Dreamer Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov is the Head Chef of Fervor. Yoda established Fervor to give back to his community by connecting people to local ingredients. Many of these have been marginalised because of food inequalities.
Passionate about sustainability, First Nations rights and local excellence, Yoda has trained many young chefs in the pleasures and challenges of high-end cooking, thinking through production and taste along the way.
Although he has experience in the world’s best restaurants including time at Amuse (Perth), Noma (Copenhagen), DOM (Sao Paulo), and Pujol (Mexico City), Yoda loves the coastline of Noongar Country, especially near Kinjarling (Albany) in the Great Southern, and can often be found in the water, his second home.
Q & A
Where did this interest in native ingredients come from?
I've always been curious about native Australian ingredients, and over the past 20 years, it's been a real mission to learn more about these ingredients. Western Australia is so diverse with different ingredients from the Kimberley, the Pilbara, the Great Southern. For me it's about going out on Country and learning from the Traditional Custodians. Not only learning about the ingredients, but the stories that go with them that connect us to those ingredients, and the place. Once you start hearing these stories, it really gives you a good understanding of, I guess, time and place and how special Western Australia really is.
How does land and culture influence your, your creations and kitchen?
Western Australia is just so diverse. It has so many, unique and really special ingredients. For us, we take inspiration from all corners of Western Australia to design dishes that really represent each region.
With our cooking, we want to do it in a really respectful way. So when we've spent time on Country, listening to the community and Elders, we factor that into how we prepare the ingredients, and we want to make sure we highlight them in a really simple, pure form. We're always taking guidance from the community.
What is the one ingredient or dish that you feel tells a story about that Country?
One ingredient that really tells a great story about Country is the honey. Spending time, in the Goldfields region with the Aunties, digging for honey ants and then tasting that honey - it’s an incredible flavour and such a unique ingredient. For me, it's all about spending time on Country with family, listening to people speak in language and teach the next generation. You really value how much effort goes into collecting these ingredients and how special they really are.
What has been one of your most memorable, dining experiences in nature?
There have been so many great dining experiences over the years throughout Western Australia. We've been lucky enough to cook in the Kimberley region at the Bungle Bungle Ranges; closer to Perth at the Pinnacles Desert; on the islands in Albany off the Great Southern coast. It’s hard to pick a favourite. This is going back about 12 years, but the overall energy at our event in the Pinnacles was incredible… it felt like a dream. It was magical, and there was so much energy around that event. I’d love to do that again.
Something we did last year was cooking in the beautiful karri forests in the Margaret River Region – a beautiful long table focused on hyper local and native ingredients. It's important to learn more about these native ingredients because they tell a story of Western Australia, uniquely. If we're in the South West, those ingredients are found around us. You’re walking through the forest or along the beach, and you can see these ingredients – they're right there. It gives you a real sense of place, no matter where you are in Western Australia.
You’ve cooked at some of the most renowned restaurants around the world. How does the West Australian food and wine scene compare?
The West Australian food and drink scene is world-class. We have incredible chefs. The winemakers are producing delicious and really interesting wine. Compared to the rest of Australia or the world, we're right up there with that high-end, top-level food and wine.
The food scene has developed so much in the last few years. There are so many talented chefs, and more of them are using native ingredients and telling the story of where they've come from - whether from the Margaret River Region along the coast, the Pilbara, or the Kimberley… all that beautiful seafood that’s unique to each region. The chefs in Western Australia are doing a fantastic job highlighting how fresh, pristine, and beautiful the produce is here.
The wine and beverage scene in Western Australia is fantastic. We have many different wine regions, and some are right up there with the best in the world, like the Margaret River wine region where people come from all over to sample the wines. Also all the new breweries and the incredible gin and other distillates being made here.
What is a Dreamer?
A dreamer is someone with imagination. They walk through this world with wonder. They're looking for connection, experiences that connect people to this Country.
What’s your first impressions of your fellow Dreamers?
I'm very lucky to be a part of this group, and I'm blown away. They’re all genuinely passionate, and they all bring something really interesting. This group creates a lot of energy and can really highlight how special and beautiful Western Australia is.
