Australian Gourmet Traveller - (08)August 2020 (1)

SYDNEY

Witha touchofnormalityreturningtothe

HarbourCitycomesa suiteofnewopenings.

Sekkain StLeonardshasformerIchibandori

chefHidetoSuzukicookingdowna rich

15-hour-cookedtonkotsubrothandsnacks

inspiredbyhishometownoftheAkita

Prefecture;whileSurryHillshaswelcomed

slicknewcharcoalchickenshopHenrietta,

fromthecrewbehindthenearbyNour.

SydneysidersloveofItaliancontinues,

astheCBDscoresa newsmall-scale

trattoriaRestaurantLeoin AngelPlaceby

LuMiDining’sFedericoZanellatoand

OscillateWildly’sKarlFirla;whileMaurice

Terzini’sCicciaBellais settoopenin

ParramattacomeSeptember.Also,long-

standingItalianfavouritesaresettoreopen

afterlongerpost-Covidclosures,including

IcebergsDiningRoomandBar(August1),

Darlinghurst’sA Tavola(August5),

while Ormeggio has reopened with a totally

refreshedinterioranda dedicatedgelato

bar.Paddington’sSaintPeterhasresetits

experience,withtwonewlunchanddinner

menus,anda fullyredesigneddiningroom.

Ariahasalsoannouncedit willtransformpart

ofitsrestaurantintoa winebar,showcasing

itsheftycellarwitha winelistcuratedbyAlex

Kirkwood,accompaniedbysnacksfromhead

chefJoelBickford.Noreservationrequired.

MELBOURNE

Aswegotoprint,Melbournehasreturned

tolockdown.Wesalutethenewvenuesthat

havemanagedtoopenandreopendespite

tryingtimes.ThisincludesChibog, a Filipino

restaurantinWestFootscray,whichhashad

tobouncebetweenbeingclosedandopen,

yetis stillservingupcrispsisigandwarming

bowlsofkansitotakeaway.

Otheropenings(albeitbrief)include

Gimlet (Andrew McConnell’s latest Euro-

bistro-barwithinCavendishHouse),cafe

Maverick(thefirsttasteofnew 80 Collins

foodprecinct)andTacosy Liquor(Ignichef

AaronTurner’sred-hottacostopin Geelong),

whichareallposedtoreopenontheother

sideoflockdown.Also,chef-restaurateur

ScottPicketthastakenownershipof

Longrain, andis settoworkwiththe

existingteamtocelebratelong-standing

signaturedishesandcreatenewonestoo.

ADELAIDE

Shoshois thenewsisterrestaurantto

ShôbôshobyAdamListonattheold

Joybirdsite.YumiNagayais onthepans

witha focusontempuraanddumplings.

TheSummertownAristologisthasalso

openeditsowncellardoorandminilarder,

a pipelineplanthatfinallycametofruition

duringlockdown.

RESTAURANT NEWS

THE LATEST FROM CHEFS AND RESTAURANTS AROUND AUSTRALIA

Clockwise from far left: Oysters and

martinis at Gimlet; the bar at Gimlet;

Aria’s executive chef Joel Bickford

(left) and head sommelier Alex

Kirkwood; bar details at Ormeggio;

garlic chive ramen at Sekka.

20 GOURMET TRAVELLER

PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS (GIMLET) & WILL HORNER (ORMEGGIO).