Through social media channels, such as Instagram and YouTube, the pair explore and review Australian restaurants, cafés and providores that specialise in fusion cuisine.
The new project is not a huge career change for Mattana, as he used to be a professional chef.
“I combined my passion for food with my love for photography and videography,” he said.
“I was tired of the classic life of a chef; you work long hours behind a hot stove and you don’t get weekends off.
“So I started photographing my culinary creations and paying attention to the presentation of each dish.
“In addition to tasting great, food must also be aesthetically pleasing.
“In the last decade, food photography has become an industry of its own.
“Australia is now considered the ‘biggest restaurant in the world’ because it offers all types of cuisines, due to its multicultural nature.
“I started by trying all the restaurants and cafés on the Sunshine Coast, to gain an understanding of what fusion cuisine was and look for inspiration.
“I’d always bring my camera with me, but the idea to start a video blog just came to me one day; it seemed a better way of sharing my culinary adventures – I just needed an accomplice!”
The accomplice in question, Pintus, does not have a background in hospitality like Mattana.
“I work as a makeup artist on the Sunshine Coast,” the Sardinian said.
“When Cristiano showed me his project, I couldn’t resist; I love food!
“Once a week we choose a new place and try the menu, explaining what it is and why we’re trying it for the video.
“For example, not everyone in the world has the same great appreciation for breakfast, or ‘brekkie’.
“They also don’t pay as much attention to their coffee and how it’s made.
“It’s a science here, made with Italian machines and measured by the quantity of ‘shots’ in each cup.
“We focus on a lot of local produce, from native ingredients to organic and zero-kilometre products.”
Mattana and Pintus are planning to take this new venture nationwide.
“Our plan is to travel across Australia, but obviously we’ll have to wait until the restrictions are lifted,” Mattana said.
“I want to tell all the gatekeepers of Italian food to check out Fooding Around Australia, and to be inspired by all the different flavours of the world that Australian dishes incorporate.”
