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Chefs of the House Mark Olive

8 & 9 Aug 2024

During August four of Australia's leading chefs will curate and host a series of dinners in one of the Opera House's most exclusive, hidden spaces for a night of culinary delights.

As part of the Chef's of the House series, Doltone Hospitality Group with Mark Olive will draw upon his Indigenous Australian heritage to host a Dreamtime dining experience that fuses native ingredients with contemporary cooking techniques.  

By presenting some of the incredible native produce and Indigenous ingredients... I hope to give people the opportunity to try something uniquely Australian...

Mark Olive

Dreamtime

Having always persisted in his passion for his culture and promoting the significance of native Australian produce, Mark Olive's food philosophy represents who he is and where he's from. 

Personally guiding guests through the evening, Mark will showcase his vibrant food philosophy through stories and a thoughtfully curated menu in this intimate shared-table dining experience, while visual projections and a live performance by First Nations duo Marimayi complement the unique theme.

Marimayi
Mari and Mayi means "people of Gomeroi and Wongaibon Country". Sharing the traditional sounds of Country with a blues and folk twist, Marimayi sing their stories through the Language of their Ancestors. Jesse Hodgetts is a Wongaibon and Wiradjuri Mayi and Jayden Kitchener-Waters is a proud Wongaibon and Gomeroi Mari. The duo sings songs in traditional Languages from across NSW.

Meet the Chef

Mark Olive, aka ‘The Black Olive’, is Australia’s most celebrated indigenous chef. Over the past 30 years he has become known around the world thanks to his skill and passion for fusing native ingredients with contemporary cooking, helping educate audiences about Australia's rich Indigenous culture and traditions in the process.

A Bunjalung man, Mark became interested in cooking as a child watching his mother and aunts prepare meals with traditional plants like wattle seed and lemon myrtle while growing up in and around Wollongong on Australia's south coast.

In addition to cooking, Mark has had a successful media career starting with The Outback Café and as a trusted expert and consummate co-host and guest on programs such as A Chef’s Line, On Country Kitchen, Good Cooks, The Celebrity Apprentice, The Cook Up with Adam Liaw and Big Mob Brekky

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