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The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2023: All the award winners

Good Food

Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year, Firedoor, in Surry Hills.
Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year, Firedoor, in Surry Hills.Nikki To

VITTORIA COFFEE RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

A restaurant that captures the mood of the moment and exemplifies what it means to be world-class.

Bright spark: Firedoor chef Lennox Hastie.
Bright spark: Firedoor chef Lennox Hastie.Nikki To
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Firedoor, Surry Hills

Amid the glow of Sydney restaurants reigniting Sydney's dining scene this past year, one burns particularly brightly. Since 2015, Firedoor has grown that little bit more confident and joyous year on year.

For Lennox Hastie, former head chef of lauded Basque restaurant Asador Etxebarri, it's still all about the wood-fired ovens and grills, uncompromised by the convenience of gas, electricity or temperature gauges.

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But instead of a la carte there is now an ever-changing tasting menu, the five courses each touched by smoke, char and sizzle. Murray cod is cooked in paperbark; heirloom breed Hampshire Down lamb is fringed with rich, smoky fat; and a spectacularly crunchy, caramelised and crystallised Breton-style pastry comes straight from the oven, for two to share (or fight over).

In a bold move, the dry-aged intensely flavoured steak – once considered Firedoor's holy grail – is now offered as a premium supplement. If it's the soft, juicy, almost sweetly flavoured Spanish breed Rubia Gallega, you would have to consider it.

With the tables now angled to take in the theatrical energy of the kitchen, wines to inspire and a more relaxed Hastie cooking better than ever, Firedoor is a tour de force.

What was a one-man show has become a team effort, chefs and floor staff united in their belief that they can offer diners the greatest expression of each ingredient in its purest form. They can.

Kiln's sprawling space on the 18th floor of the Ace hotel.
Kiln's sprawling space on the 18th floor of the Ace hotel. Jennifer Soo
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NEW RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

The most exciting opening of the past 12 months, representing everything that's fresh and thrilling about NSW dining.

Kiln, Surry Hills

In a year of dazzling new openings, Kiln has aced it. It's not just the sprawling rooftop space on the 18th floor of the Ace Hotel, or the creative spirit of chef Mitch Orr on the pass. Not just the way the interior tethers its Australianness with leather, ochre, stone and wood, or the almost primal smells coming from the glowing hearth tended by head chef Mans Engberg.

It's the menu, and how it resists conventions and dodges cliches. Vegetables and seafood call the shots, from coal-charred snowflake mushrooms to Western Australian marron, spikily astringent with desert lime.

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Kiln defies expectations at every turn, creating a dining destination that hums with an almost visible creative force. Very here, very now.

Photo: Supplied

REGIONAL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

A unique regional experience with exceptional food, wine and service beyond metro city limits.

Pipit, Pottsville

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House-made salami is one thing, but to make your own blue cheese, fish bone flour, lobster garum, sake, duck ham, squid ink "caviar", macadamia tofu and miso? Well that's another few levels entirely.

Husband-and-wife team Ben Devlin and Yen Trinh (pictured) continue to put sleepy Pottsville on the map with a set menu focused on hyperlocal ingredients, served fermented, wood-fired or just incredibly fresh – you don't need to do much to a just-picked native raspberry other than serve it on ice with more perfect fruit.

As Trinh manages the business, Devlin cooks and chats to guests from a sleek open kitchen, explaining the Northern Rivers' eight seasons (not four) and why you won't see any lamb or beef on his pass. The food also happens to be bloody tasty too. Sustainability at its most delicious.

Chef Annita Potter of Viand restaurant.
Chef Annita Potter of Viand restaurant.Wolter Peeters

OCEANIA CRUISES CHEF OF THE YEAR

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A chef at the forefront of dining, setting new standards and doing something original.

Annita Potter, Viand, Woolloomooloo

At some point, you have to break away from being the protege of a famous chef and do your own thing, if only to see if you can. For Annita Potter, that point came in 2022. After years of being Thai authority David Thompson's executive chef in Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney, she created Viand, first as a post-lockdown pop-up then, in March, as a destination diner in Woolloomooloo.

