His father and uncle ran a restaurant in Naples, and his older brother, Armando, opened Pulcinella in Kings Cross, Sydney, in the 1970s.

In 1973, Percuoco began his apprenticeship at Bennelong – the iconic restaurant located within the Sydney Opera House.

“I was there when Queen Elizabeth II opened the Opera House,” Percuoco said in an interview with Rete Italia.

His experience at Bennelong was characterised by long nights in the kitchen and days spent studying, yearning to know more about the culinary world.

“Like many chefs, I got my start by washing dishes,” Percuoco said.

“I slowly learned more and more, thanks to the guidance of my brother, Armando, who was an excellent teacher.”

Percuoco opened his first restaurant, One Way, and ran it successfully for nine years, before moving to the Gold Coast to open a new restaurant with his sister and younger brother.

He defined this move as his “sea change”, declaring: “We Neapolitans, we’re nomads!”.

Ironically enough, Percuoco has stayed on the Gold Coast since he opened Ristorante Fellini 28 years ago.

Located within the elegant Marina Mirage shopping centre, the restaurant shortly became the best Italian restaurant in Queensland.

“Over 12 years ago, I sold my share of Fellini to my brother Carlo,” Percuoco said.

“That was right before I was about to open Tartufo, in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.”

In 2019, Fellini Ristorante was awarded a certificate of excellence in the category of Best Italian Restaurant at the Hostplus Restaurant and Catering Awards.

Unfortunately, due to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carlo – along with his business partners Richard Burt and Raffaele Di Benedetto – decided to close Fellini’s doors.

Percuoco took great joy in formulating the menu at Tartufo, praising the wide availability of produce in the area.

Tony Percuoco

“In the 1970s, when I was looking for something simple, such as rocket or zucchini flowers, it was virtually impossible,” he said.

“Now, all of our excellent produce is local, with the exception of parmesan and prosciutto.”

One of the problems that currently faces Tartufo is the shortage of qualified staff.

“A few years ago, young people from Italy would arrive to work in the hospitality industry, bringing their taste for regional dishes with them,” Percuoco explained.

“This led to the popularity of pasta dishes like cacio e pepe or cavatelli with broccoli, which weren’t previously widespread in Australia.

“When the pandemic began, they went home to Italy, and haven’t yet returned – who knows if they ever will?”

Despite the lack of staff, Tartufo continues to create fresh and exciting dishes for its customers.

“Popular dishes on the menu include the fish and meat carpaccios, and the vitello tonnato,” Percuoco said.

“As I’m Neapolitan, I make the vitello tonnato with braised meat, not boiled.

“Our pastas are all homemade and served with traditional sauces, or prawns and sun-dried tomatoes, which we make in-house.

“We also offer the classic dish, pesce in brodetto, and the pasqualino lamb which is served with ricotta salata, eggs and peas, as Neapolitan tradition dictates.”

Five years ago, Percuoco turned part of Tartufo into a pizzeria, but has now turned his eye to the future.

“I’d like to buy a tortellini-making machine,” he said.

“Our restaurant seats 200 people and so it would be impossible to make that many tortellini by hand.

“I’d like to open a small pasta factory for the restaurant and so that people could buy fresh pasta to take home.”

Percuoco, like many other restaurateurs, discovered the importance of take-away food during the pandemic.

“I’d never cooked take-home food in my life, but it saved me during the lockdowns,” he explained.

“That’s why I started thinking about the pasta factory.”

Percuoco would like to continue working for a few more years, admitting that he is “no longer young”.

He plans to get his pasta factory up and running, before passing the baton to another family member.

“Our family have been chefs for four generations,” he said.

“Now, Armando’s son, Mario, will make the fifth generation, and I hope that my children will also follow in our footsteps.”