The unique ingredients that flavour chef Luke's dishes
Updated . First published
Food and cooking has always been an important part of Luke Bourke's life, and that of his twin brother Samuel.
The award-winning chef and proud Palawa man is now the head chef at Felons Seafood in Manly, having worked at Sydney's Rockpool Bar and Grill for a decade.
His journey to head chef all began in his grandmother's kitchen, and then at a little bistro located down the road from his school in Penrith.
Chef Luke whipping up one of his unique dishes. Supplied/Luke Bourke
"Our sister used to work at the local bistro and after school we used to go see her and hang out in the kitchen, so cooking just became second nature," Bourke told nine.com.au for National Reconciliation Week (May 27 to June 3).
"But also my grandma worked at a poultry farm and she would do roasts, and pancakes on the weekend."
Bourke would "get in the kitchen with her" to help out, making a bit of a mess.
"10 years later I'm still running around the kitchen making a mess."
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Bourke and his twin brother are both professional chefs, and were introduced to their culture through school. Supplied/Luke Bourke
Luke and Sam attended the local high school where the indigenous co-cordinator organised for some of the indigenous students to go on an outing to connect with their culture.
"Being able to go to those places and connect with the local community and learn about culture inspired me to learn more about it. And then through cooking and learning about the ingredients it dragged us into another avenue of trying to make indigenous food."
He learned all about coastal greens, salt bush, and pepper berry.
"They all have a unique role," Bourke said. "I learned about the story, about how people used to cook them, and the ways they used to use them and integrates them into food.
"It wasn't really cooking, it was more medicine.
"There's a lot of flavours and unique styles and you can try like a Davidson plum or the Kakadu plum. When you eat it, it can be super sour, but then you learn that the birds don't eat the plums until they drop to the ground, which is when they are ready to harvest, and then they are super sweet.
His journey to head chef all began in his grandmother's kitchen. Supplied/Luke Bourke
He incorporates native ingredients into his dishes. Supplied/Luke Bourke
"It changes the whole story of the food. It's crazy. When it's ready to harvest, there's always a cool story to learn."
Next he and his brother, who also works as a professional chef, attended a three-week crash course at the National Indigenous Culinary Institute (NICI) in Surry Hills.
They were then placed in kitchens at renowned restaurants, and by the time Bourke landed at Rockpool, he was hooked.
Bourke was recently named the 2025 Young Chef of the Year by the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, and he reflects on just how far he has come.
Bourke was recently named the 2025 Young Chef of the Year by the Good Food Guide. Supplied/Luke Bourke
The award-winning chef and proud Palawa man is now the head chef at Felons Seafood in Manly. Supplied/Luke Bourke
He still remembers their parents driving them into the restaurants in the city, a long, long way from Penrith in Sydney's west, paying the petrol and tolls to get the boys on the way to their dream careers.
Native ingredients have continued to play an important role in many of his dishes, both at Rockpool, and now at Felons.
His favourite food to cook is Tasmanian seafood, in particular the abalone, including an abalone sandwich that featured on the menu for a time.
Tasmanian seafood is his favourite food to work with. Supplied/Luke Bourke
Bourke and the team at Felons. Supplied/Luke Bourke
"Just showing people that there's different ways of eating it, and trying it, because a lot of people that we used to give it out to or try it for the first time, they've never had it in that form."
Bourke still works with the NICI to help other budding indigenous chefs find their way.
Bourke still works with the NICI to help other budding indigenous chefs find their way. Supplied
"I was very lucky that I had my big brother with me, and we pretty much supported each other. And then also with the NICI there, it made it a lot easier. They give those stepping stones for people to succeed."
He said high-end restaurant kitchens are no longer the brutal and intense spaces famously depicted on television and in movies. Bourke would never run his kitchen like that. For him, it is more of a cooperative.
"It's bad for the food," he added.
Bourke was named Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year.
National Reconciliation Week 2026 runs from May 27 to June 3. Find out more by visiting the Reconciliation Australia website.
