Born in London, Peter Kurivita spent time as a child in Sri Lanka where he was introduced to the delights of cooking by watching his grandmother prepare ancient Sri Lankan dishes in her simple kitchen. A later move to Sydney led to early experience working alongside Greg Doyle at Rogues restaurant and nightclub, where Doyle introduced him to the finer side of cooking, followed by a stint at the one Michelin star Rue St Jacques in London. Peter has since worked at hotels and resorts all over the world (Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia USA; Yasawa Island Lodge, Fiji) and some of Sydney’s top restaurants (Barrenjoey House; Bilson’s; Hayman Island Resort).
Drawing on his extensive international experience, Peter now owns and runs his own restaurant, the beautiful Flying Fish at Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont, where he cooks delicious modern Australian dishes with a strong seafood focus. Peter finds inspiration among peers like Ferran Adria from El Bulli for “for inspiring and leading a new group of chefs in his style of cookery, and proving that there is a science to food”, Thomas Keller from French Laundry, and Neil Perry from Rockpool. Cooking on days off usually involves something simple, although curry once-a-week is a must. In Peter’s book, “preparation is the key to success.”
