Chef Hem is opening Sliceria: his third pizza business in Canberra. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Who are you?
Thapa Magar Hemnath, but everyone knows me as Chef Hem. I’m a pizza chef and the owner of Sliceria, Pizza Artigiana, and Hem & Co pizza truck.
Tell me about your businesses.
Hem & Co Pizza is where it all started. A tiny truck with an oven on the back, doing catering for birthday parties and events. After a while I was invited to park my truck at The Jetty and that was a total game changer: it all grew from there. Shoutout to The Jetty boys, and the guys at Fricken as well; we have a similar story and they really helped me out.
Sliceria is all about grab-and-go. We’re focussing on crispy and light pizza al taglio (by the slice) and sandwiches. Pizza Artigiana is a more traditional Napoletana style. It’s a different dough, we ferment the dough at room temperature so there’s a lot of enzymes which give a different flavour and texture.
How did you get started in hospitality?
I always had a passion for cooking at home in Nepal, but when I came to Australia it was really hard for me to get a job in Sydney. I was working as a cleaner and in the evenings my brother would take me to his workplace to learn about working in the kitchen. After that I worked in many different pizzerias and restaurants. So it just started as a job but I fell in love with it!
If you weren’t in hospitality, what would you be doing instead?
I tried a couple of times to get into the Gurkhas [Nepalese soldiers who serve in the British Army]. It was very hard training, I tried for four years. There’s still a place in my heart for that: it made me strong and gave me my muscle memory. And even though I work hard now I don’t feel tired because of all the training I did then.
The Hem-azing at Pizza Artigiana lives up to its name! Photo: Lucy Ridge.
What is your food philosophy?
My philosophy is it has to be simple and authentic. That’s it.
What is your favourite or must-use ingredient when cooking?
Cumin, ginger and garlic. When I make curries at home I always put those ingredients in.
What’s an underrated Canberra venue that you love?
CBD Dumpling House – the food is very simple, the service is very quick and there’s no fuss. I love to eat there. I like to get the special house fried rice, sambal chicken, deep fried pork ribs and Singapore noodles.
Who do you admire in the Canberra food scene?
I have so much respect for Silvio [former owner of Pizza Artigiana]. And my brother-in-law: we work together and he’s been the backbone of Pizza Artigiana. He’s my brother, really.
I also really like Terra, they’re doing a really great job and their food is so good. We’re like a family: I actually used to work for Anthony Iannelli at Food Forum. Now we’re next door we’ve been swapping food everyday!
The Hem & Co food truck which started it all! Photo: Kazuri Photography.
Who is your dream dinner party guest and what would you make them?
I’m really a family man, so I just want to have dinner with my daughter and wife because they are my inspiration. And running three businesses makes it pretty hard to spend as much time with them as I want, so I would just have dinner with them.
My wife is my backbone: I wouldn’t be here without her so I really appreciate her. When my daughter was born I became a different man. It changed my life. I was a hard worker before but once you have a family you will work so hard for them.
Believe it or not they’re actually not big pizza fans! So I would cook them some Nepalese curries and momos (dumplings), nothing crazy.
What is your current food obsession?
I’ve been working so hard on the pizza dough for Sliceria. The landlord here, Gabi, has been helping me out and he really loves food, so we’ve been having the pizza together and we just can’t stop eating it. The dough is the main thing and because it’s so light you just want to keep eating it.
What’s the best thing you ate this week?
The chicken curry that my wife made for me last night.
What’s a food that reminds you of your childhood?
The curries that my mum and my aunt would make. I started learning to cook at a really young age and I’ve followed that path my whole life. Pork curry, chicken curry: I still eat them. They’re very simple: ginger, garlic, cumin, onion, some fresh tomatoes, turmeric, salt and coriander at the end. I don’t know why people try to complicate them.
What’s a normal breakfast for you?
I don’t usually have time to make breakfast, so sometimes I just grab an egg and bacon roll with barbecue sauce.
The classic daddy ramen from Canteen features a cloudy chicken broth, perfectly charred pork and delicious noodles. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
When you can’t be bothered to cook for yourself, where do you go and what do you eat?
Probably CBD Dumpling House, or sometimes Chomalunga Nepalese restaurant in Manuka. I also really love ramen from Ramen O or Canteen in Fyshwick; if they’re closed I get their takeaway ramen daddy from Supabarn to make at home.
What is your dream travel destination?
Definitely Italy! Pizza is everything for me now and there’s so many different styles so I’d love to see how they’re doing it. I’d love to try pizza from all the best makers like Francesco Martucci, Franko Peppe and Gabriele Bonci: they are my inspiration.
And Pizzeria da Michele in Naples is like the oldest pizzeria in the world so I’d love to go there too.
Tell me something you love about living in Canberra?
The main thing I love here is that it’s very quiet and easy to travel around. I lived in Sydney for three years and it was crazy! Since I came to Canberra I just love being here. It is small enough that people can get to know you, so it’s a good place to start up a business and my family loves being here.
What TV show or movie are you watching right now?
When I go home, I just want to play with my daughter and spend time with my family – I think that’s more important than movies or TV.
An easy one to finish – what’s your go-to coffee order?
A normal latte, no sugar, that’s it.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
