Dining With Fervor
An intriguing pop-up dining experience set against awe-inspiring locations in Western Australia
MICK SIPPE PHOTO
By Selena Oh
(Singapore, Sept 9, 2022) For several months a year, Chef Paul ‘Yoda ‘Iskov and his team trawl the vast state of Western Australia in search of fascinating herbs, plants and produce that the ancestors of the land grazed on 60,000 years ago. A pedigreed chef whose resume spans the who’s who of dining outlets globally, Yoda established Fervor, a pop-up culinary concept, in March 2013 . Putting his skills to good use, he presents the food of one of the world’s oldest living cultures in an extraordinary ‘culinary experience you can’t get anywhere else’.
Through Fervor, he connects with the indigenous elders and learns about their dietary habits that have sustained them for over the millennia . With an intense fervor, he demonstrates a poetic and respectful tribute to his land in a delicious medley of tastes and colours.
Yoda explains, “We harness fresh ingredients, with a focus on locally sourced produce, presenting it in a unique location to create an unforgettable degustation dining experience. Crafted with passion and prepared before your eyes we bring out the taste and excitement of the region with each dish served.“
Left: Crocodile, Koji amd Warrigal Greens and Right: Kangaroo and Quangdong and Anize Myrtle Peason (Selena Oh Photos)
For two nights in Singapore in August at Native, a cocktail bar which specialises in using regional products and ingredients, diners had a chance to taste Australian native meats, seafood and ingredients that read like a fascinating list of exotic botanical names The dishes were artfully paired with indigeneous herbs in cocktails named Peary, Salt Bush, Santol, Strawberry Gum and Mango Cardomom. We relished the tastes of desert lime, muntries, lemon myrtle, bloodroot, koji, quangdong, gubinge(a kind of plum) and sandalwood nut in dishes featuring scallops, crocodile and kangaroo.
Inspired by the seasonal changes and expanding variety of produce over the years, the team has masterfully incorporated their knowledge into creative menus that reflects "Fervor".
“As we travel with the seasons and WA offers such a diverse climate, we are able to host pop-up dinners throughout the year. We generally host about two events per location and depending on travel time as well as where we are headed and when we can spend time on the country with traditional owners. We spend between four days and a week per region on average,” said Paul ‘Yoda ‘Iskov.
MICK SIPPE PHOTO
Fervor works in partnership with local communities, traditional owners and businesses to promote the beauty and assets of each region across the country. Ever respectful of the land and environment, Fervor leaves no trace of an event upon completion.
As a family run business, Fervor operates as closely knit core team of five to six chefs catering to an average of 42 persons per event although they have served up to 150 guests on occasion. With its unique concept, Fervor transforms this dining experience into an unrivalled one as the crew takes pride in sharing their passion for food, culture and the cinematic West Australian landscape intimately with diners.
Fervor has set up tables at stunning locations across Western Australia - along the coast from Esperance in the South, through to the Kimberley in the North. From forests, wineries and lighthouses in the Margaret River region and islands off the coast of Albany, to the Pinnacles Desert with its unique limestone structures, stations on the Coral Coast, mudflats and beaches in the beautiful Pilbara, National Parks as well as old train stations in Australia Golden Outback, rocky outcrops in the Wheatbelt and mid-West famous for its wildflowers. Events are usually promoted through its online channels and the experience is typically priced at A$190 per person.
www.fervor.com.au
Social links:
https://www.facebook.com/fervorfood https://www.instagram.com/fervorfood/ https://twitter.com/fervorfood
