Hong Kong’s vibrant SoHo district has a new culinary destination with the November 2024 launch of Bourke’s. This new wine bar and restaurant is spearheaded by Head Chef Tara Margarita, who is introducing a unique menu shaped by her extensive global experiences. Bourke’s aims to offer a casual yet refined dining experience, drawing inspiration from Melbourne’s diverse food scene and Margarita’s personal journey through Asia and Europe.
A Culinary Vision Inspired by Global Journeys
At the heart of Bourke’s is Tara Margarita’s belief that true hospitality is about genuine human connection. “It’s plain, simple, human love, and that’s all I’ve wanted to do,” she states, explaining the warm and welcoming philosophy that drives her kitchen. This approach is heavily influenced by her multicultural upbringing, having lived in Manila, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Paris.
The restaurant is named after Melbourne’s bustling Bourke Street, known for its rich culinary landscape shaped by immigrants. Margarita has created a menu that reflects this diversity, offering something more relaxed than a traditional European wine bar.
“Australian food is so diverse and open-ended, which is perfect for me,” Margarita explains. She uses this freedom to blend different culinary techniques and flavors, creating a menu that tells the story of her travels and experiences.
Crafting Signature Dishes with Meticulous Detail
Every dish at Bourke’s is a testament to Chef Margarita’s innovative spirit and attention to detail. She focuses on refining familiar dishes to create something new and memorable. Her goal is to elevate the dining experience with subtle yet impactful touches that set her food apart from the rest.
A perfect example is her modern take on a simple classic. “For something as simple as the croquettes, I blended the panko – Japanese breadcrumbs – so that they would come out less rustic compared to other restaurants’ creations,” she says. This small change results in a more refined texture.
Her signature chicken wings are another highlight, prepared using a painstaking, day-long process to achieve a perfect texture without any breading, making them completely gluten-free. “I don’t want to put something on the menu that other places have. I wanted to do something different,” Margarita remarks.
| Signature Dish | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Gluten-Free Chicken Wings | A day-long process of brining, drying, steaming, and deep-frying. |
| Fusion Croquettes | Uses blended Japanese panko for a less rustic, more refined texture. |
| Seasonal Tapas | A rotating menu of small plates with global flavors and a modern twist. |
From Corporate Life to Culinary Stardom
Tara Margarita’s journey to the helm of Bourke’s was unconventional. Born in Manila, she was exposed to a world of flavors from a young age by her father. After university, she took a corporate job with an airline in Hong Kong but felt deeply unfulfilled.
“I was this tiny Asian girl with tattoos; everyone else was very corporate,” she recalls of the restrictive environment. This disconnect pushed her to pursue her real passion, starting with a part-time job in a poke restaurant before committing to a full-time culinary career. Her path led her to Paris as a sous chef and later to acclaimed Hong Kong restaurants like Yardbird and Belon, where the intense demands of fine dining eventually led to burnout.
Building an Inclusive and Positive Kitchen Culture
With Bourke’s, Margarita is not only creating a new restaurant but also championing a new kind of kitchen environment. In partnership with Brett Goss, she has built a space founded on mutual respect and inclusivity. Having often been the only woman in the kitchen, she is determined to move away from toxic, high-pressure norms.
“It’s so easy to get in that ‘men’s world’ mindset where you just yell at someone when they do something wrong,” she questions. Instead, she is focused on fostering a supportive and collaborative team. Her leadership approach is centered on creating a healthier workplace for chefs to thrive in.
To achieve this, she is implementing several key initiatives:
- Cultural Leadership: Promoting a culture of respect and teamwork among all staff members.
- Inclusive Hiring: Actively recruiting a diverse team to ensure a balanced and fair workplace.
- Ongoing Training: Developing training programs to address and eliminate toxic behaviors in the kitchen.
Margarita is also channeling her experiences into a book, tentatively titled Kitchen Culture, to advocate for industry-wide change. She believes that a better kitchen culture ultimately leads to better chefs and, in turn, better food. As she puts it, food is supposed to be about love, a principle that guides her every day at Bourke’s.
