physicallyopenthefrontdoortotherestaurant.Theyhad
tobringcustomersinthroughthekitchen.
“Itwasbuzzing,”saysTetsuyaWakadaofthemanic,two-
and-a-half-weekperiodthatSydneyhostedtheworld’stop
athletes.Whatheremembersmostaboutthattimewerethe
long,leisurelysittings– evenbydégustationstandards.“People
wereveryhungry.Theywantedthefullservice:toeata lot,
drinka lot.We’retalking12,14, 15 courses– andstillthey
didn’thaveenough.Fridaylunchwascrazy;peoplewerethere
untilfiveorsixo’clock.Andthenthey’dhavedinner!”
Sydneywasanxioustoshakeoffanyassumptionsabout
itsparochialism,andAustralia’sreputationasa placewithout
a refinedculinaryidentity.Restaurantsboastedmillion-dollar
fit-outs,competingforthegrandestinteriors,themostpalatial
views.Diningroomswerelarge,winelistswereencyclopaedic,and
noexpensewasspared.Ontheplate,too,thingserredonexcess.
“Wehadfi let ofbeefRossini,”saysTomlin.“We’dstuff
thebeefwithfoisgras,wrapit inprosciutto,withlovelylittle
pommesgaletteandbeautifulcreamedspinachunderneath,
servedwitha veryintensetrufflesauce.Andwe’dtopthatwith
a searedpieceoffoisgrasandmoreslicedtruffle.”
AtAria,MattMoranremembersa similarlyoutsized
approachtocooking.“Aclassicdishherewasa seafoodboudin
blancwithfreshpastaunderneath,anda beurreblancsauce
withroeinit,” hesays.“Backthen,portionsweremuchbigger
andheavierthantheyarenow.”
WhilefinediningtendedtowardstheclassicallyFrench,
theeraalsoheraldedtheModOzmovement,largelyfuelled
bytheworkofTetsuyaat hiseponymousrestaurant,NeilPerry
at Rockpool,KylieKwongat BillyKwongandJanniKyritsis
at MGGarage,whoseskilleduseofAsianandMediterranean
techniquesandproduceexpanded the horizons of what
Australian cuisine could be.➤Restaurantsboastedmillion-dollarfit-outs,competingforthe
grandestinteriors, themostpalatialviews.Dining roomswere
large, wine lists were encyclopaedic, and no expense was spared.Clockwisefromleft:DiningatQuay;trevalla,
squid,rappeandlegumesatAria;MattMoran
in the kitchen at Aria; interiors at Rockpool.GOURMET TRAVELLER 67PHOTOGRAPHY
DAVID
GRIFFEN
(ROCKPOOL), JANA LANGHORST (ARIA FOOD). NIKKI TO (QUAY DINING TABLE)
& GETTY IMAGES (CATHY FREEMAN).