Head chef Jono Ora at the parilla grill. Photo: Tenele Conway.
In 2020, as COVID lockdowns loomed, Canberra’s Fox and Bow Cafe knew they had to pull something out of the hat if they were going to survive.
That something was a heavy-duty parilla grill from Pig & Pilgrim Artisan BBQs. The equipment allowed the Farrer cafe to cook and serve outside, and owners Alex and Nicole Piris credit the grill for the survival of the business through the rocky period in hospitality.
In more recent years, the team were pulling out the grill less and less, until a trip to Tassie inspired Alex and Nicole to make it a regular part of their service.
“In every part of Tasmania, their connection to community and produce is so strong. It feels so good everywhere you go down there. I wanted people to feel something when they came to us. I knew we needed to do more than just avo toast,” Alex tells Region.
Even the rolls get toasted on the parilla grill. Photo: Tenele Conway.
At the start of 2024, it was that desire for community that led to the inception of weekend grill sessions at both Fox and Bow locations in Red Hill and Farrer, and they’ve been running it ever since, “as long as the weather isn’t shit”.
It was the enticing looking pork belly banh mi (Vietnamese rolls) that drew me over to Red Hill on a recent Sunday and all I can say is that I was blown away.
The pork is smoky, juicy and falls apart. The quality of the meat is obvious, which Alex says omes from Boxgum Grazing.
The Saigon rolls are soft and fluffy with a crunchy crust that’s warmed on the charcoal. Then there is the mouth-jarring crackling and the pate from Summerland Poultry, which Alex calls the star of the show.
There is also a secret house-made ingredient on the rolls that Alex calls a Filipino crunch that makes him say “dang” when talking about it.
I try to keep to no more than five instances per year where I declare something is the best thing I have eaten, and this really was right up there on the top of my list.
Alex gives all credit for the menu and the execution to Head Chef Jono Ora.
“Our offering has changed over the past 18 months, but we’re pretty settled now. Charcoal chicken and chimichurri, beef brisket rolls and pork belly banh mi. It’s a formula that our Jono has perfected.”
The weekend grill menu at Fox and Bow is a showstopper. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Jono was a the grill during my visit and on a chilly day it was an inviting sight. It’s something that Jono says he really enjoys.
“I love that we grill on the weekends. I may smell like a smoked brisket when I go home to the family, but there is something about cooking over coals that is unmatched.”
It’s the visceral elements of cooking on a grill and the unique flavours that the charcoal delivers that Jono gets a kick out of.
“When the fat and juices from the meat hit the coals, it brings an aroma that draws people in. The flavour of a grilled piece of crispy pork belly matched with the umami-packed pate sauce and chilli crunch makes it so tasty, it makes your taste buds sing.”
The grill is lit at Fox and Bow at 4 Farrer Place, Farrer, every Saturday and at 10 Duyfken Place, Red Hill every Sunday (“as long as the weather isn’t shit).