A fierce spirit of independence means there is no wealthy backer to soften the blow of overheads, and nobody to train and mentor her staff except herself. It also means her food is her own – not Thompson's, nor faithfully traditional Thai cuisine, but a uniquely finessed and evolving expression of both.

At Viand, the vibrantly coloured kitchen sits proudly, transparently, centre stage, backed by a courtyard dripping with greenery. The deep dive of a set menu takes you on a graceful journey from pungent to cooling, crunchy to brothy, salty to leafy; from lacy egg pancakes of chicken, palm sugar and shallots, say, to a punchy lon of salted duck egg, or a boldly spiced pork curry tempered by holy basil.

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This is uncompromising and exciting food, pounded by hand, made from scratch. To go for this level of integrity requires a great deal of self-belief, not to mention self-funding. Annita Potter is finally doing her own thing, and we have a fantastic Thai dining experience as a result.

Photo: Supplied

NEW REGIONAL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

A restaurant working with local farms and suppliers to offer something new and exciting for the region and its visitors.

Bistro Livi, Murwillumbah

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In partnership with former MoVida head chef Ewen Crawford, sisters Nikky and Danni Wilson launched Spanish-influenced Bistro Livi in late January inside an old Tweed Shire cafe.

In common with many great regional restaurants to open in the past year, it's a place created with locals in mind, somewhere to swing by for anchovies and sherry on a Wednesday night, or rally your favourite people to open a bottle of something frivolous over a relaxed lunch (featuring hand-picked spanner crab in curry butter, perhaps, or charred guindillas with miso bearnaise).

A soft-hued dining room is all understated elegance, while Nikky is ever the graceful host. Lucky Northern Rivers visitors; luckier Murwillumbah.

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VITTORIA COFFEE LEGEND AWARD

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For an outstanding long-term contribution to the industry.

Eric and Linda Wong, Golden Century

For more than three decades, Eric and Linda Wong were the driving force of Sussex Street's most democratic Cantonese restaurant. Countless chefs have been inspired by Golden Century's skilled and soul-warming cooking, which goes well beyond perfect congee and those late-night pipis.

The Wongs migrated to Sydney from Hong Kong in 1989, working tirelessly to ensure their live seafood was pristine, and that respecting guests was a priority. (Showing that high-end wines could be matched with Chinese food was vital, too.)

"We were one of the first restaurants to use scales at the table so people could see exactly how much live seafood they were buying," says Linda. "Being honest with our customers has always been important."

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Golden Century has sadly closed, but son Billy is now at the helm of Haymarket's XOPP. The legacy and the pipis live on.

Oncore by Clare Smyth restaurant manager Michael Stoddart.
Oncore by Clare Smyth restaurant manager Michael Stoddart.Nikki To

SERVICE EXCELLENCE AWARD

Executes the highest standard of service, from attitude and skill to knowledge and personality.

Michael Stoddart, Oncore by Clare Smyth, Barangaroo

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You could almost be forgiven for thinking there's a cosmic force at play at Crown's three-hatted flagship, a secret power whooshing empty plates, replacing cutlery and filling pinot glasses by osmosis. It's all Oncore's fleet-footed floor team though, led by restaurant manager Michael Stoddart with good humour and grace.

With all eyes on Sydney's most high-profile fine-diner to open in the past year (perhaps the past decade), Stoddart has risen to the occasion to deliver service that's a ballet of intuition and en pointe practised moves, from synchronised wine pours (champagne to the left and right!) to the goodbye gift bag of malted sourdough and butter at the door, held open for you on exit, of course.

Photo: Supplied

YOUNG CHEF OF THE YEAR

In memory of chef Josephine Pignolet, and judged by a panel of industry professionals, this award is for a committed and skilled young kitchen talent under 30.

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Tom Foster, Ele by Federico & Karl, Pyrmont

Tom Foster impressed judges with leadership skills favouring patience and respect rather than Gordon Ramsay-style belittlement.

"We need to keep moving and evolving and adapting because we need people to come back the next day," he says. "We need people to see hospitality as a long-term career."

