Chris Jarmer was practically born to be in the kitchen. A third-generation cook, Chris learnt his trade from his father, celebrated Chef Peter Jarmer.
Having gained experience in running kitchens in a number of fine dining restaurants across Australia, Chris brought his skills to Adelaide, where he opened Jarmer’s kitchen with wife Linda, in May this year.
Linda says their aim was for a place to celebrate three of the things they love most: family, friends and food.
“There’s nothing better than walking into the restaurant when it’s full of fed, happy people,” says Linda. “On a busy night there’s so much going on here. It’s busy, loud and beautiful.”
Because the Jarmers believe everyone should get to enjoy high-end food, they set out to create a relaxed atmosphere, so everyone could feel welcome. The building has lots of natural light and the classic feel of a farmhouse. With old French provincial doors and the smell of citrus, Linda says you could almost be stepping outside into a vineyard.
Instead, the restaurant is just one kilometre from the city of Adelaide, making Jarmer’s Kitchen a daily coffee stop-in for many on their way to work. Their daily coffee offering is Mocopan’s Roast ’54, made on a Nuova Simonelli three-group machine.
Mocopan’s Roast ’54 uses the Sumatran Mandheling, which is a grade one, triple packed and sorted bean, as well as beans from Inza in Colombia, Djimmah in Ethiopia, and a Papua New Guinean Kimel A.
“Our coffee service has been an important part from the beginning, with people often stopping in just for drinks and cake,” says Linda. “We’re even serving a coconut crema latte, which I tasted at a health retreat and decided everyone needed to try.”
Jarmer’s Kitchen offers a new food special each day, with duck on Tuesday, a slow roasted or braised lamb leg on Wednesday, seafood crepes on Thursday, Italian roasted porchetta on Friday, a chateau briand on Saturday and roast of the day on Sunday.
“Having not been open very long we’ve been overwhelmed with the response,” says Linda. “We’re definitely kept very busy. But at the end of the day, there’s just no better feeling than seeing our customers leave happy and satisfied.”
