Paul Farag joins Alan Kropman for six-week Darley's residency
Former AALIA chef Paul Farag is bringing his Egyptian-inspired cooking to the Blue Mountains, working alongside head chef Alan Kropman on a new menu at Darley's
Paul Farag will join head chef Alan Kropman at Darley's in the Blue Mountains for a six-week residency beginning on Wednesday 11 November.
The former AALIA executive chef will introduce a menu influenced by his Egyptian heritage and contemporary Middle Eastern cooking, working with Alan and the existing kitchen team at Ardour Lilianfels in Katoomba.
Titled The Residence: Paul Farag at Darley's, the collaboration is the restaurant's first visiting chef residency and will run until 20 December.
The project follows Paul's departure from AALIA in March 2026, where he developed a reputation for researching historic Middle Eastern recipes and exploring how traditional ingredients and techniques could be used in modern Australian cooking.
Named Chef of the Year in the 2025 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, Paul has since been involved in guest appearances and collaborations while exploring opportunities outside the Sydney restaurant.
From AALIA to the Blue Mountains
Paul's approach to cooking has long been influenced by his Egyptian heritage, but his interest extends beyond individual dishes and regional traditions.
At AALIA, he researched historical Arabic cookbooks, including texts dating back to the tenth century, using them to understand how ingredients and cooking methods developed across the Middle East.
When The Staff Canteen Australia interviewed Paul in January, he discussed how that research changed his understanding of the cuisine and influenced the dishes he created.
Rather than reproduce historical recipes exactly, Paul was interested in understanding their origins and adapting them to contemporary ingredients and techniques.
"The inspiration is there, but the approach has to make sense now," he told The Staff Canteen Australia.
That philosophy provides useful context for his latest menu, which combines familiar Middle Eastern ingredients with techniques developed during his career in Australian kitchens.
Fermentation, seafood and Egyptian flavours
The menu at Darley's begins with four mezze preparations and wholegrain pita, fermented for 24 hours and brushed with garlic oil.
Among the dishes is raw tuna mixed with bulgur and fresh herbs, wrapped in a sesame leaf.
The ingredient has featured in Paul's cooking before. At AALIA, he used sesame leaves for a sea urchin dolma, drawing on historical preparations while creating his own interpretation.
Other mezze include spiced beef tartare with rhubarb on a potato hash, salted and marinated eggplant with coriander salsa, and a burnt pepper dip with macadamia and marjoram.
The main courses bring together Australian proteins and Middle Eastern flavours.
Slow-roasted lamb neck is served with chermoula and tahini, while dry-aged duck breast comes with a sauce incorporating walnuts and pomegranate.
Another preparation features roasted fish with brown butter and tamarind reduction, combining a familiar European cooking technique with an ingredient widely used across Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
A vegetarian option of orzo cooked in preserved lemon broth with peas and broad beans completes the main-course selection.
Desserts include baked almond cake with warm fenugreek custard and vanilla cream, alongside a preparation of fresh mango, finger lime and coconut cream.
The menu reflects the combination of research, technique and personal influences that Paul discussed during his earlier interview with TSCA.
Working alongside the Darley's team
The residency will see Paul collaborate with Alan and the existing Darley's kitchen rather than establish a separate restaurant operation.
Located within the heritage-listed Lilianfels estate, Darley's has an established fine-dining format, with guests selecting individual main courses.
The visiting menu retains that structure, beginning with shared mezze before moving into a choice of main course and dessert.
For Alan and his team, the residency introduces a different range of ingredients, preparations and flavour combinations into the restaurant's existing service.
Paul brings experience from kitchens including Four in Hand, Monopole, Fish Butchery, Nour and AALIA, where his work has combined classical techniques with his interest in Middle Eastern culinary history.
At Darley's, that approach will be developed within an established regional restaurant kitchen over six weeks of service.
The Residence: Paul Farag at Darley's runs from 11 November to 20 December 2026, with dinner served Wednesday to Saturday and lunch Friday to Sunday.
The menu is priced at $130 per person, with additional dishes available.
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