After high school, Sunhands’ new head chef Phil Tran found himself with “too much” leisure time. He quickly became enraptured by food media, including Anthony Bourdain’s TV shows No Reservations and The Mind of a Chef, as well as Lucky Peach, the indie food magazine founded by David Chang, Chris Ying and Peter Meehan. “I instantly got hooked and continuously found myself curious about food as a craft, societal art and universal function,” Tran tells Broadsheet.

Now Tran, formerly of Carlton Wine Room, has been brought onboard to “evolve the menu” and expand the evening offering at the wine bar that took over the former Ima Project site on Elgin Street, Carlton in 2023.

The dishes will change frequently, with seasonal vegetables at their core. But rather than being overly cheffy, “ultimately, it’s about how the customer feels after they experience a dish. I think in particular with Melbourne being so weather-variant, it’s important to offer respite and comfort and to stay in tune with what people need, rather than cooking purely for one’s own ideals,” Tran tells Broadsheet.

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We caught up with Tran to learn more about his culinary philosophy and what he has in store for Sunhands.

What can people expect from Sunhands now that you’ve joined?
The cooking at the moment focuses on a highlight reel of ingredients, served simply, but with spice-tinged sauces and dressings. We don’t follow any particular cuisine. It’s all small plates, mostly based around vegetables, but there’s always an element of indulgence within the menu, too.

What is the kitchen set-up like?
It’s a pretty minimal, low-tech set-up, but it’s my job to make food that works within the space. We’re tight on storage, so ingredients need to be utilised pretty quickly, and we prep a lot of things last minute. We also run service with just one person, so there are only ever about five to six dishes coming from the kitchen ... a lot of logistical consideration is put into that. But I think limitations only improve your creativity.

Are there any dishes you’ve added to the menu that you’re particularly excited for people to try?
A simple plate of greens – I’m particularly enjoying the early season spigariello, it’s got plenty of minerality and texture. We’re cooking it to order to maintain its liveliness, then serving it with yuzu-roasted sesame and a sauce of spinach, roasted garlic, mascarpone and peppercorns.

How do you build your menus?
Vegetables are the backbone of what we offer at Sunhands. I select purely based on taste … The seasons here are so volatile and minute, every year proposes a challenge to find what’s best at any given time, and to showcase that as best as possible. I found a lot of the summer fruit quite good this year, so we made a yellow tomato, peach and sweet corn gazpacho to pair alongside excellent chevre from Dreaming Goat Dairy. But the menu changes as soon as there’s a better product to be utilised.

Will the menu change frequently?
The dishes change pretty often, and we’re constantly thinking about what’s on tomorrow’s menu. That’s driven by our surroundings, whether it be a last burst of produce being available, or a tonal change in the weather.