand

Marnier’s Australian brand ambassador in 2010/2011as well as Hennessy Artistry ambassador for Asian in 2011/2012. He has been nominated as Australian bartender of the year 4 times but also brand ambassador of

the year. The last two ventures for Jean were General Manager of one of the best cocktail bar in Australia called Pelicano, in double bay, Sydney for over 2.5 years and also General Manager at Bondy’s an 80’s themed

cocktail bar situated in Sydney CBD. Jean opened and set up both venues. He has now relocated to Los Angeles, California to further his

career and bring his worldly experience and knowledge to L.A.

Introducing the surprising new stars of the winter cocktail hour

Shakenand stirring

Do duck in 28New hands lift a localfavourite to new heights

Making waves 27LA’s hottest chef ready tocreate a stir Down Under

Love me slender 26Gordon Ramsay’s recipes forsimply sensational asparagus

fooddailytelegraph.com.au tuesday, august 11, 2009 25

firstbiteswith Alice Wasley

Gourmet charityIN 2007 Glaswegian restaurateur DomenicoCrolla created the world’s most expensive pizza.Lawyer Maurizio Morelli bought the PizzaRoyale 007, which was topped with edible gold,lobster marinated in cognac and champagne-soaked caviar for £2150 (about $5000) duringa charity auction. The team at Stella ItalianKitchen in Collaroy have been inspired tocreate their own fund-raising pizza, featuringshaved Australian truffle, porcini mushrooms,Italian pork sausage and buffalo mozzarella,that will be cooked freshly at an auction onMonday and served to the highest bidder. Theproceeds will go to children’s cancer charityCure Our Kids. On the night there will also bea $45 menu consisting of antipasti misto, pizzas,salad and dessert, with 15 per cent of theproceeds also being donated.Call 9982 2188 to book for the auction

The right cheesePEERING into the maturation room at thehuge wheels of cheese from around the worldat Formaggi Ocello is enough to leave youraverage turophile in a bit of a tizz. Why notlearn the finer points of cheese from expert andowner Carmelo Ocello? Ocello runs cheese andwine tasting nights at his Surry Hills provedore.At the one- to two-hour sessions you will learnabout different cheeses and the maturationprocess, receive tasting notes, and sommelierElio Cordaro will be on hand to advise you howto pair cheese and wine. After the session, whichcosts $80, students are let loose to try othercheeses in the store and will receive a 20 percent discount on purchases.The next session is on Monday, August 31. Call9357 7878 for bookings

Coffee with spinBARISTAS from around the world will battleit out at Manly Yacht Club on Saturday forthe Danes Grand Barista Championship.Competitors from the Asia Pacific region have12 minutes to make four espressos, four milkcoffees and four latte art coffees. The winningbarista collects an Orchestrale Etnica espressomachine, valued at $8700, plus a trip to Milan.

Grocery cashPURCHASE any three Continental productsin one transaction from participating IGA,Foodland or Supabarn stores and enter the prizedraw online at continental.com.au/cash to win ashare of $100,000. The grand prize winner willreceive $20,000 cash and a cash donation to thecommunity service of their choice. Thecompetition runs until September 13.

New ways of surfing the menu

On board: Award-winning US chef David Myers

DAVID Myers surveys the dining room of hisSona restaurant in Los Angeles with the samescrutiny as a surfer checking out the pre-dawnocean, searching for any rips that might up-end an evening of near-perfect service.

Given the chef is just at home in the kitchenas he is carving up those Californian waves,the surfing metaphor isn’t much of a stretch.

Myers, 36, is garnering internationalattention for the elegance and technique thatgoes into the food he is plating at his multi-award winning and Michelin-starredrestaurant. The white-washed Sona sits onwhat is known as Restaurant Row in WestHollywood – although the surrounds beliethe upmarket moniker.

Two doors down is a strip joint and acrossbusy La Cienega Boulevarde, the rather seedy-looking Real Food Daily eatery proudlyproclaims its organic vegan cuisine.

