Mastering travel for the love of taste

When you treat your palate to a quality vacation, you are more than guaranteed to create everlasting memories, writes Gary Mehigan

The past year and a half has really put our lives into perspective and in doing so, I believe amplified our appreciation for travel and food, because of how accessible it once was. Food to me is a binder and unifier, it is what brings people and cultures together and for many like me, drives our urge to travel. Looking back, memorable holidays are so much more than warm weather and beautiful views or splashing in the ocean. They are a sum of many things, family, good food, fun, beautiful places, the people you meet, and stories shared.

When I set my sights on a new country or land to explore, it is the food and local cuisine that gets me excited and drives my love for adventure. And while the sights and attractions are an added advantage, I find a greater sense of exploration unearthing stowed away eateries and places off the beaten track, only known and frequented by locals. Striking up conversations with the wait staff or regulars at local cafés is also a one-way ticket to discovering the best a city has to offer, which, more often than not, is left out of your mainstream travel guides and itineraries. If someone were to approach me for recommendations for a first-time visit to India, I would have Mumbai at the top of my list.

Mumbai reminds me so much of New York City, the sleeplessness, the restlessness, the hustle and bustle and in many ways moves at a pace unmatched. It is the perfect cross-section of Indian cuisine and culture and would make for a fantastic jumping-off point. You get the best of the beauty of street food from the pav bhaji and vada pav to the pani puris or you can deep dive into the re-imagination of traditional Indian cuisine at The Bombay Canteen or Prateek Sadhu’s Masque. If I can impart any sort of advice for eager travellers, it would be to do your research, get in touch with people you know who have visited your country of choice before, venture out of your comfort zone and look to immerse yourself in the fabric of a culture.

And that is why as the world reopens, I would like to encourage Indians to consider Australia. Why Australia you may ask? Well, if you are a keen motorcyclist, like me, there is nothing better than a day at the racetrack on Phillip Island or enjoying a long ride on one of the many glorious twisty roads up into the hills and mountains. There are a few places however, that really stir my soul, like the thin spine of land called the Bruny Island Neck in South Western Tasmania which stretches off into the wild and rocky distance or watching the flying fish skimming the surface of the calm and crystal blue waters off the Great Barrier Reef. If you share my love for the sea, especially waters that are wilder and more remote, standing on the pristine sands of Yallingup Beach Western Australia and watching the mighty power and surf of the Indian Ocean is a once in a lifetime experience. And to really get a sense of this ancient place and space, you must walk at least one of the remote and rugged trails of the magical Nitmiluk National Park South East of Darwin in the Northern Territories.

Although my recommendations for visitors can see no end, it would be a miss for me to not cast a spotlight on the fantastic culinary landscape of Australia. Australia is a cornucopia of culinary wonder and there is just so much to explore, pinpointing just a few places is rather difficult.

I would, however, recommend first-time visitors or those who would like to revisit to pencil in a reservation to Quay in Sydney, helmed by Peter Gilmore and Dan Hunter’s Brae, which is right down the Great Ocean Road.

If you find yourself in South Australia, the Barossa, the Coonawarra and Clare Valley are not only wine regions recognised around the world, but the towns and countryside that surround them are blessed with a treasure trove of growers, brewers, distillers and artisans of all kinds. Sipping on my favourite Shiraz, a dark and brooding glass of wine that skips between red fruit and spice, while treasuring the view over the vines and rolling green hills of the McLaren Vale takes a lot to beat. But maybe, Noosa might come close to the top of my list, the sun, the sand and the sea, all the good things in life topped off by some of the best restaurants and cafés in the country.

Nothing better than an early morning swim, a coffee on the boardwalk and watching the world go by.

Food is an essential component of the travel experience and in many ways governs how you can enjoy a new country or land.

When you treat your palate to a quality vacation, I believe you are more than guaranteed to create everlasting memories.

(The author is a Melbourne-based restaurateur with a career and experience as a chef that spans over three decades. He is more prominently recognised as a co-judge on MasterChef Australia and as the host of Masters of Taste with Gary Mehigan, which has made him a household name among Indians and globally.)