Star chef Phil Wood returning to Sydney

What's next for Sydney's returning food star, Phil Wood? When the former chef at some of the Harbour City's most influential restaurants left Sydney to head up the ambitious Pt. Leo Estate project on the Mornington Peninsula in 2017, Victorians couldn't help crowing about their gain.

Well, now it's Sydneysiders' turn to cheer, with Wood confirming he's activating his return ticket after flambeeing his last lobster on March 28. The chef tells Good Food he doesn't have a new gig lined up and has dismissed rumours he's headed to mentor Neil Perry's Double Bay restaurant, set to open in June.

Perry also confirmed that move isn't on the cards: "It's a neighbourhood restaurant. I think Phil will probably position himself to shoot for three hats."

Fans of Wood speculate there will be no shortage of offers or backers, both locally and from Victoria.

A chef who worked alongside him while coming up through the kitchen ranks believes Wood now has the broader experience to match his cooking talent, and could step up and open his own venue.

Wood and his wife, Lis, are returning to Sydney for family reasons. After a particularly tough year for Victoria residents, COVID-related border closures and quarantine requirements also came into play.

"Where we were once confident our friends and family were only a short flight away, living in Melbourne now feels at times like living in a different country," the chef noted on social media.