- Restaurant: Brae
- Role: Chef & Owner
- Hats: 3
Mo Zhou born in central China, moved to Australia at the age of 18. After originally studying for a business degree, mo took gap half year to visit Europe where he was inspired to change career paths and become a chef. For over 10 years, Mo has gone on to work in some of Melbourne’s best loved kitchens including as a commis chef at Attica, chef de partie at Vue de Monde and sous chef at The Press Club. Last year Mo also headed to Europe working in Copenhagen restaurants Kadeau and Amass.
After running over 30 pop-up restaurants in Sydney, Seoul and China Mo opened Gaea on the trendy Gurtude street of Fitzroy among the bars, restaurants, galleries, and boutiques. Mo’s vision is to create an intimate detestation experience for 16 diners to hero local seasonal produce from the land and sea telling a story of nature and his culture. Packed with umami, ferments and techniques.
Mo can guarantee a dining experience of surprises, changing Gaea’s six or eight courses every month.
“If I do a dish, that dish is done and I never repeat it. That’s the joy of cooking. Over three years, I did 400 different dishes. And not a single thing is repeated.”
On the menu you can find bao, an influential food in Mo’s life growing up in Henan, the buttery bun that’s a cross between a bao an brioche. Mo also uses local organic grains they are milled daily and are matched with a pine needle butter and pine salt.
- Gaea
- 166 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne
- braerestaurant.com
- Phone: +61 3 9417 7248