Myers’ food philosophy would sit well withthe vegans but his is a menu that makesgastro-carnivores very happy indeed and it isa philosophy he will be showcasing at LukeMangan’s glass brasserie next Monday andTuesday evenings .

Myers hits all the buzz words – local,organic, free range – all cooked up with ahealthy dose of good old Californian love.

Featuring alongside fruit and vege sourcedfrom a community of farmers he callsphenomenal is Elysian Fields Farm lamb fromKeith Martin in Pennsylvania – a grower whoonly sells to a handful of restaurants – andsnapper from New Zealand. In the past therehas been sea bass from Australia.

Australia and NZ. Where is thecommitment to local? ‘‘It’s the best, man,’’

says Myers. ‘‘Takes as long to get here fromAustralia as it does from the West Coast.’’

The bulk of his produce, however, isCalifornian and developing a connectionwith the people from whom he buys is ofutmost importance.

Myers opened Sona in 2002 when he was28 with his wife Michelle, a renowned pastrychef. It is LA’s only restaurant to win both theWine Spectator Grand Award and the Awardof Ultimate Distinction from Wine EnthusiastMagazine. And National Geographic named itas one of the world’s top 10 restaurants in its10-Best-of-Everything edition. ‘‘One of thecore ingredients of our success at Sona hasbeen the intense drive, the intense talent, theright people in the right roles and thecommitment of the team,’’ he says.

Another of those ingredients is the chanceto kick back on his surf board – and he’s asmuch looking forward to getting his board wetat Bondi as he is in hitting Mangan’s grill.BernadetteCondren

David Myers will cook at glass brasserie atthe Hilton Sydney, alongside Mangan, Joe

Pavlovich, Nori Sugie from New York’s IronNori and Guy Grossi next Monday (sold out)

and Tuesday. Bookings: 9265 6068

Our winter of contentSippingonarich,deepcocktail in thecoolermonths,even inAustralia,canreallywarmtheheart,writesAliceWasley

Hot: Jean Munos (top right) and the Zeta espresso he created (above)

RUGGING up with a rich,warming cocktail in hand is theperfect thing to do by a cracklingfire on a cold day – except inSydney the winter weather isoften so mild it can be hard forbartenders to steer people awayfrom light, fruity drinks.

‘‘For example, last night we did16 pineapple-based cocktails. Forme in Australia, winter, summer,it’s really hard to understandsometimes,’’ says Zeta Bar’sFrench head bartender JeanMunos. ‘‘In Australia you canhave a winter warm cocktail butsometimes the weather is toogood to do this.’’

As a perfect winter cocktail,Munos recommends the ZetaEspresso, a new concoction onthe cocktail list this year which isserved cold but has rich, deepflavours, to suit cooler weather.

‘‘It’s a good after-dinner drinkfor winter. It’s a cool cocktail andit’s an easy style – coffee, carameland foam,’’ he says.

Another example which is fartrickier to recreate at home but isalso proving popular during thecooler months is the SmokedBacon and Maple SyrupManhattan. Zeta’s mixologistGrant Collins added it to themenu after he visited the New

York speakeasy-inspired bar PDT(for Please Don’t Tell) anddiscovered bacon-infusedbourbon. Munos says people areinitially wary of the drink, servedwith a garnish of crispy bacon,when they see it on the menu.

‘‘We have to push them toorder it,’’ he says. ‘‘They justdon’t believe it’s a really, reallynice drink. It’s not a trick.

‘‘When you see it on thecocktail list on paper, it soundslike something a bit fatty, andwith bacon inside, it looks a bitweird, but when you start to talkabout it it’s like a gentleman’sdrink with a twist.’’

Munos says once people try theBacon Manhattan they’re hooked– especially men.

‘‘There’s also the exclusivity,you can’t find them anywhere, sopeople like that,’’ he says.

