'Throw another prawn on the barbie!' is still typical of the Australian cuisine experience but now the prawn is more likely to be marinated in olive oil, lime and fresh ginger, and may be served with wild mushroom risotto and lemon oil or Sichuan-style braised eggplant. Modern Australian cuisine is created with high-quality base ingredients cooked in a variety of ways that reflect the country's multinational make-up. Many young Australian chefs who trained in the 1980s and 1990s worked with a wealth of fresh and varied ingredients in a multicultural environment, and are now delighting diners the world over with their skills. In turn, these young chefs are receptive to learning new skills in overseas kitchens. They find freedom in Hong Kong to develop their ideas and present the results to appreciative and sophisticated diners from all over the world. The Kowloon Shangri-La's executive sous chef Michael McCalman, who hails from South Australia, likes nothing better than to throw a piece of whole wild barramundi on the barbecue. In fact, the Kowloon Shangri-La's recently opened Cafe Kool boasts a large barbecue imported from Queensland, Australia. Chef McCalman was excited about creating the cafe's new menu. The experience has allowed him to experiment and push the boundaries for modern Australian food. 'Some of the Cafe Kool dishes are already perhaps a bit too modern for a regular coffee shop but they fit the cafe's concept well. On the a la carte menu are such items as shaved beef carpaccio with a roasted beet/citrus creme fraiche dressing, rocket and Parmesan, or whole wild Northern Australian barramundi, and a Kool red cherry churned ice-cream with sweetened shortbread biscuits.' Mr McCalman is a good example of today's globe-trotting Australian chef. As well as Australia, he has worked in England, Ireland, Azerbaijan, and now Hong Kong. He sums up the new cuisine as 'the mixing of different ethnic traditions, techniques and produce, coupled with explosive colours, the freshest ingredients, limited handling of produce, and an eagerness to do the new - a bit like the lifestyle loved by so many Aussies.' The enthusiasm for using novel ingredients and techniques is shared by Melbourne-trained Australian Geoff Haviland, chef of the InterContinental Hotel's acclaimed seafood restaurant Yu. But he is quick to point out that it is an evolving cuisine. 'Australian food seems to be in a constant state of flux and development, as we discover new products and flavours, such as serving whole roasted Tasmanian crayfish on choi sum with Peking duck lasagne. Modern Australian food has progressed from the eclectic and experimental styles of the eighties. It has matured dramatically.' He says the future too looks exciting for Australian cuisine because of the strong trend there for producers and suppliers to work with chefs to develop new regional produce. Brisbane-born-and-trained Shane Rider, chef of restaurant Riva, Park Lane Hotel, says the country's cuisine reflects the trend for healthy, lean cooking. 'I like to use well-reduced vegetable juices and infused olive oils instead of the more traditional flour-based and butter sauces that tend to be heavy on the palate. I also like to use juices and infused oils which add fresh, clean, colourful flavours to any dish. And they are good for you.' He sums up his approach in the Riva kitchen. 'When creating new menu ideas, our attitude is: Why not? Let's give it a go. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't, but you won't know unless you try.'