Brae’s Dan Hunter’s Spanish vacation picks

SINGAPORE — If you’re a hardcore foodie, you would have heard of Dan Hunter, the former head chef of acclaimed San Sebastian institution Mugaritz who later put Victoria’s Royal Mail on the culinary map upon returning to Australia.

Earlier this year, he set up his own restaurant, Brae, in Birregurra, a charming countryside town outside Melbourne that has been gaining raves for its “garden-based cuisine”.

And he’s not stopping there as he’s currently in the midst of building rooms within his 30-acre plot of land for overnight guests. “It’s just six rooms. There are already great accommodation options here. Our rooms are for guests who want to draw out the experience of dining here, to understand the produce. I’m not sure if we can even call it a hotel,” he said.

The soft-spoken chef is definitely feeling settled back in Australia, especially after plenty of travelling in his youth. “I don’t want to sound like an old man, but I think those days are over,” he laughed. “I’ve a restaurant and a three-year-old daughter now. I foresee my next few holidays will be in Australia.”

Q: We hear you did a lot of travelling back in the day.

A: I started to backpack in my late teens. I went to Asia, India and Central America to experience totally different cultures to what I knew. I travelled alone for three and a half months and it was definitely good for personal growth. My tip is to travel to places which are within your budget in your youth. I knew I didn’t have enough money for Europe and I didn’t want to go there and not be able to afford to eat at the nicer places. I didn’t see a point to that.

Q: Did you have any bad experiences while backpacking?

A: Yeah, I had my stuff stolen on a bus in Thailand and I got very sick in Rajasthan, where I was in the middle of a desert. But these are nothing compared to the experiences you get in return.

Q: You’ve also worked in Spain for four years. What are your favourite places there?

A: Galicia is absolutely beautiful. I also love Costa Brava. It an area where Salvador Dali lived and where you can see many of his works. The region of Andalucia is where you get all the typical Spanish experiences and I remember visiting Cordoba in winter when there were hardly any tourists. It was quite wonderful. I enjoyed renting a holiday home in San Jose — I could get a three-bedroom house for just 90 euros (S$149) and it was great to just spend time relaxing with friends.

Q: You mentioned sticking to Australia for your next few holidays. Where do you usually go?

A: Just half an hour drive away is the Great Ocean Road. I don’t even have to pack, it’s so convenient.

Q: And how do you amuse a toddler on the road?

A: We sing songs to her. We bring the music she loves and just put it on. And we bring puzzles and the iPad too. The iPad is a dream when travelling with kids.