About Thomas Johns
Thomas Johns was previously the executive chef/owner Pello Restaurant in Stanley Street, East Sydney which had been awarded Two Chefs Hats. Thomas Johns founded dining abode several years ago, offering his services as personal chef Sydney wide, growing it into one of Sydney’s premium catering companies.
Thomas Johns Awards
For two consecutive years, Thomas was awarded two prestigious ‘Chefs Hats’ by the SMH Good Food Guide. He also received an award for Best European Restaurant, in the Restaurant & Catering Awards, NSW Metropolitan Area.
Thomas Johns In The Media
Thomas Johns is known for his Modern European style of cooking. He has been featured numerous times in publications such as Good Living, the Sydney Magazine, Gourmet Traveller, Delicious as well as international publications. He was featured in an 8 page editorial in Vogue Entertaining + Travel as well as in a House and Garden editorial as a Personal Chef. He has appeared on television programs such as the Food Lovers’ Guide to Australia, Sydney Weekender, Fresh and Signature Dish. Thomas was also featured in an article written by Mathew Evans, ‘Top ten chefs to look out for’.
Thomas Johns has conducted cooking demonstrations in conjunction with Simon Johnson, Accoutrement, Sydney Fish Markets and various shopping precincts as a Personal Chef including the David Jones Waterford Crystal launch.
He has represented Braun and Bombay Sapphire in their advertising campaigns as well as participated in charity events such as Starlight Foundation. Thomas has also run corporate events for companies such as HSBC and Deutsche Bank.
Thomas Johns: The Formative Years
Trained in London and with over 15 years experience as a qualified chef, Thomas Johns’ interest in Australian cuisine was fostered when he started working at a prestigious Australian restaurant in London called Sydney Street where for the first time he was introduced to ostrich, emu, balmain bugs and kangaroo. This resulted in Thomas coming to Australia in 1993 where he honed his skills in various establishments including Sous Chef at leading Two Hat Aria Restaurant.
This is a long way from his first cooking experience, when at the age of six, Thomas would bake with his Mother in Ghana, West Africa. While professionally, dining abode is about food executed with flair, when cooking at home Thomas goes back to his roots leaning towards a simpler style of home cooking, with a preference for fresh fish or simple cuts of meat matched with seasonal vegetables and flavoursome sauces.
Whether entertaining at home or in the hospitality profession, the most important things for Thomas are the three P’s – passion, patience and perserverance – it may take more than one attempt to execute a dish to perfection. These are the qualities that have seen Thomas Johns build his reputation to become an integral part of the Sydney dining scene and become a personal chef Sydney wide, creating for his clients their own bespoke fine dining experience.