Citi celebrates decadence with all-star chef dinner at Good Food Month

Sydney Good Food Month presented by Citi has wrapped for another year, capped off with a dinner featuring many of the best chefs in NSW.

The Celebrating Decadence with Citi dinner was held at Good Food Month's Hyde Park Palms pop-up restaurant on October 19. The all-star chef line-up included Ben Sears (Paper Bird, Potts Point), Alessandro Pavoni (Ormeggio at The Spit, Mosman), Chase Kojima (Sokyo, Pyrmont) and Troy Rhoades-Brown (Muse Restaurant, Pokolbin).

The 10 chefs who cooked at the sold-out event hold a combined total of 11 hats in the Good Food Guide 2019. Highlights of the 10-course carte included a textbook carnaroli risotto rich with mussels and bottarga butter courtesy of Pavoni and Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freshwater), and Rhodes-Brown's smoked Newcastle bonito and scampi caviar framed by locally-grown Lamborn snap peas.

"We're very happy to fly the flag for local producers at Muse," said Rhodes-Brown speaking to host Alastair McLeod at the event. "Support for farmers often starts at the top with restaurants like the ones represented here tonight. I've certainly noticed a trickle-down effect in the Hunter Valley with a lot of smaller restaurants and cafes now getting behind local growers in the last few years."

Chefs for the Decadence dinner were chosen to provide a snapshot of the venues in the Citibank Dining Program which gives Citi customers a free bottle wine when they dine at one the partner restaurants.

"We wanted to not only celebrate our 10 years of partnering with Good Food Month, but to celebrate our dining partners," said Belinda Craig, Head of Brand, Sponsorships and Insights at Citi. "What better way than to invite 10 partners, to prepare 10 courses and mark 10 wonderful years?"

The Menu

Snacks

Nelly Robinson, Nel

Melon, prosciutto, balsamic; crab crumpets, bottarga hollandaise

Ben Sears, Paper Bird

Nori crisp, beetroot and egg yolk; shrimp-brined chicken karaage, mussel emulsion

Michael Rantissi, Kepos St Kitchen, Kepos & Co

Seared rare tuna, Persian eggplant, lavosh; duck bastilla cigars, kharoub molasses, cinnamon, pistachio

Seated Dinner

Troy Rhoades-Brown, Muse Restaurant

Smoked Newcastle bonito, Lamborn peas, green apple, cucumber, scampi caviar, wasabi, wild fennel

Giovanni Pilu, Pilu at Freshwater and Alessandro Pavoni, Ormeggio at The Spit

Carnaroli risotto, mussels, Pilu bottarga butter, lemon

Chase Kojima, Sokyo and Danny Karam, Black Bar & Grill

"Steak and chips" - grilled Rangers Valley flat iron, leek charcoal, daikon katsu, asparagus, miso barbecue sauce

Hamish Ingham, Banksii and Davide Rebeccato, Aqua Dining

Ginger panna cotta, vermouth caramel, grilled peach