Daniel Rosenow fell in love with cooking as he watched his nan cook up a Christmas feast when he was 12.
“I was watching her the whole time and from that point on, I thought, this is what I want to do,” the Melton man said.
“Food just brings joy to everyone who tastes something really nice.”
Earlier this month, the 24-year-old entered his first competition – the 2016 Golden Chef’s Hat award – and won a silver medal for his menu of a two-point lamb rack with an almond and fennel crust; braised lamb rump with yoghurt, chilli and chives, eggplant puree and pickled vegetables; and rhubarb and yoghurt sorbet with coconut vanilla mousse, almond butter cake crumble, grapefruit sponge and rhubarb puree, lemongrass gel cubes and ginger foam. Mr Rosenow entered the competition with his girlfriend, Carine La Delfa, and says he drew his inspiration from her.
“She was the one who drove it,” Mr Rosenow said. “She was my biggest inspiration.”
The restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne where Mr Rosenow works will feature his medal-winning courses on its summer menu.
“To know my dish from a competition has come on the menu – it makes me think that the more ideas I can come up with… it can push me to become a better chef and, eventually, become head chef,” he said.
