Sydney's Pei Modern to open with chef Matt Germanchis

The Sydney branch of chef Mark Best's Melbourne eatery Pei Modern opens on October 15, but the menu will have its own local flavour. While Best has brought a few signature dishes, and chef Matt Germanchis, north, he's given it its own edge. Sydneysiders will be able to snack on Germanchis' spiced doughnuts with blood orange curd and whey butterscotch, as well as a host of new dishes.

"We've got some big yamba prawns with slow cooked pineapple and sorrel," Best tells. Sliding into the former home of The Woods, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Best says the site has been given a makeover. "We've removed some of the visual complexity and the semi- private dining rooms," Best says. The chef is hopeful of attracting diners from the neighbouring financial district, but says there are advantages to operating out of a hotel: "On rainy days they don't go out".