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Restaurant manager of the Lagoon Seafood Restaurant, Andrew Harrison, said, “My parents started the Lagoon in 1986 when I was six. I’ve pretty much grown up here and can hardly remember life without having the restaurant.
“My parents worked really hard establishing the restaurant and I started working here washing dishes when I was about nine years old.
“I thought I was the head chef and just told everyone what to do! From age 15 I was working in the bar and helping out. Shortly after I moved onto the dining room and it was a natural progression from there to managing the restaurant for the past 11 years.
“The Lagoon is like one big family, as we’ve got fantastic loyal staff that have been here for many years.
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“Now my children run around the restaurant like I used to. It’s such a dynamic industry – there’s never a dull moment.”
Current head chef Emmanuel Efstathiadis started at the Lagoon as a young apprentice when he was 14 years and nine months.
“I finished my apprenticeship and then went to Cooma where my father was to run my own restaurant for a few years.
“Now 2016 will be my 11th anniversary back at the Lagoon. In that time, a lot has changed from what I’d call the old classical menu to a more modern cuisine with cutting edge techniques for cooking food.
“I’ve learnt to grow with the changes and also the strong reputation the Lagoon has for great food.
“For me, it’s really about hunting around for the best, knowing the best products and buying fresh such as off the boats. The taste and the flavours are all there.
“We are fortunate to use local suppliers and to be surrounded by great supplies from seafood and veggies to game. It’s rare to be able to get it all and know it’s local.”
Mitchell's Fruit source a lot of their products, there’s fish out of the lake such as flathead, crabs and brim while the local eastern rock lobsters and the snapper are from the harbour.
“I’m a big seafood fan and I love our whole baked or steamed snapper that we do plus the mud crab,” he said. “Actually, if I had to say the best menu item, I’d have to say the platter. You get all the different flavours of the freshest seafood and a real taste of what the Lagoon Restaurant is all about.
“I bring new items to the menu and add some to the specials board - if it’s popular, then we look at ways to implement it onto the main menu. Also, the decking and new kiosk require a new menu altogether.
“It’s exciting times here. It’s always busy but that’s the best part about it – you know we are doing something right.”
With 15 chefs on staff, creativity and brainstorming is commonplace for the best seafood.
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