Determined for Aussies toembrace the idea of warmcocktails, Munos and his teamhave also developed a warmsangria. The Zeta Sangria has‘‘a bit of licorice, a lot of spice andis really fresh’’.

Something a little like a lightmulled wine?

‘‘Yeah, exactly, but a bit morecomplex,’’ he says. ‘‘Grant comes

in with his ideas but we have sixdifferent nationalities behind thebar. Everyone has differentconnections, so we have a lot ofideas from around the world.

‘‘We work pretty much everyday on new cocktails.’’

Munos encouragesexperimentation at home as welland says to make rich, heartycocktails it is important to havegood quality dark spirits on hand,such as dark rum and cognac, aswell as spices like cinnamon,vanilla and aniseed. ‘‘Just try tokeep it simple,’’ he says. ‘‘Flavouris the most important thing.’’

Zeta espressoIngredients45 ml Belvedere Vodka15ml caramel liquor10ml coffee liquor20ml espressoSugar cane stickSweet espresso foam

1 Shake and strainall ingredientsthen garnish withsweet espressofoam and sugarcane stick.2 Can also beserved in a latteglass on a saucer,and withoutsweet espressofoam if you don’thave a syphon.

Sweet espressofoam■ For 1-litre syphon:2double espressos10eggwhites60ml coffee liquor30ml sugar syrup

1 Shake/mix and charge withnitrogen.

2 Storein fridge.

dailytelegraph.com.au tuesday, august 11, 2009 food 27

Vintage Nights will be held in the VIP Room on select dates through August and will include cocktails, canapés and special reci-pes to take home. For more information on Vintage Nights visit our website on zetabar.com.au/Vintage.

Zeta bar’s famous VIP Room has housed many an interesting occasion, and tonight will be no different as the room is trans-formed for ‘Vintage Nights’.

Inspired by Prohibition, a time when alcohol consumption and distribution was against the law, Mixologist Grant Collins has put together a Vintage and Forgotten Classics cocktail list designed to conjure up memo-ries of the era.

“Although it’s a time many of us would rather forget, the Prohibition era also in-spired some pretty amazing cocktails when bartenders had to try and cover up the taste of alcohol and in turn created some great drinks. Also, many left the shores of the US to travel overseas to continue bartending, so it’s a really important era in cocktail his-tory. We’ve taken some of the best and recreated them in their original manner and with some also added a Zeta twist,” he said.

Enjoy cocktails such as the Prohibition Iced

Tea, the “Monkey Gland,’ and the ‘Clover Club,’ and be transported back to the era through various quirks that Grant and his team have had fun putting together, includ-ing bartenders dressed in traditional attire and serving drinks in antique glassware, and even some served hidden in books.

Ping PongPing PongPing PongPing Pong 60 mls Sloe Gin 10 mls lemon juice 10 mls egg white Shake and strain into an elegant vintage receptacle

Clover ClubClover ClubClover ClubClover Club 50 mls Old Tom 20 mls lemon juice 20 mls sugar syrup 30 mls raspberry syrup 10mls egg white Shake violently and strain into an elegant vintage receptacle

Monkey GlandMonkey GlandMonkey GlandMonkey Gland 60 mls Gin 30 mls freshly pressed orange juice 3 dash absinthe 3 dash grenadine

Shake well and strain into a vintage martini glass and garnish with an orange twist

Prohibition Iced TeaProhibition Iced TeaProhibition Iced TeaProhibition Iced Tea 15mls Belvedere Vodka 15mls 10 Cane Rum 15mls Gin 15mls GrandMarnier 20 mls lemon juice Dash egg white Shake with exuberance and strain into a jam jar in brown paper bag-serve with side of screwdriver oranges*

* for a prohibition style screwdriver, pierce and orange and fill with Belvedere vodka (replace orange skin and piercing) cut or-ange and serve for a prohibition screwdriver

Zeta Mixologist Grant Collins, Head Bartender Jean Munos, and [NEED NAME?]

