Add a splash of humour

December 9, 2004
Hosts Ben O'Donoghue and Curtis Stone of ABC's Surfing the Menu.

Hosts Ben O'Donoghue and Curtis Stone of ABC's Surfing the Menu.
Photo: Supplied

Now that Surfing the Menu's stars know each other, the fun can begin, writes Nicole Brady.

There is something different about the second series of the ABC's cooking-slash-travel show Surfing the Menu - it is funny.

The old-cooking-mates bonhomie between Curtis Stone and Ben O'Donoghue was a little contrived in the first series - in fact, they barely knew each other before filming began - but this time round, a true friendship and camaraderie exists.

As O'Donoghue puts it, "there is more of a rapport between us now, we can take the piss out of each other a little bit better".

Director Simon Target (pronounced tarjay) recognised the nature of the lads' blokey-jokey relationship when he came on board for this second series, and strove to tap it. He has done so with terrific success.

He cites the competition that sprang up during filming near Cairns, Queensland. The chaps are fishing and O'Donoghue bets that whoever catches the second fish will have to do that night's dishes in the nude.

Stone loses, and the last shot of the episode zooms in from behind as, naked bar a chef's apron, he does the washing up.

"It caused a complete sensation and it got sent off to Cannes, where everyone bought the show based on Curtis' bum - it's very commercial, Curtis' bottom. I filmed it from five or six different angles and we've now sold it everywhere. I'm his pimp, basically," laughs Target.

With similar unprompted moments popping up each episode, Target reckons the series has evolved from being a travel gourmet adventure series to one offering comedy alongside exotic locations and fresh local ingredients.

Being new to the travel genre, Target (who was acclaimed for his direction of Kylie Kwong and has previously made documentary series such as The Academy and The School) set out to make something other than a how-to travel show.

"This doesn't present Australia in a matter-of-fact documentary way, it's quite other-worldly. It's a bit hyper, a bit magical, hopefully, it's very colourful and slightly surreal.

"Australia is not doilyville or bed-and-breakfastville, it's actually this frightening, huge, vast, scary, empty, red, dusty, dangerous place and these guys literally walk around the whole periphery of it and, in some cases, do endanger themselves out of sheer, testosterone-fuelled youth," says Target.

Raised in east Sussex, England, Target comes across as a rather cautious adventurer. A bold filmmaker, yes, but put him near a big wave and he says he is more likely to shelter on the beach than dive right in.

From his vantage point as a 41-year-old father of three boys, he is well positioned to spot the stage in life at which Stone, 29, and O'Donoghue, 33, are at, then craft it into entertaining television.

"They are at that age where - in fact Ben's almost too grown up for us, he's got a kid now and a wife - if I say to Ben 'climb that tree', Curtis will want to climb the next tree higher. They just compete all day long and you can exploit that a little bit, within reason."

In spite of having made it to the top of their profession in London with successful television careers to boot, the two chefs remain down-to-earth and obliging types.

Dressed casually in jeans, sneakers and lightweight tops, in person they are friendly, interested and interesting. Those who work with them report they are like that all the time, somewhat of a novelty in the TV industry.

O'Donoghue chats over coffee as his daughter Ruby, 19 months, tears around the David Jones Food Hall with an ABC publicist in frazzled pursuit.

For him, the second series has been a lot of fun, and he has come to trust Target so much, he allowed him to shoot part of his Sydney Harbour wedding and include it in the series.

Stone, who is as good-looking in person as Target rhapsodises ("it gets you down a bit because Curtis is so desired by everyone, there were queues of women wanting him to sign their bras") has similarly happy memories. He found Target to be genuinely interested in the food the chefs worked with.

"Whether it's because he's a brilliant TV producer or whether it's because he's so interested in food I still haven't quite worked out. I'm sure he has an amazing love for food because I've watched him eat and what he did with Kylie's show, but he watches you cook with food and thinks to himself, 'how can I bring out the beauty of what you do and show it to people at home?'" Stone says.

Cooking, however, is less of a central element than might be expected of a series starring two celebrated chefs. Each 26-minute episode has just 11 minutes dedicated to cooking, featuring three recipes in that time. In part, this is because research has found only a third of those who tune in will ever cook anything they see on screen, the other two thirds are happy to watch the journey.

"I personally feel it's a lot about looking at the produce and getting a sense of the flavour of the place, so it's a sort of food porn thing for me," says Target.

In response to Stone's query, it turns out Target is much more a filmmaker than a foodie.

In Stone and O'Donoghue he has found two subjects that intrigue him and he will be happy to travel the country with them making Surfing the Menu III next year (slotted in for production after he's finished working on Kylie Kwong II).

"I'm fascinated by these guys choosing the life they do; to be a chef is such an unusual career path and you have to be a total A-type to do it and you have to love people and want to nurture them. I learnt that from Kylie Kwong, how much for her cooking is looking after people; it's all about hospitality and warmth.

"With Ben and Curtis, they're young Australian men in their prime, this is almost the best they'll get, and to see them go around the country and experience it physically, climb in it, swim in it, jump on it, meet the locals and suck up all the talents around them, I find that really appealing."

Surfing the Menu returns to screens this Wednesday at 8pm on the ABC.