The Chefs Office

Sorry I didn't get in touch! Ended up being quite a rushed trip. Pretty much all the food I ate was Chiko rolls and hamburgers (I went to Philipp Island) for the MotoGP race (www.motogp.com). Then went to Melburne and stayed at the Grand Hyatt (which was pretty ordinary to tell you the truth) before quick departure home. Did manage to meet with the new owners of The Windsor though (same investors of Fifteen), watch this space for good things happening with that hotel in the future.

It's a great time of year to be in Sydney: http://gfm.smh.com.au Some of the lunch offers here are well worth looking at if you are in town: http://gfm.smh.com.au/eventcategory_list.a...ntcategoryid=13

Water's Edge was good a while back, chef has changed since then. May still be worth investigating.

http://www.food4media.com/australia-pacifi...de0334d770638f1 Not cheap. Would love to go but honestly for the cost of my wife and I, that would equal two and a half visits to Tetsuya's. Think I'll stick local.

As a Sydneysider with a limited ability to go out interesting restaurants too often (kids, mortgage etc.) I would be interested in the names of some of the other restaurants that you believe produce food and a restaurant environment of a one hat standard at least. Earlier this year we had a great meal at the Forbes and Burton you mentioned prior to it gaining a hat. So much appreciate you advice. Cheers paul ← For a special night, try Altitude at the Shangri La. Not cheap and leave the kids at home. Will advise of some more as they come to mind.

In the video, Alain Ducasse is on stage and says that he thinks Rockpool should have 3 hats. For me this year as per most years I'm doing a lot of head scratching. There are many one hatter's in there that well deserve the rating. But, IMHO considering some on the one hat list, there are some restaurants missing from the list all together that if put side by side against these one hats absolutely trounce them. Anyway, not the end of the world. Each individual puts their own amount of faith/stock into these ratings. There are quite a few restaurants not included that are ticking along nicely, serving great food and being profitable, that's the important thing.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/200...7222070830.html I find the comments at the end of this video especially entertaining (and true): http://media.smh.com.au/?rid=21597

Well, I guess true Aussie style to wheel it up to the closest park at around midnight night and dump it. 8+) Check with your local council, they often (a few times a year) have big item dump days where you can leave it on the foot path and it will be carted. You can tell these days because there are mountains of crap on the footpath in every neighbourhood. I'm buying a Hibachi this weekend!

Julian, I agree with where you are coming from. I would be willing to bet anything you want that if prices went up, increased profit would go straight into the owners pocket. Very few Chefs would see any of it. Welcome to the world of restaurants. Australia's problem in my view has more to do with the size of population and lack of serious diners. Sydney and Melbourne only have a few "top" restaurants, only a select few guys can manage to squeeze a living from these establishments. It's an incestuous little scene. Most of these restaurants are pumping Thursday Friday and Saturday nights only. In the real food centres of the world there are bigger selections of "top" restaurants and they are full every night of the week. We are still really a backwater. When it comes to how much $$ chefs are paid, Australia is seen as a "lifestyle" choice (read: crap money) for the international guys. It's impotant to keep in mind the ease of doing business in different countries as well. Australia is a lot harder to make money from a restaurant in compared to many other countries. I would love to open a three hatter, bring some of the world's best talent over and blow away everyone, as many people would. For business reasons, even if I had the $$ to do so I wouldn't do it in this country. It's hard graft. To put it simply, chefs get a lot better money overseas than here in Australia..and raising selling prices here will not help the situation in the slightest. If you are a chef and you want to stay in Australia but want more $$ then try your hand at opening your own restaurant, go into the supply chain or get your own tv show. 8+)

http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/espr...6617215380.html So, come on Melbournians.... let's hear it then!

Being a true cookbook junkie is not only about recipes. It's comparible to buying artwork. The internet has just made it easier for me to get the good stuff!

I've got to say it, that's a mighty big call. Perhaps he's just simply opening his second outlet?

It's been a while since I've put one together, supposed to be monthly but oh well. here it is! http://www.hostec.com.au/newsletters/chef/aug06/

That's a fantastic re"VUE". I'm in melbourne in a few weeks and am looking forwrad to eating my way around town!

Anyone record this with their TV tuner, we'd love to get a hold of a copy down here in Oz! Shows like this won't arrive on our shores for a few years!

Send a note to Ben Chrsitie (he's often on these boards). Should be able to help. www.benjaminchristie.com

Becasse have a new website. Really looks great. Also their cook book is soon to be launched, looks great for the junkie cook book collectors like me! edit: might help if I included the link - http://www.becasse.com.au/

just let me know!

Basically, I tried everything. Danny just kept it coming. OK, that's not normal process but that's how it is with chefs. You have to try what's on offer. By the end of it, you could have needled me and shoved some lardons in and I'd have been happy for you to stick a fork in me. The slow roasted pork (as the rest of the meal) was without doubt, top shelf.

http://harbourkitchen.com.au/private.htm

I don't have time for a long winded review but I do feel it worth mentioning that it is very possible to achieve high level dining in a hotel setting in Australia after eating at The Harbour Kitchen in Sydney's Park Hyatt. http://sydney.park.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/...rants/index.jsp Chef Danny Drinkwater has been achieving excellent results almost completely under the radar there for quite a while and I rate the meal I had there last Thursday evening as one of the best I have had in this country. Well worth a visit. The view is also perhaps one of the best in Sydney. The Pumpkin Gnocchi is absolutely not to be missed. Service style is casual whilst sophisticated. Extensive wine list.

Do you still see yourself standing on the pass when you are 60? (Hi Ben!)

After working very hard to avoid things like oysters and mussels during a trip to Taiwan, I was bought a bowl of congee one morning....complete with oysters and mussels on the bottom. By lunchtime, I was, as you wrote earlier, exploding from both ends. By evening, I was in hospital on a drip. As bad as that experience was, it didn't put me off eating oysters and mussels in Australia. ← I once ate local yak (or, who knows what it was) in Nepal. Hospitalised (yes, Nepalese hospital) for two weeks. Funny though, I lived overseas for 12 years and ate local/street food the whole time and the yak was the only bad experience.

I'd say if it was the oysters you'd probabaly be writing your posts from the toilet seat right now. They can be nasty little buggers.

umm, symptoms you have described are exactly those of an allergic reaction. Sounds very much like a shellfish/seafood reaction. Trust me, if you were food poisoned, you'd know it. (exploding from both ends). PS. yes, that is me in OCAU 8+)