The winners of the Chef Hat Awards for 2019 showcase the crème de la crème of fine dining.
As Australia’s answer to the Michelin stars, these accolades have been rating the best restaurants Australia has to offer since 1982. With scores based only on food, you know you’ll be in for a taste sensation from the country’s most innovative chefs. Here are some of the top picks of this year which were awarded the coveted 3 Chef’s Hats.
Brae
Meaning ‘hillside’, Brae lives up to its name: the restaurant is nestled on top of a hill in the sleepy village of Birregurra, Victoria.
This eatery oozes rustic charm, tucked away in hinterland surroundings and boasting its own farm where fresh ingredients are sourced daily. Organic fruits, vegetables and nuts are harvested, alongside eggs from free range chickens and honey from bees. Subsequently, the menu changes with the seasons and has a strong focus on nature and sustainability.
Instead of dishes, the online menu lists a range of seasonal and native ingredients. The team cooks from the heart to create whimsical concoctions like herb toast topped with warrigal greens, sunflower seeds and green ants. Here, humble fruits and vegetables are transformed into the star of the menu: the signature dish is the parsnip and apple dessert, composed of a crispy parsnip cone enclosing freeze-dried apple, apple caramel and a creamy parsnip mousse.
The concept is the brainchild of chef and owner Dan Hunter, who cut his teeth in kitchens around Spain and has garnered several ‘Chef of the Year’ titles back at home. After a hearty meal, you can even stay overnight in one of the 30-acre property’s luxe cottages.
Momofuku Seiobo
This restaurant, located in Pyrmont’s sprawling Star City, serves up gourmet Caribbean cuisine under the watchful eye of Barbados-born executive chef George Carmichael. Expect the unexpected with an ever-changing 11-course tasting menu showcasing traditional island flavours with a modern twist.
Ranked the number 2 restaurant in Australia by Gourmet Traveller Magazine, this ritzy yet relaxed establishment is a chic oasis with its dark wood interiors and muted lighting. The restaurant’s philosophy is to share the stories of its farmers and producers through its cooking and celebrate the diversity of Australia’s food scene.
Try intriguing Caribbean-inspired delicacies like sweet potato dumplings served with currants and an XO sauce made from salt cod.
Quay
Situated in the overseas passenger terminal at Circular Quay, the aptly-named Quay restaurant offers up food that’s every bit as spectacular as the view. The dainty creations look almost too good to eat, each morsel arranged with artistic precision on sculptural ceramic dishes.
Admire the glittering water lapping below as you feast on the 6- or 10-course tasting menu paired with wines selected by the head sommelier. The menu is packed with rare ingredients that form a symphony of flavours and colours to celebrate harmony and nature. It’s appropriately seafood-heavy, featuring dishes like a revamped fine dining version of an English favourite: Poolish crumpets spread with smoked roe and cultured cream.
The restaurant is the birthplace of the famous Snow Egg, the cult dessert that made waves in Sydney when it made an appearance on MasterChef in 2010. Quay has made the World’s Best 50 Restaurants list multiple times and received Three Chef’s Hats for an unprecedented 16 years in a row under the leadership of seasoned executive chef Peter Gilmore.