We're giving our Mount Zero Hero features a little refresh, and with that comes a new interview format and name. Introducing 'THE PRESS' - a rapid-fire interview with chefs across Australia that we love working with and admire.
At Fitzroy’s Suze, chef-owner Steve Harry cooks with confidence, creativity and a sense of play. His dishes walk that fine line between familiar and surprising — all about great ingredients, a little fun, and plenty of olive oil 😉
We sat down with Steve for a quick-fire chat about his cooking style, underrated ingredients, and his ongoing love affair with our Frantoio oil.
1. Describe your cooking style in three words.
Bold, fun and ingredient-focused.
Minimalist… is four words okay?
2. Where was the last place you dined out, and what did you order?
I went to Supernormal with one of my chefs. We ordered all the snacks and smaller entrees — very good. The standout? Their flatbread with kombu butter. Unreal.
3. If you owned a restaurant that cooked only one dish, what would it be?
Crème caramel. It’s one of my all-time favourite dishes to cook and eat.
When I was little, it was part of our Sunday ritual. It looks simple, but you can easily mess it up — that’s the fun part.
4. Most underrated ingredient in the kitchen?
Acid — in all its forms. Vinegar, fermented stuff, citrus. I think people forget to treat acid like salt — it’s not just a flavour, it’s a seasoning.
5. What’s your favourite dish on the Suze menu right now?
We’ve got this Casarecce with Jerusalem artichoke that’s about to come off the menu. The artichokes are cooked in butter for six or seven hours — it’s tedious for the chefs, stirred every five minutes for at least five hours, with a constant risk of burning. But the payoff is huge. Finished with malt syrup, sherry vinegar, kelp — no cheese — just this rich, savoury ragu.
6. What do you cook when you can’t be bothered or after a big shift?
Straight to the point: pasta, olive oil, parmesan and a whole lot of pepper. Always hits the spot.
7. Favourite Mount Zero oil or product — and how do you use it?
Frantoio olive oil, hands down. I go through litres of it every week — easily 20 litres. It’s the backbone of the kitchen at Suze and we use it on almost every dish, from snacks all the way to one of our desserts.
8. Who’s your biggest culinary influence?
I have been privileged to have worked under too many to mention inspiring chefs that have all left their mark in the way I cook; from the excessive pursuit of precision of Kym Machin, the bold and utterly delicious cooking of Ben Williamson, to the creativity of Clinton McIver.
9. What recipe have you chosen to share with us, and why?
It’s our ricotta dish, served with focaccia. There’s a lot of olive oil involved — both in the ricotta mix and the agrodolce dressing, which is half olive oil. It’s basically a love letter to olive oil. You can drizzle it, dip into it, or swap it into the dressing — it’s all about that richness and balance.
10. Do you play music in the kitchen? What’s on high rotation at the moment?
Music always comes on after briefing and it’s usually The Presets — something to keep the rhythm steady and the energy up.
Suze Melbourne
6 Newry Street
Fitzroy North 3068
Reservations: click here.