International foodies bound for Australia

Australian restaurants will soon be blogged, tweeted, Instagrammed and written about like never before when Tourism Australia flys 80 of the world's most influential food and wine writers, bloggers, chefs and television personalities to the country in November.

The influx of foodies will be here as part of a Restaurant Australia campaign which aims to promote Australia as one of the world's top destinations to eat, drink and be merry.

They come from 16 different countries including China, Japan, India, and New Zealand - all key markets for Tourism Australia.

Among the line-up announced on Monday were Sunday Times restaurant reviewer Adrian Anthony Gill, food activist and chef Alice Waters and US celebrity chef Eric Ripert. One guest, China's Jianim Dong, has viewership of 93 million people for his food blog.

Each of the attendees has a personalised four-day itinerary of Australia's best food and booze experiences such as cheese and wine tasting in the Yarra Valley, mud-crabbing in the Northern Territory and dinner at hip and hashtaggable Sydney restaurants such as Moon Park, Cho Cho San and China Diner.

Activities on the cards for Melbourne include a cooking class at Queen Victoria Markets, an exploration of the city's rooftop bars and a tour of patisseries Lune, Brioche by Philip and Don't Tell Charles.

The visit culminates with dinner on November 14 at the MONA art gallery in Tasmania. The gallery will be transformed into a restaurant for one night with leading Australian chefs Neil Perry of Rockpool, Ben Shewry of Attica and Peter Gilmore of Quay on the pans.

The trio will be needing to cook dishes that look as good as they taste, as smartphone pictures of every dish will undoubtedly be shared via social media around the world.

Tourism Australia's managing director John O'Sullivan said the visit had been a challenge to co-ordinate.

"We've organised and hosted some pretty big and pretty complex international media visits in our time, but I think this is easily the biggest - certainly since Oprah [Winfrey]," he said. "I'd even go as far as to say we could be hosting the world's greatest-ever food and wine tour."

"At last count we had 40 food and wine writers and journalists, 17 celebrity chefs, eight bloggers, one sommelier as well as five broadcast celebrities. And, if that wasn't enough, they'll be accompanied and filmed by 10 foreign TV crews," he said

Culinary voices

VANESSA YEUNG, HONG KONG
Model, television host and columnist. Yeung has visited more than 100 Michelin-starred restaurants in the past three years as research for a book on the world's top chefs.

• What is your opinion of Australian restaurants?
  I think restaurants in Australia are very creative. Australia has so many natural ingredients. The seafood, the meat, the fruit and vegetables. You don't need to import anything from anywhere!
• Is there one Australian food you're particularly fond of?
  I'm a big fan of shellfish. I remember the first time I was in Australia a friend took me to a beachside restaurant and I had yabbies. They were simply prepared, sprinkled with herbs and garlic and it was the most delicious shellfish dish I'd ever had.
• What are you most looking forward to during your visit?
  Diving in the Great Barrier Reef! And the dinner at MONA. To meet the other guests is fantastic enough, not to mention the food we're going to eat.

ERIC RIPERT, UNITED STATES
Television personality and executive chef of Le Bernardin in New York, which sits in 21st position on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

• How is Australian food perceived by the global chef community?
  We know Australia has excellent products and a great reputation for its seafood. I know there's a lot of influence coming from Asia and I've heard wonderful things about the Thai food there - Australia does very smart fusion food.
• Is there any food or dish unique to Australia you're particularly keen to eat on your visit?
  Because I specialise in seafood, I am excited to see what's happening with fish and try as much as I can.
• What are you most looking forward to on your visit to Australia?
  Well I'm planning to surf for the very first time in my life, so I'm looking forward to seeing how well I do (or don't!)

SANJEEV KAPOOR, INDIA
Television personality, chef and author. His cooking show, Khana Khazana, debuted in 1993 and has more than 150 million viewers in 60 countries.

• What is your opinion of Australian food?
  I love the seafood and meats of Australia. What you grow is what you eat here and Australian cuisine is influenced by cooking styles of the world. The cuisine served in restaurants here is a true reflection of Australia's diverse culture. My favourites are the barramundi fish and the local cheeses. I am also a big fan of the great Australian barbecue.
• Have you cooked with Australian produce before?
  Yes, it is fantastic. The freshness of the produce is mind boggling and it contributes in a big way in enhancing the taste of the dishes. The vegetables, fruits, meats, wines, nuts ... everything has an amazing freshness to it.
• What are you most looking forward to on your visit to Australia?
  Tasmania. For every well-heeled tourist, a trip to Australia is incomplete without a visit to Tasmania. It has a stunning coastline, verdant rainforests, rich history and eclectic cuisine.

LORENZO COGO, ITALY
Italy's youngest Michelin-starred chef. The 27-year old spent time in working in Australia at Vue de Monde in Melbourne and Marque in Sydney. The dessert menu at his restaurant features a vegemite ice cream.

• How was your experience of working in Australia?
  I loved Australia. I would have stayed in Sydney longer if I could. I still have an Australian bank account I keep open in case I do come back to live there one day!
• What did you think of Australian food?
  Australia has brilliant food. Shannon Bennett sent me to Tasmania when I working for him at Vue de Monde to try the local produce. I remember the oysters and abalone were amazing.
• What are you most looking forward to about visiting Australia?
  Just the feeling of being back. For me, it's very important how a country makes me feel. Sometimes I feel like “this is my place” and other times I just want to run away. In Australia I feel like I'm at home.