Good Food NSW's 100 Good Things 61-80: Bastardo, kimchi, coffee

Instead of the Good Food Guide, this year we bring 100 Good Things to the table: a collection of people, places, moments and mementos that best represent 2020.

• The next instalment: 81-100

61. Boozy coffee is a thing again

Does booze-spiked coffee ever really go out of fashion? Certainly not in the eyes of Central Coast coffee liqueur company Mr Black, which recently teamed up with St Ali. Market Lane Coffee also just jumped on board with Jameson Irish whiskey, reimagining the classic Irish coffee, Melbourne cold-brew style. Both can be purchased online to enjoy at home. Meanwhile Surry Hills bar Tio's Cerveceria has infused Single O cold-drip coffee with tequila – perfect for an espresso martini. MR mrblack.co/au; jamesonwhiskey.com/en-au; tios.com.au

62. Nomad by name, not by nature

Reopening in their original Surry Hills location after the devastating kitchen fire of 2019, Nomad promises bigger and better things, with chef Jacqui Challinor behind the wheel. Bring on the Maremma duck mortadella. MR nomadwine.com.au

63. A couple of humble Bastardos

Porteno chefs Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz have pirouetted from meat magicians to bakery wizards with two new venues sandwiching the Wyno/Bodega site in Surry Hills. Strap in for Borrowdale porchetta with sausage nubs, all set on a bed of white bean puree and wilted kale at Bastardo, and more baked goods than sense at Humble. MR bastardosydney.com

64. Dinner and a show

Two of the hardest-hit sectors of 2020, hospitality and the arts, are determined to hit a high note this summer by combining forces. Look out for the Bennelong Ensembles – a collaboration between Bennelong restaurant and the Sydney Symphony and Australian Chamber Orchestras (last show, December 20). Kate Ceberano's Sydney residency at Bondi Icebergs might already be sold out through January, but it's worth signing up to the newsletter. Maurice Terzini and crew put on new events all the time. Catching a show at the CBD's Restaurant Hubert is a constant, with live jazz in the main dining room Monday to Thursday. MR bennelong.com.au; idrb.com; restauranthubert.com

65. Cape Byron's little nutter

Nice one, Cape Byron Distillery. The family-owned drinks business had a bumper 2020, expanding production by 30 per cent, in spite of the pandemic, and becoming a must-visit destination in the Byron hinterland. The distillery releases gin under the Brookie's brand while its whisky matures, but we're all about the Mac liqueur (pictured above right). Made with local macadamias and toasted wattleseed, few things are more enjoyable over ice on a verandah. CB capebyrondistillery.com

66. Ham that should be heritage-listed

When you eat a sausage from Olympic Continental Delicatessen in Bankstown, it's history on a roll. Established in 1956 (the year Melbourne hosted the Games), Olympic is Sydney's oldest Greek deli, still owned and operated by the Karpouzis family and producing European smallgoods on site. We'll be shopping at the terrazzo floored time capsule more than twice leading up to Christmas – its traditional house-smoked ham is a knockout. CB

67. Coffee beyond the long black

There are cupping sessions, and then there are Ona Coffee's deep dives at its Marrickville outpost. The boutique roaster's tastings showcase rare coffees with taste profiles more delicate than wine. Many roasts are pulled from Ona's own "coffee cellar" of special releases, such as Panama coffee cherries enhanced through carbonic maceration. With some coffees costing $32 a cup, the classes are very much a milk-free zone. CB onacoffeesydney.com

68. Pizza and peach negronis in Parra

Parramatta is set to pump over summer, thanks to Maurice Terzini's CicciaBella. The flagship restaurant of Parramatta Square's $3.2 billion redevelopment, Terzini's modern tratt delivers similar dishes, and DNA, to its Bondi sibling: brutal concrete, hard angles and soft, blistered-crust pizza. With spatchcock fired in the wood oven and pre-bottled peach negronis for two, there may not be a better big night out in the river city. CB cicciabella.com.au

69. 'Industry only' is now for everybody

Two Providores has supplied artisan produce to Sydney's best restaurants for the past eight years, and now the public can buy direct from the business, too. The online store is the best way to support producers such as Bruny Island Cheese, Creative Native and Gunnedah's Wholegrain Milling. More warehouse open days are planned for browsing before Christmas. CB twoprovidores.com.au

70. Big things at Bathers'

Rockpool Group's star quarterback Tom Sykes has joined Bathers' Pavilion in Balmoral as general manager. And if that isn't enough for Mosman locals, Ty Bellingham will run his Thai popup, Betel Leaf, for another six months. MR batherspavilion.com.au

71. Peruvian pisco party

Sydney can never have enough Peruvian happy hour vibes of the likes found at Pepito's in Marrickville. South American spirits ride shotgun with kingfish ceviche at this Illawarra Road bar-slash-restaurant, while ox-heart skewers team up with ice-cold cerveza. If Pepito's 10-stool bar isn't the best spot for a tart, fresh pisco sour in the country, we don't know where is. CB pepitos.com.au

