Chef Simon Evans: Bangalay Dining

Rebecca Varidel
16th Oct 2022

International Chef’s Day is celebrated every year on the 20 October. The day shines the spotlight on the culinary profession and chefs across the country that work tirelessly to create memorable dining experiences. This year Sydney Scoop is spotlighting regional NSW and a Chef who is passionate about delivering quality food from local, respected producers and incorporating the foraging element in a sustainable and ethical way. Ticks all our boxes already...

Meet the incomparable SIMON EVANS, Executive Chef at Bangalay Dining. The South Coast region's most hatted chef who proudly calls Shoalhaven Heads his home and the Bangalay staff his family, truly loves being a chef and is continually inspired by his coastal surrounds and the local and native ingredients within his reach.

With a loyal following locally and an established profile further afield, Evans and his team have cemented their position as the South Coast’s premier dining go-to with many awards and accolades; most recently securing a WIN in the Restaurant In a Hotel/Resort category at the 2022 Restaurant and Catering Awards.

Evans, started his career in his home country of Wales, UK at Welsh restaurant of the year, Y Polyn, a ‘gastropub’ serving simple, perfectly executed dishes using the best local Welsh produce. His signature traits including hyper-locality, attention to detail and simplicity, have stayed with Simon throughout his career.

The enigmatic young chef who took up the profession because he loved cooking and dining out says he couldn’t see himself in any other industry.

"I really, really love being a chef! There are so many parts I enjoy; the adrenaline rush from a busy service that leaves me hyped up for hours afterwards, the camaraderie you develop with the team who you end up spending more time with than your family and friends, the feeling of making someone’s night special or hearing that they decided to spend this particular landmark in their life eating the food you cooked or when someone tells you that tonight was the best meal they have ever had. For me there is really so much to love about this job."

In 2020, Simon joined Bangalay Dining, sharing his passion for beautiful local produce and native ingredients with owners Michelle and Tom Bishop. He has since taken the restaurant to new heights, being rated 15/20 by Sydney Morning Herald restaurant critic Terry Durack (a 1 hat score) and gaining 2 glasses in the Wine List of the Year Awards. Simon’s menu at Bangalay reflects and features the incredible local ingredients of the South Coast, intertwined with native and wild ingredients from the coastline, 50m from the restaurant, where his chefs regularly forage for many of the ingredients.

Bangalay Dining is stylish, sophisticated and offers all the first-class facilities and amenities you require in a modern dining venue. It offers a premium relaxed, coastal dining experience, with a focus on native and local ingredients. Evan’s menus have been thoughtfully crafted to showcase the abundance of local produce right on the property’s doorstep. Local and imported wines are featured on the award-winning wine list, offering diners the opportunity to pair local dishes with local wines, delivering a truly unique South Coast experience.