Sixpenny’sreferencestocolonialAustraliancookeryhavebecomemore
oblique in recent years, but this corner restaurant in sleepy Stanmore
still manages sly nods. Gone are the pumpkin scallops and the mutton,
but a kangaroo tartare, topped with a dainty sweet potato crisp and given
oomph with dried cheese and malt, ris on good old meat and potatoes
in the most refined of ways. A piece of steak with onion plays on, well,
steak and onions, but distils it to dark-crusted, pink-centred chuck-tail
flap, charred pickled onion and a sticky mushroom-Marsala sauce.
There’s an ease here, and a willingness to update old favourites that
rewards return visits, tomato butter coating spanner crab topped with
salmon roe and purple daikon in the latest spin on a signature an
example. Tomato reappears in a deep green broth where John Dory
plays backup to zucchini and snow peas. Flavours are clear and
bright, dishes realised with precision and delivered with enthusiasm
by kitchen sta, who are ably supported by a front-of-house team
that revel in pouring wine from a list that has scope, but above all
emphasises quality over quantity, which, in this tiny spot, is pretty apt.83 Percival Rd,
Stanmore, NSW
(02) 9572 6666
sixpenny.com.au+ Lunch Sat-Sun
noon-3pm; dinner
Wed-Sat 6pm-10pm
+Bookings essential
+Licensed
+7 courses $160
+Cards AE MC V EFT
+Private room
+ Chefs Daniel Puskas
& Aaron Ward13 Sixpenny V AUSTRALIAN
Neil Perry’s flagshipfine-dinerhasnoshortageoffrillsandthrills,from
the dramatic Art Deco building and the luxurious Riedel glassware to the
3000-plus bottle wine list and, it must be said, the hefty bill at the end.
Fads, however, are in short supply, especially when it comes to the food:
the entire menu works in service of a stoutly confident theme celebrating
classic cooking and exceptional ingredients. Beef, which is the headline
act on the carte, is sourced from sustainable producers, aged in-house
and, if the dark-crusted Cape Grim Scotch is anything to go by, cooked
with a trained eye and steady hands, but there’s almost never a foot put
wrong anywhere else either. Layers of complexity push an entrée of
chicken soup far beyond the realm of simple comfort food, and a side
dish of woodfired creamed corn with chipotle chilli butter and Manchego
arrives hot and juicy. The clientele is one of the few surprises; the CBD
power players are out in force, but there’s also strong representation
from more casual diners who know there’s nowhere else in Sydney
oering such a reliably excellent and timeless dining experience.66 Hunter St, Sydney,
NSW, (02) 8099 7077
rockpoolbarandgrill.com.au+ Lunch Mon-Fri
12pm-3pm; dinner
Mon-Fri 6pm-11pm,
Sat 5:30pm-11pm,
Sun 6pm-10pm
+Bookings recommended
+Licensed, bar
+ E $24-$39 M $29-$140
D $16-$26
+Cards AE DC MC V EFT
+Private room
+Wheelchair friendly
+ Chefs Neil Perry
& Corey Costelloe14 Rockpool Bar & Grill V AUSTRALIAN
Whethermiddayormidnight,afrissonofcelebrationisever-present
in the parallel universe of Hubert. Descend the winding staircase and
come hither into a faux Belle Époque salon of perpetual candlelight
and popping Champagne corks. Lovers canoodle in the tête-à-tête
booths; a band limbers up for jazz and chansons; a magnum of Louis
Roederer arrives at an already lively table of revellers. The hefty
magnum collection is part of a stellar cellar that ranges wide and wisely.
The party starts with a bang, perhaps an extravagant mouthful of trout
roe, avruga caviar and sea urchin, or a deep-fried molten ball of Gruyère.
The French-ish menu nods and winks at tradition: roasted snails with
house XO sauce, and gratin spicy with kimchi. The crowd-pleasing whole
roast chicken, however, needs no twist. It’s straightforward and superb,
tender from brining and steaming, golden from frying, with a simple
bread sauce and a dash of green garlic oil. Just when you think the
party has peaked, out come a couple of support acts, a slice of banoee
and a Gallic crème caramel, which prompts another look at the wine list.
