From Ester to Baba’s Place, Ozge Kalvo has worked at some of Sydney’s most celebrated restaurants. Now, The Apollo Restaurant Group has appointed Kalvo as Head Chef of its anticipated Wunderlich Lane restaurant, Olympus.
When we chat, Kalvo is in the kitchen joking with her colleagues. “Sorry, I’m moving a little bit away from the kitchen staff,” she laughs. “They’re teasing me about these interviews.”
It’s early days, but Kalvo is already working hard to establish a positive culture in the kitchen. “We have a big team, like 30 people, and we have a very big venue and a huge menu. So my aim at first is delivering that food as delicious as possible in that scale. And then creating an environment that is relaxed and fun and joyful for all the chefs.”
The goal isn’t without inspiration; after The Apollo Owner Jonathan Barthelmes and Director Sam Christie brough Kalvo on board, she headed up to Brisbane to check out Greca, where she said the energy in the kitchen is “insane”.
“They’re doing like 700 covers a day. I want to achieve that,” says Kalvo.
Kalvo moved to Australia nine years ago from Istanbul. She was sponsored by Turkish restaurants Anason and Efendy where she worked for four years alongside Somer Sivrioğlu. Kalvo then moved to Ester, where she undertook an almost three-year stint.
“I worked on all [Ester’s] sections. The last year was mostly in the wood fire section,” says Kalvo.
It was during this final year at Ester that the chef began doing popups at the restaurant, which was where she met Barthelmess. “For my first popup he got tickets with Sam [Christie]. So he tried my food for the first time at Ester.”
During her popups, Kalvo was cooking Turkish food influenced by Ester and by Australian culture. Enjoying cooking her own food, Kalvo decided to quit and focus on popups while taking on a part time role at Baba’s Place (where she soon became sous chef).
“After two years I realised I was ready for another big step of my life. I contacted Oscar, who is the development chef of [The Apollo Restaurant] group. I asked, ‘Do you have all your team for this giant venue?’ And he said no. And then we had a chat, we had a coffee, and now I’m here.”
“I believe things happen when the time when the right time comes. So when I heard from them, I thought, I have to get that job.”
“Ozge’s Turkish and Greek cultural background, and experience cooking with fire at Ester, made her a great fit for Olympus. Ozge’s food is well considered, pays tribute to tradition but also has a real edge. We’re excited to have her as part of our team,” says Barthelmess.
Gifted with a state-of-the-art kitchen (including a wood fire section, a “huge” charcoal oven, frying section, and a prep kitchen), and a sweeping venue that seats up to 200 and boasts a sunroof that can open to reveal the sky, Kalvo has her eyes set on big things.
The menu is impressive, with an extensive offering of mezze plates including taramasalata, eggplant, and fava dips, horta, olives, pickles. “You want them to keep coming. The tables should always be filled with small plates that you have to order more and more of.”
The seafood section includes pickled octopus, pickled mussels, tuna, and oysters, mostly dressed with Mediterranean herb oils and vinegars.
The pie section, which Kalvo dubs the “signature section” of the restaurant, includes hand-stretched dough spanakopita in copper trays. “Inside is a four-cheese mix with lots of herbs, so it’s very fresh. That will definitely be one of our signature dishes.”
The cheese section includes barrel-aged feta, baked Kefalograviera, and a simple honey and yoghurt dish – although the team is still on the hunt for the perfect yoghurt.
The mains mostly come from the charcoal and woodfire ovens. “Most of the mains are very simple, so you can get more sides and mezze plates to finish the dish how you want to,” says Kalvo. Mains include grilled octopus, grilled sardines with oregano honey dressing, whole john dory and coral trout, and of course, “the other signature dish”, lamb.
While much of the menu is established, the lamb is yet to be finalised. “We’re trying to find the best way to cook that lamb – but we’ve still got two weeks.”
The pricing is also still being determined, but with three set menu options, Kalvo says there are approachable options for everyone.
Kalvo has brought Harrison Duncan to the team as her senior sous chef. The pair worked together on Kalvo’s popups, and Duncan recently left a role as sous chef at W Hotel.
Matt Whiley (RE, Purl London) and Head Sommelier Zoe Brunton (Lil Sis, Monopole) have also joined the management team, and are producing a drink offering that celebrates Greek classics alongside Sam Christie.
The staff have wrapped up their test cooks, and today marks the first cook in the Olympus kitchen. This week and next week the team will finalise the menu before opening.
“That kitchen is so beautiful. It’s like another level of technology. There’s no limit, we can do whatever we want with those tools that we have. We have to bring out the best of everything because we have it all,” says Kalvo.
Kalvo says she looking forward to building up an intuitive team who are proud of their creations. “I felt that at Ester. It was my favourite restaurant before, during, and after I worked there. I want to achieve that in this place.
“If you’re working in a place and then that dish is your favourite dish to eat still, I think that’s beautiful. I want people to pick a couple of dishes and they’re dreaming about coming just for those.”
The end goal? “We want everyone to come and dine here, and to come again and again.”