Working as a head chef for the past two years, most recently under Federico Zanellato and Karl Firla at degustation-only Ele at The Star, Foster began his own career cooking at his high school teacher's French restaurant before moving on to senior roles at The Ledbury in London and Bentley back in Sydney.

By night the young chef grills marsala-glazed wagyu with aplomb; by day he's translating Japanese cookbooks to help hone his techniques. A bright talent with a big future.

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FOOD FOR GOOD

For celebrating innovation, social enterprise and sustainability while contributing to the wider community.

Refettorio OzHarvest, Surry Hills

Photo: Supplied

In early 2022, a narrow Victorian terrace in Surry Hills was transformed into a stylish eatery – or rather, a "refettorio", an Italian term for a dining hall that feeds clergy or students. The primary goal of the not-for-profit that has set up shop in the space is to provide nourishing three-course meals to people experiencing food insecurity.

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The project was founded by dynamic Italian chef Massimo Bottura and his wife Lara Gilmore in Europe, and the indomitable Ronni Kahn of OzHarvest has teamed up with the couple to bring Refettorio to Sydney.

Volunteer staff create beautiful dishes using produce from OzHarvest's food rescue program, and every second Thursday the paying public can eat in the chic space, too.

A very special kind of social enterprise built on dignity and respect.

Caviar and champagne at Shell House.
Caviar and champagne at Shell House.Jason Loucas

OCEANIA CRUISES WINE LIST OF THE YEAR

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A diverse by-the-glass selection alongside an accessible list that displays a range of vintages, complementing the restaurant's food and style.

Shell House Dining Room & Terrace, Sydney

A wine list with clear intention. The "10 wines that define Shell House" page sets the tone from the get-go and the focus on conscious farming, organics and biodynamics resonates throughout. The emphasis on wines with maritime influence (Tasmania, Bordeaux and Sicily) is a deft touch, as is the producer feature that offers a side of education.

The vast list – compiled by sommelier Shun Eto and group food-and-beverage manager Alex Kirkwood – is thoughtful and easy to navigate. There's plenty of excitement in the mix, from Canadian ice wine to drops from regions such as the often-overlooked Riverland.

Spirits, tick. Sake, tick. Magnums and a considerable offering of grower champagne? Big ticks. The non-alcoholic options are solid, too.

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This is the kind of drinks menu that demands time, respect and many return visits. Bravo.

SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR

A wine professional who has a deep knowledge of the subject, while helping to influence and inspire.

Bridget Raffal, Where's Nick, Marrickville

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When Bridget Raffal isn't recommending by-the-glass pours with a focus on organic farming and terroir at modern Marrickville institution Where's Nick – a lo-fi bar aiming to take the elitism out of cult and "minimal intervention" wines – she's helping drive industry diversity and inclusion as vice-president of Sommeliers Australia.

In 2021, Raffal also became the co-founder and inaugural president of Women and Revolution (or WaR). The grassroots initiative has a mission statement to grow the next generation of women in wine, while elevating the voices of women who want to address gender equality in hospitality's wine sector. WaR and Raffal do this by hosting trade events, running education programs and developing mentorships.

A sommelier's sommelier, always championing peers, who can tell a Margaux from a Maconnais from across the room.

BAR OF THE YEAR

An all-rounder that nails service, drinks and vibe, and brings something new to Sydney's bar scene.

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Ante, Newtown

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In truth, Ante was always going to be good. After all, how could a bar opened by Australia's most formidable sake importer and a gifted chef who has toiled away in some of Sydney's most influential kitchens not be?

But in opening their painstakingly detailed interpretation of a "jazu kissa" (Japanese listening bar), Matt Young and Jemma Whiteman have created something quietly revolutionary.

This is a zen-like hideaway with an unmatched selection of strictly junmai (additive-free, "pure rice") sake and the fluency to back it up.

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Photo: Supplied

Expect to find mirin in your highball and snacks every bit as eclectic and impressive as the 2500-strong vinyl collection and sound system.

The city's drinking culture is all the richer for it.

The Good Food Guide 2023 magazine is on sale for $9.95 at newsagents, supermarkets and thestore.com.au.

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