Culture

Owner and chef of Katoomba restaurant
8 Things, Misha Laurent has always forged a fusion of his two true passions: funky music and fresh food, discovers Willem Hendriksen

Born in France, Misha grew up in Paris and Munich, where music directed his early life.

“The first passion I had was music but being young and not really seeing a career in it at that stage, I decided to go into a hotel apprenticeship in Munich,” Misha recalls. “I fell into a kitchen and re-sparked my passion for food which I had been given through my years of growing up with my dad, a very passionate foodie.”

“In the kitchen you can and being a creative person. I really needed that, to keep happy and satisfied... So I stayed in the kitchens and worked my way up to become a head chef.”

But the music was always there in the background, and Misha was always involved in the music scene, even at a young age he was working the clubs in Munich surrounded by DJ’s. Going on to travel the world, including South East Asia for two and a half years and Canada he developed a global approach to food, caressing his cooking careerbefore heading to Australia in 2000.

“I started working in kitchens in Sydney, I did stints at the Bondi Trattoria, I worked in a place in Double Bay called the Blue Oyster, and worked at Portofino in Leichhardt,” Misha rattles off his impressive portfolio before admitting he then followed a girl to England. His UK stint is where he really developed his record collection before returning to Byron Bay and starting up a record label with friends (Mighty Highness Records).

“I actually think we are the first new generation of funk vinyl pressing record label in Australia,” Misha says proudly.

“Then my best friend moved to the Mountains and he met this crew that wanted to open a restaurant in the old garage in Leura and they were looking for a chef. So, he contacted me in Byron. I came, I cooked - they liked it!”

Looking to start his own business for about 10 or 15 years, Misha looked to Katoomba which he says was at the edge of a burst of revival.

“I was cooking fried Rice at home and people raved about the Nasi Goreng that I make for them at home, and I ended up having array of food from around the world, but all these dishes had no connection apart from being from different countries.

“Over dinner one night, I explained my concept street food cause I love street food and there’s not street food around and somebody drops it, ‘oh, so basically you’re gonna have 8 things,’ and we all at the table understood, because we were looking for a name, it’s like 8 Things! That is a great name and he’s like ‘oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s what I meant,’ but really, he meant ‘are you going to have eight things on the menu’.

“So, I ran with it, that was tying everything up. 8 Things on the menu, it can be anything and it’s a good brand, number 8 is a lucky number in China and you know, all these things just tied up really nicely.”

“The music also is involved in the 8 Things with the playlists that are played. It’s very much the type of music that I’m into, it’s very much different from whatever you’d listen to everywhere else – it’s underground and so obviously street food marries well with street vibes. So, it’s hip-hop, it’s funk, it’s soul, you know jazz and that marries as well. So, it’s the street and Katoomba is the streets.”

8 Things is on Katoomba Street 8things.com.au

8 Things: Misha’s Hip Hop Picks

1Move the Crowd – Eric B and Rakim

2Give the Drummer Some – Ultramagnetic MC’s

33 lil’ Putos – Cypress hill

4The Boomin System – LL Cool J

5Return of the “G” – Outkast

6It’s Yourz – Wu Tang Clan

7Kick in the Door – Notorious BIG

8Whateva Will Be – A Tribe
Called Quest