Wesley Cooper Jones wouldn’t call himself a restless chef, although, looking at his career, it’s not an unfair assessment. After spending five years in New York, “jumping between different roles, learning as much as I could” – including a stint as sous chef at famous Brooklyn pizza joint Roberta’s – he came back to Australia and did a nine-month pop-up called Cheesy Grin at Freda’s in Chippendale.

“I’m always intrigued about what’s coming in the future,” he says. “I’m never in a state where I’m satisfied that everything is settled and set-up. I’m always looking forward to new things. I feel like it’s a more healthy way of living. I’d get bored otherwise.”

His latest project, a collaboration with friend and chef Luka Coyne (Tetsuya’s, Automata) is a pop-up at the Lord Wolseley Hotel in Ultimo, and it’s the embodiment of that curiosity and creativity. It follows past kitchen takeovers in the space by John Javier (Momofuku Seiobo, Master) and Pub Life Kitchen.

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A starter of tartare or sashimi changes regularly, flat breads are fermented in-house and flash-fried to order, and the charcuterie offering is exquisitely aged (right now a two-year-old prosciutto and bresaola are on offer). There’s a duck ragu with a potent tomato powder and nasturtiums, and, for sharing, a 120-day aged 500-gram T-bone served with cauliflower puree and black garlic.

Fittingly, given the pub’s proximity to the Fish Market, the menu also has a strong seafood focus, with aged goldband snapper and cobia currently available. What’s available changes regularly, forcing Jones to be nimble and reactive. Unsurprisingly, he likes it better that way.

“It’s exciting. I get a bit antsy if I’m cooking the same thing, day in, day out,” he says. “The variety is something to look forward to.”

The main menu changes seasonally (with plenty of creativity allowed depending on what’s available at the markets), but Friday and Saturday nights’ degustation menu is what Jones and Coyne really love.

“We do a tasting menu that’s booking-only,” he says. “It’s a lot more complex and fine. We can play around, try something new.” That could mean puffed beef tendons, aged fish, pigeon or duck, and ice-creams in savoury flavours like a smoky burnt gumtree bark.

The pub owners are supportive of the chefs doing their own thing. “Even though it’s a pop-up, we’re approaching it as our own little kitchen and the owners are fine with that,” says Jones. “Whenever they get new chefs in, they want them to go for it. It’s such an amazing opportunity.”

Although Jones is enjoying the brief, he knows it’s not forever. He and Coyne have already been in the kitchen for four months, and in another few months, he’ll think about moving on.

“I want to move to London or New Zealand, and eventually open my own place,” he says. “I don’t think I want to do that in Sydney.”

His plan is still up in the air – he says he’s young and still keen to learn from as many others in the industry as he can: “As a young chef, you’re not a master of anything yet. But the beauty is that you’re constantly learning and in this state of growth.”

Lord Wolseley Bistro
265 Bulwara Road, Ultimo
0412 833 295

Hours
Tue to Sat 12pm–3pm, 6pm–10pm
Sun 12pm–5pm

lordwolseleyhotel.com.au