72. Mooning over kimchi and other ferments

Have you missed Korean restaurant Paper Bird as much as we have since it closed in 2019? Well, here's a snack-sized piece of luck for you. Chef Eun Hee An is about to launch an online Korean grocery store, Moon Mart, featuring her own kimchi, XO and pickles. MR @moon_mart_

73. Rare cuts for a pop-up

During lockdown, Sokyo chef Chase Kojima found himself with sashimi professionals too good to merely sharpen their knives until sushi counters reopened. Enter Simulation Senpai, a Tramsheds pop-up that puts the chefs' skills to use, preparing salmon, scallops, sea urchin and other ocean riches. CB simulationsenpai.com

74. Twilight gardening and a spritz

​Got green thumbs and nowhere to dig? At Acre Artarmon, you'll soon be able to take a twilight gardening workshop and get your hands dirty, or take a tour of the sprawling gardens. While that part of the operation is still in planning stages, you can most definitely relax on the terrace with a margherita pizza and a spritz right now. MR acre-artarmon.com.au

75. Come hungry for a Syrian breakfast

Carol and Shar on Salloum open their Darlinghurst eatery Almond Bar for a full Syrian breakfast the first Sunday of every month. Make a booking and bring friends for a spread of merguez sausages, sumac eggs and stewed fava beans with lemon and garlic. Note, Syrian coffee is strong stuff, even for the staunchest caffeine fiend. CB almondbar.com.au

76. Be a tourist in your own city (part 2)

A visit to Lakemba during Ramadan (April, 2021) is a great experience, but any time of the year is a good time to support one of Sydney's most diverse food landscapes. Try to fit in a Bangladeshi-style biryani at Khushboo and some satay skewers and roti at Island Dreams Cafe, Sydney's only Cocos Keeling Island Malay restaurant.

Merrylands is the place for all things Afghani. Take your pick from the grilled meat fests found at Kabul House, Zeenat Afghan Restaurant or Kebab Al Hojat, or try to eat at all three in one long evening.

Nightclubs may be temporarily dead in Sydney but there's still plenty of vibrant life to be found as you walk through the gorgeously lit former heritage houses that have now been converted to Indian restaurants in Harris Park. For vegetarian menus check out Taj Indian Sweets & Restaurant and Chatkazz. Meatier curries can be found at Haveli and Hyderabad House.

Visit Eastwood's weekend Taiwan Night Markets, bustling with food offerings from Taiwan, China and the Philippines. If the markets aren't on there are still tons of reasons to visit, like the insane line-up of top-notch Korean food at Mira's Korean Street Food and Pu Ji Mi. AL islanddreamscafe.com.au; kabulhouse.sydney; kabab-al-hojat.business.site; tajindianrestaurant.com.au; havelirestaurant.com.au; hyderabadhouse.com.au

77. Closed loop bars

There was a time when using a term like "sustainability" in relation to hospitality venues – whose daily waste far outweighed their decorative compost bin – seemed pretty redundant. But in 2020, everyone's smarter. At Orange's Washington and Co there's a big focus on amping cocktails by using fruit-discard for flavoured gums, acids and limoncello variations. The charter at Paddington bar Charlie Parker's is "top to tail" where everything down to the parsley stem is reused and the straws are recyclable; and Surry Hills hootenanny bar Shady Pines employs a whole recycled juice program, reusing discarded citrus to make sherberts and liqueurs. MR merivale.com/venues/charlieparkers; shadypinessaloon.com

78. Dessert traditionalists, avert your eyes

Tokyo Lamington has landed in Haymarket to update Australia's favourite sponge for the TikTok generation. Flavours include matcha, black sesame and Thai milk tea, plus a yuzu meringue creation that – egads – is coconut-free. Controversy at its most delicious. CB tokyolamington.com

79. New to the seaside dining files

When Jesse McTavish isn't foraging seaweed to serve with aged swordfish belly, you'll find the former North Bondi Fish chef on the pans at Bar Elvina, Avalon's hottest new spot for coastal wines, Med vibes and charcoal-grilled seafood. Start with smoked ricotta and stone fruit before flathead tail and another round of riesling (poured by one-time Acme "A" Andy Emerson, no less). CB barelvina.com.au

80. Is an open smoked trout bagel the breakfast we've all been missing?

Andrew Hardjasudarma and Yuvi Thu have spread their wings across Llankelly Place, Potts Point, to set up Pina, complete with a kitchen that goes beyond the two sandwich presses they currently use to cook on at their cafe, Room 10. Expect chicken and mushroom congee with fried leek and crisp garlic served with a side of Iggy's sourdough toast, an open cold-smoked trout bagel to be reckoned with, and what might just be the ideal bacon and egg roll. MR instagram.com/roomten_

• The full list

Words: Callan Boys, Andrew Levins, Myffy Rigby