Former Attica chef Lorcan Kan is taking over the woodfire at Melbourne’s award-winning Etta, as Rosheen Kaul steps away from the beloved Brunswick East restaurant.
Born in Ireland and raised in Australia, Kan has spent the last decade working in respected kitchens around the world, including Manchester’s Where the Light Gets In, where he led the kitchen to earn a green Michelin star for his dedicated approach to sustainability.
“It’s a full circle moment for us,” explains Etta owner Hannah Green, who first met Kan while working for Ben Shewry at Attica.
“We came up together working at Attica and have been watching each other from afar over the years, throughout all the incredible things Lorcan’s been doing overseas. I’m so happy to welcome him as part of our team. We’ve been working on this transition for the last few months, and it feels like a very natural fit.”
Kan will spend the coming weeks finessing his first menu, which will debut in July. He already has a custom fermentation program in action, with housemade soy sauces, misos and Korean-style jangs in the pipeline, alongside a spicy chilli oil parfait served with cucumber and lime.
Combining his Chinese-Malaysian heritage and formal European culinary training, Kan plans to implement a whole-animal program, breaking down pigs to make his own char siu and lap cheong sausage, among other cuts.
“When I’m dining at a restaurant, I want to eat food I’ve never had before. I like to find dishes in which different cultures intersect, cook them traditionally, and then approach each in a way that feels right to me. It’s really exciting to be able to do this at Etta now,” says Kan.
Rosheen Kaul plans to focus on creative projects moving forward, including finishing her second cookbook and judging the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Competition.
For restaurant bookings, head to ettadining.com.au
