Singapore chef to open Gavroche in Sydney

• Terry Durack reviews Long Chim, Singapore

Sydney is set to address its lopsided balance of trade in kitchen talent with Singapore. Chef Frederic Colin from Brasserie Gavroche will swing open a restaurant in Chippendale's Kensington Street. A posse of Sydney chefs has launched restaurants in Singapore, Tetsuya Wakuda​ and David Thompson among them, so Colin figures it's time traffic flowed in the other direction.

The French-born, Singapore-based restaurateur confirmed he'll open in spring, the restaurant will carry the Gavroche moniker and he'll serve some of his signatures, such as fish quenelle with crayfish sauce.

Colin, who trained in three-star Michelin French restaurants, was lured to Australia by businessman and developer Stanley Quek. "Yes, he's one of my customers," Colin says. The chef is impressed by the urban and culinary renewal of the Chippendale area.