Tetsuya's

In the 30 years since Tetsuya Wakuda landed in Sydney, his name has become synonymous with the rise and rise of Australian fine dining. The clean, minimalist rooms of his heritage-listed Kent Street temple enclose the calm of an exquisite Japanese garden, reflecting the restrained refinement of the Wakuda style. The 10-course degustation is full of seafood love, with delicate sashimi of yellowfin tuna scattered with tiny garlic chips and given a beautifully sweet hit from shishito peppers, followed by lightly grilled scampi tail drizzled with walnut vinaigrette, gracefully paired with a curl of chicken liver parfait. A tiny roast quail breast on a coiled, grilled spring onion, topped with a sliver of jamon iberico, is a miniaturised treat, while salted cream-cheese ice-cream brings drama to a bitter-sweet double chocolate pave. A touch more warmth in the cool, overly rehearsed service - and in the room temperature - would lift an experience that should be a compulsory addition to any food-lover's bucket list.