No, the party has barely started.15 Bligh St,
Sydney, NSW
(02) 9282 0881
restauranthubert.com+ Lunch Thu-Fri noon-3pm;
dinner Mon-Sat 4pm-1am
+ Bookings recommended
+ Licensed, bar
+ E $12-$34 M $40-$48
D $20-$24
+ Cards AE MC V EFT
+ Private room
+ Wheelchair friendly
+ Chef James MacDonald15 Restaurant Hubert V FRENCH C
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Best Chinese
Brisbane
Happy Boy East St, Fortitude
Valley Bunker-style interiors
meet a roving line up of greatest
hits, with a left-field round-up
of wines by-the-glass. What to
order: The value banquet.
Little Valley 6 Warner St,
Fortitude Valley Modish interiors
provide a smart backdrop at this
modern Chinese fine diner, from
the team at Rick Shores What to
order: The tangle of goodness
that is the Chinese Bolognese.
Donna Chang Shop 3, 171 George
St, Brisbane, (07) 3243 4838
Heritage quarters with decorative
ceilings create a premium setting
at this upmarket ri on Chinese.
What to order: A glass from Penny
Grant’s broad-ranging list and the
kitchen’s ri on classic prawn toast.
Melbourne
Dainty Sichuan Multiple locations,
daintysichuanfood.com.au
Nothing dainty about the fiery
flavours at this ever-expanding
Melbourne empire. What to
order: Fish-flavour eggplant.
David’s 4 Cecil Pl, Prahan,
(03) 9529 5199 Homestyle
Shanghai cuisine and great tea
in stylish warehouse surrounds.
What to order: Spring onion
noodles with dried shrimp.
Dragon Hot Pot 213 Russell St,
Melbourne, (03) 9662 1833 24-
hour spicy soup specialist, big
on flavour, low on price. What to
order: Fiery malatang broth base.
Flower Drum 17 Market Ln,
Melbourne (03) 9662 3655 A luxe
temple of Cantonese excellence
and superb service with fans
spanning generations. What
to order: Sautéed pearl meat.
Hu Tong 14-16 Market Ln,
Melbourne (03) 9650 8128 Multiple
levels of dumpling magic and
pan-Chinese distinction from
Shanghai to Sichuan. What to
order: xiao long bao.
RuYi 16 Liverpool St, Melbourne,
(03) 9090 7778 Cool space with
modern Chinese and a smart
drinks list to match. What to
order: Tangy ox tongue.
Sydney
Golden Century 393-399 Sussex
St, Sydney, (02) 9212 3901
An institution complete with live
seafood tanks and fast-paced
service. Still one of Sydney’s
busiest, and best places to be
at 2am. What to order: Live
pipis in XO sauce.
Mr Wong 3 Bridge Ln, Sydney,
2000, (02) 9114 7317 Multileveled
and multi-flavoured, Mr Wong is
a well-oiled machine playing the
classics, just better. What to
order: Dumplings, mud crab
and deep-fried ice-cream.
Spice Temple 10 Bligh St, Sydney,
(02) 8099 7088 All style and
intrigue, Neil Perry’s Chinese
diner spotlights regions less
travelled with fierce attention
to detail. What to order: The
lamb pancake.
Queen Chow 2/167 Enmore Rd,
Enmore, (02) 9114 7333 Head to
Newtown for cut-above pub-
style Chinese, or Manly for spins
on takeaway classics. What to
order: Oversized xiao long bao.
Chairman Mao 189 Anzac Pde,
Kensington, (02) 9697 9189
Serving Hunanese fare made
with care. Full of addictive spice
and textures. What to order:
Broad beans with pork mince.
Xi’an Biang Biang Shop
39/1 Dixon St, Haymarket,
(02) 9261 2745 Slippery noodles
slick with chilli, no-frills service
and full-on flavour. What to
order: Rou jia mo, and biang
biang noodles, of course.
96 GOURMET TRAVELLER