Executive chef at Yiamas and Vinotto, Justin Scarvaci, grew up in Kalgoorlie. His father was a mineworker, and his mother had a rotation of recipes, mainly limited to just-add-water packet rice meals.
When they moved to Perth, his father opened a restaurant, and that’s how Scarvaci began his culinary career. He worked there as a dishwasher and learned to cook wood-fired pizza, and towards the end of high school, Scarvaci was offered an apprenticeship.
“From the moment I started, all I wanted to do was eat and cook everywhere I could worldwide,” said Scarvaci.
Scarvaci described both venues, Yiamas and Vinotto, as quite different since Yiamas has Ancient Greek and Levantine influences, while Vinotto is Southern Italian.
“Yiamas would be the most difficult but most enjoyable dishes to create. The recipes need to be Greek or Levantine. They need an origin or significance, and they need to be elevated to a high standard so that they do not feel out of place in the venue.”
A memorable moment for Scarvaci at Yiamas was celebrating the restaurant’s first birthday. The staff had dinner with the owner’s mother and adapted her recipes to fit the restaurant’s style.
Upon moving to the U.K., Scarvaci took up a job at Le Gavroche, which he described as another invaluable moment.
“The history of that kitchen was incredible, as was what the Roux brothers did for fine dining in the U.K. A stint at Royal Hospital Road was very eye-opening. Claire's dedication to perfection was like nothing I had ever seen.”
He also worked at Dinner By Heston in London for three years, eventually becoming sous chef of what was then the world's number-five restaurant.
As the hospitality industry continues to face staff shortages and other wage issues, Scarvaci said that the industry was at a real pinch point.
“The situation has also led to a lack of skilled workers at the middle level; half-decent people are taking management positions they aren't ready for, and the majority aren't willing to learn.”
For those beginning their culinary journey, Scarvaci suggested working in good places for good people, taking time to move through the ranks, and learning as many things as possible on the way.
Yiamas has won the Best New Venue in the Western Australian Good Food Guide and was nominated for the same award in the Gourmet Traveller.
Scarvaci would love to achieve a few stars at Yiamas and keep pushing for development since the venue has endless potential. The restaurant group also has plans for a few different venues, and he has been very keen to see what they can do in this space.