J o i n u s o n a j o u r n e y b a c k i n t i m e Z E T A A W A R D S

Bar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the Year National AHA Awards ‘08

Bar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the Year HM Awards ‘08

Bar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the Year AHA Awards ‘08

Bar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the Year HM Awards ‘07

Bar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the YearBar of the Year AHA Awards ‘06

Cocktail List of the YearCocktail List of the YearCocktail List of the YearCocktail List of the Year 6th Annual Bar Awards ‘06

Best Bar Presentation & ServiceBest Bar Presentation & ServiceBest Bar Presentation & ServiceBest Bar Presentation & Service National AHA Awards ‘06

R e c r e a t e o u r V i n t a g e c o c k t a i l s

B Y T H E Z E T A I N T E R N A T I O N A L B A R T E A M

The Vintage Times

July /August 2009 Issue 1

L E V E L 4 , H I L T O N S Y D N E Y , 4 8 8 G E O R G E S T R E E T

W W W . Z E T A B A R . C O M . A U

The Ping Pong Prohibition Iced Tea with Screwdrivers

Now when they passed the bone dry law, I was the very first to say that it never would stay. And neither did I think the law could regulate our thirst. That’s why I’ve got some stored away. Now since prohibition’s got us drinks is few and far between. Of all the stingy brothers you’re the worst I’ve ever seen. But I insist on my share. Don’t say it’s all run out. Or else you’re going where-- You know that bad place I been preachin’ ‘bout? "Save A Little Dram For Me" Prohibition era song recorded by Thomas Edison studio, 1922

WHEN DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY?

I started a long time ago, when I was about

20-21 years old.

WHAT VENUES HAVE YOU WORKED AT

SINCE YOU STARTED BARTENDING?

Too many to name all of them. Probably

around seven bars in France and about the

same amount in Sydney.

WHAT MADE YOU STICK AROUND IN THE

INDUSTRY?

I could not see myself doing anything else.

I could not go to the office every day, the

routine would kill me.

ARE THERE ANY PEOPLE THAT MENTORED

YOU OR THAT YOU LEARNT FROM IN THE

INDUSTRY?

Definitely Stan Jouenne – who was my bar

manager at Buddha Bar in Paris – he is the

one that made me realise that hospitality

would be my career. And Grant Collins

also taught me a lot at Zeta Bar and

Bar Solutions. But to be honest, I have

learnt and am still learning from all my

workmates.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT

SKILLS/TRAITS A BARTENDER MUST

HAVE IN YOUR OPINION?

Customer service – but of course there is a

lot involved around that.

WHERE HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS

AND CHALLENGES?

I guess as I get older my experiences are different.

After a year as Brand Ambassador for Grand

Marnier and not running a bar at all, it’s been

challenging to open Pelicano but every day is

a reward.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE DRINKS TO MAKE

FOR CUSTOMERS, FRIENDS AND YOURSELF?

Well I’m working hard on the Clover Club for my

fiancée. For customers it depends on them. For

myself that will depend on where, when and who

I’m with.

Jean MunosPELICANO - SYDNEY

THE TRINBAGOGlass: Highball

Ingredients: • 30ml Angostura Bitters

• 30ml Angostura 5 Year Old• 30ml Honey and ginger syrup

• 30ml Cream• 30ml Lemon juice

• 45ml Coconut waterMethod: Shake and strain

Garnish: Nutmeg

HAVE YOU ENTERED MANY COCKTAIL COMPS

AND WHAT SUCCESS HAVE YOU HAD IN THEM?

I’ve done a few that made me travel a bit but

I have been focusing on how to run a bar

properly rather than competitions. I always find

competitions interesting but I tend to leave them

to other bartenders that are much better than me.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR UP AND

COMING BARTENDERS?

If you don’t like people, don’t do it.

bars&clubs 65

AUSTRALIA’S TOP BARTENDERS