Leilani Wolfenden

Bottega

While passion and drive will take you a long way, there’s just as much to be said for patience and persistence, which is evident in the way Leilani Wolfenden has defined her career. Since leaving her native New Zealand, this focussed young career woman has quietly gained some enviable experience.

Landing in Melbourne, she spent formative periods in the kitchens of both Est, Est, Est and Ondine, restaurants that defined Melbourne cooking during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, before heading overseas, where she further refined her talents with the renowned two Michelin Star London restaurants Petrus & The Square.

Returning to Melbourne earlier this year, Leilani spent some time at Bistro Guillaume, before recently taking up the challenge of her first head chef’s role at Bottega.

Slipping quietly and quickly into place, Leilani’s cooking has almost immediately attracted attention. In his recent review for The Age ‘Epicure’, renowned food critic John Lethlean described her menu at Bottega as ‘light, vibrant and imaginative, presented with style but little ego’. Leilani wowed Lethlean with her seared scallops – ‘Seared and roasted Canadian scallops are served with crunchy running mates and citrus flavours: the scallops are dressed with a lemon dust and sit on an exceedingly light, almost foam-like puree of fennel and onion. Beside them, a "salad" of apple, radish and fennel, dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. Entirely successful.’

With a Star Rating also recently awarded to Bottega in the 2008 ‘Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide’ it seems safe to suggest that Leilani is set to become one of Melbourne’s most talked about chefs.

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