Sit by the water and go large on flaky almond croissants and pain au chocolat, decadent eclairs and luscious fruit tarts.
The city’s food scene collectively clenched last year when Shannon Kellam’s small fiefdom of eateries went into voluntary administration.
First, it was his BCN Group, whose hospitality businesses included Mica Brasserie in Newstead and the CBD, Lumiere Culinary Studio in Newstead, and King Street Bakery in Bowen Hills. Then, two months later, his iconic Montrachet restaurant followed.
Kellam was a major presence on the local food scene. If he could go, was anyone safe?
The reality, though, was that the seasoned chef had been caught in a series of misfortunes, including the pandemic and then the 2022 floods, which wiped out $150,000 of stock. Throughout, his venues remained popular.
So, it was a relief when Canberran restaurateur Clem Chauvin stepped in to reboot Montrachet in October. Now, Harry Ohayon and Maxime…