THE CHEFS’ HATS

The Sir Hinchalot tastebuds must be doing something right. In recent months I have pulled on the nosebag at several new restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney.

Both have since won Best New Restaurant for 2003 in The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guides.

In Melbourne the winner was Reserve in the Victorian Wine Precinct at Federation Square. The Hinchalot review appeared here several months ago.

In Sydney the winner was Icebergs at Bondi Beach (run by a Melburnian) and that review will appear here in the next few weeks.

They both deserved it.

Both are clever, fresh, stylish, smoothly-operated, new, challenging establishments,

Seeing that I have talked about Reserve at length let me tell you how the Sydney Morning Herald described Icebergs, the best new restaurant there.

“Picture the perfect Sydney day. Now imagine the restaurant to go with it. Staff whisk away your car keys for the valet parking before leading you into a dazzling room. After a quick glass of bubbly at the flirtatious bar, you head to your table where the water view is as relaxed as the food. Welcome to Icebergs Dining Room and Bar the best New Restaurant in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide."

One of the co-owners of Icebergs is Maurice Terzini who broke his own ice at Otto’s at Woolloomooloo and used to own Caffé e Cucina in Prahran.

In Melbourne, Reserve at Federation Square, not only won Best New Restaurant in The Age Guide but the chef, George Calombaris, won Young Chef of the Year and the abode picked up two instant chef’s hats. Again, deservedly so.

When I reviewed Reserve recently I said that my meal there was probably the best tucker I had had since a dinner at Ondine in the CBD a year ago.

(Not coincidentally, Ondine this year became only one of three Melbourne restaurants to win three hats).

One other is the Flower Drum – yet again –- but it will be interesting to see what happens next year now that the ubiquitous Gilbert Lau has sold out and is now a peripheral “consultant”.

The third three-hatter in Melbourne is ezard.

The Botanical – also reviewed recently by Sir Hinchalot -- picked up two deserved hats and Restaurant of the Year.

For the record, these are what the myriad of judges consider to be the best restaurants in our two major cities

Three Hats

Melbourne: Flower Drum, Ondine, ezard

Sydney: Claude’s, est, Tetsuya’s, Marque, Quay, Rockpool

The best line in the SMH Guide is about veteran chef Tim Pak Poy at the veteran Woollahra restaurant Claude’s.

“Tim Pak Poy is arguably Australia’s best chef. What he does with an ingredient can defy belief. At its best, this is food that will give you goosebumps.”

And goosebumps, I guess, lead to rare chef’s hats.

22nd September