Cooking with Country Experience
Opening Saturday 10 October
Aboriginal and Indian Flavours in Conversation on Cammeraygal Country
Experience a unique culinary journey where Indian ancestral cuisine comes into conversation with Aboriginal Australian ingredients, culture, art and storytelling.
Cooking with Country Experience at Lavendra is a seasonal dining experience celebrating the connection between food, culture and Country. Set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour, the experience brings together Indian culinary traditions and native Australian ingredients through a specially curated tasting menu.
The experience has been created in collaboration with four Aboriginal artists and knowledge keepers: Aunty Jeanie Moran, Nathan mudyi Sentance, Dr Emma Hicks and Jodie Dowd, whose words, poetry, artwork and bush-dyed textiles are woven throughout the evening.
“Growing up on Aboriginal land, I want to respect the powerful histories here and the food from these lands. This is about combining my homes. It is about recognising both my places.”
— Inderpreet
Opening Night
Saturday , 10 October 2026
A Full Cultural Dining Experience
The opening night marks the beginning of the Cooking with Country experience, bringing food, culture, art, poetry and storytelling together for one special evening.
Event Details
Date
Saturday , 10 October 2026
Time
06:00 PM onwards
Price
AUD 299 per person – Food only
AUD 399 per person – Food and drinks pairing
Experience
Full Cooking with Country tasting menu
Opening Night Experience
The evening includes:
- A smoking ceremony led by Uncle Billy MacPherson (Kamilaroi and Kooma)
- Opening piece performed live by Aunty Jeanie Moran
- Closing piece performed live by Nathan mudyi Sentance and Kersherka Sivakumaran
- The full Cooking with Country tasting menu
- Guided education on each native Australian ingredient
- Bush-dyed table runners and original menu artwork by the collaborating artists
- Drinks pairing featuring boutique wines from Aboriginal Australian and South Asian Australian owned wineries
Cooking with Country – Friday Nights
Fridays: 16, 23, 30 October and 6 November
Join us every Friday night throughout October for the full Cooking with Country Experience.
Each evening brings Indian ancestral cuisine together with Aboriginal Australian ingredients, complemented by spoken word, original artwork and thoughtful cultural storytelling.
Event Details
Dates
Fridays: 16, 23, 30 October and 6 November
Time
06:30 PM onwards
Price
AUD 149 per person
AUD 249 per person – Including drinks pairing
Friday Night Experience
Each evening includes:
- The full Cooking with Country tasting menu
- Guided education on each native Australian ingredient
- Spoken word pieces by Aunty Jeanie Moran and Nathan mudyi Sentance woven into the menu experience
- Bush-dyed table runners and original menu artwork by the collaborating artists
- Drinks pairing featuring boutique wines from Aboriginal Australian and South Asian Australian owned wineries
Cooking with Country Tasting Menu
Available Throughout October
Experience Indian ancestral cuisine in conversation with Aboriginal Australian ingredients through a specially curated tasting menu at Lavendra.
The menu celebrates native Australian produce while drawing on the depth, history and traditions of Indian cuisine.
Every menu is accompanied by original artwork from collaborating Aboriginal artist Dr Emma Hicks, while the experience is enriched through storytelling and cultural perspectives.
Event Details
Availability
Throughout October 2026
Price
AUD 99 per person
AUD 199 per person – Including drinks pairing
Experience
Cooking with Country tasting menu
The Artists Behind the Experience
Aunty Jeanie Moran
Aunty Jeanie Moran is a Barada Bana, Yuin and Cammeraygal artist and knowledge keeper. Her original written piece opens the menu each night and forms an important part of the storytelling throughout the experience.
Nathan mudyi Sentance
Nathan mudyi Sentance is a Wiradjuri poet and the recipient of the 2024 Oodgeroo Noonuccal Poetry Prize. His poetry closes the evening, bringing another perspective on Country, culture and connection.
Dr Emma Hicks
A Gamilaroi artist, Dr Emma Hicks has created the original artwork featured on every menu throughout the Cooking with Country experience.
Jodie Dowd
A Noongar artist, Jodie Dowd brings bush-dyed table runners to every table, adding another layer of Country and artistic expression to the dining experience.
Nathan, Emma and Jodie are all 2026 North Sydney Council Artists-in-Residence, based less than a kilometre from Lavendra and mentored by Aunty Jeanie.
A Dining Experience Rooted in Country
Cooking with Country is more than a tasting menu. It is an opportunity to experience the meeting of two culinary traditions through native ingredients, ancestral foodways, art, poetry, storytelling and culture.
Join us at Lavendra for an experience that brings Aboriginal and Indian flavours into conversation on Cammeraygal Country.