Christine Manfield 1997
by Selina Snow
acrylic on canvas
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 1999

Christine Manfield is one of the few female chefs at the forefront of Australian cooking. She has produced three outstanding books which reflect beauty and architectural design, as does her restaurant. This image contrasts hardness and softness. Manfield, seemingly quite a hard character, is softened by the delicate arum lilies. The softness of the Caffe ice-cream is disguised as a hard cone next to the chocolate tart.

The Paramount Restaurant, Potts Point, Sydney, is consistently regarded as one of the best in Australia by the critics and the dining public alike. Paramount food is intrinsically modern Australian in its technique, style and presentation. It is a personal reflection of a world discovery of flavours, textures and cooking methods blended intelligently and carefully to create food that is an original blend of assertive flavours and harmonious textures. It is about the celebration of diversity.

Visit the Paramount Restaurant’s web site at http://www.modernfood.com.au/