Let us get this straight, Cam. You’re a former Good Food Young Chef of the Year, and a 30 Under 30 alumnus, you’ve just come off years of working at Amaru—a three-hat fine diner—and your next move is to open a fire-driven pop-up in the car park of a bouldering gym?
That’s right. After about a decade in fine dining and hospitality, this move was the only logical and sensible thing to do. Just kidding. La Roca is such a special place, with a fantastic community and a group of people who share a love for climbing. I’ve been coming here for almost seven years, and our relationship has continued to evolve and deepen over time. I first started the conversation with Les and Des Ching, the brothers who own it, over a loaf of bread and butter. This developed into some low-key barbecues and camping trips, grilling together for many years. We always joked about doing something together and finally the time and opportunity arose. So, we decided to legitimise the concept, build a massive, elevated fire pit, and share our love and experience with everyone.
What were some of the other options you considered? Soup stand in a car wash? Parkour patisserie?
There was no other option but this. Pebble is simply an opportunity to hang out with cool people, cook some honest, relatively simple food (the menu changes every two weeks), and give back to a community I love while enjoying some Aussie sunshine and the outdoors – in a car park.
What are you like as a climber?
I like to think that I climb like I cook: high intensity, with tiny holds or details, flamboyant yet somewhat quiet.
And how does it feel to trade the tweezers and micro herbs for barbecue tongs and karabiners?
To be honest, it’s not as different as you might think. I’ve been doing a lot of different things to set Pebble up, from sanding and painting tables, laying down decking, cleaning windows, and gardening. I’ve traded the tweezers for mostly a drill and a window squeegee. But honestly, in a small restaurant such as Amaru, I often found myself repairing different things. There used to be a wrench, screwdriver kit, hammer and nails, and plastering equipment in my kit for the last three and a half years.
Describe the situation at Pebble: are we eating standing up, sitting down? Hanging from our fingers?
We have some seats indoors, as well as picnic tables and milk-crate chairs outside and tables that we made. I also sanded back the table that my family has been eating at for the last 15 years, gave it some love and brought it to Pebble. We have a beautiful deck that everyone can enjoy, park themselves at, and watch the sunset or the fire of the grill.
If we’re just ordering one thing at Pebble, what should it be?
We’ve just finished our first menu, and I grew very fond of a few items. The whole roasted flounder with crab coral sambal and salted green mango was a hit. Another favourite was a bowl of Jonella Farm asparagus, striped zucchini from Remi’s Patch, and baby cucumbers, smoked and grilled over wood, served with pumpkin seed hummus and green tomato sambal.
Every two weeks, we change everything completely except the bread. This has been a good challenge for me and has allowed me to work even more closely with suppliers and producers, using ingredients that are at their peak.
And if we want to go the whole hog?
Bring your friends, have a climb, build your appetite, and hang out with us. Either soak up the sun or enjoy the sunset under the festoon lights. Either way, the whole menu is very shareable between two and four people, with lots of options and additions for everyone.
How do vegetarians fare on this adventure?
The menu always includes a vegetarian snack, a salad, a vegan main course alternative, and two vegetarian desserts. That way, everyone can share in the food and the vibes.
And drinks?
Each menu rotation features a non-alcoholic beverage, which will also change regularly. This coming menu will include an iced chrysanthemum and honeysuckle tea – perfect for a hot weekend.
Are you more a Cliffhanger guy or 127 Hours?
I think I’m more of a Meru kind of guy. A team of unlikely comrades facing terrible odds and mishaps on a mission to climb a naturally daunting cliff face that’s less known but far more scathing than Everest. That sums up my career to some extent, I think.
And to finish? A sweet thing? Linament? Some dynamic stretching?
I don’t think I’ve properly stretched in years – to my own detriment. Age will catch up with me soon. But we do have two desserts to finish off.
This week, it’s a mango pudding tart covered in blood orange and foraged loquat jelly, with condensed coconut cream, or there’s a fire-roasted white chocolate mousse with Milo crumble and barbecued apricot chutney.
Pebble at La Roca, 2 Natalia Ave, Oakleigh South, instagram.com/pebble.at.laroca
By Pat Nourse