Seafood with views at Matt Moran's north Bondi fish restaurant Photograph: Ross Honeysett
When Melbourne chef Ben Shewry claimed the number 21 spot in the
world's top 50 restaurants last year with "nature-led" Attica, he
wasn't bucking the trend, he was confirming it. Australia is now a
fixture at the gastronomic world's top table.
Today we're falling over ourselves to take brunch at Bill Granger's restaurants or discover the Persian delights of Greg Malouf's latest cookbook. Aussie chefs have cornered every part of the market, from brunch and modern Asian to the poshest of nosh. Drinks are seemingly untouchable too, with coffee, craft beers and wines setting the benchmark. So how has Australia propelled itself to the top of the culinary hit list?
"People have been going overseas, bringing ideas back with them and questioning why we haven't got certain things here," says chef Matt Moran, who's been at the forefront of Australia's food scene for years with such acclaimed restaurants as Aria, Chiswick, the Opera Bar and new venture North Bondi Fish.
"When I started, Australia couldn't lay claim to much food-wise. Maybe fish and chips, a meat pie, and that's it. But what's happened since has been incredible," adds Moran, who is also a member chef of Singapore Airlines' International Culinary Panel.
"Australian food has improved tenfold. Go to a shop 25 years ago, and you might find an iceberg lettuce or a bit of cos, now there are about 50 different varieties. We've got baby herbs, micro herbs, not to mention truffles, wagyu beef, grain-fed beef, lamb – things we never used to see. Seafood would be sent overseas, but now we're eating it here."
Public demand for better choice has also helped to spur a change. "Australians have realised what quality is and expect it from us. Chefs have become more vocal and they're no longer just working in restaurants; they own them too, which makes a big difference.
Photograph: Ross Honeysett
"Farmers' markets, like the one at Fox Studios in Sydney and in Byron
Bay, have become hugely popular, which has to be a good thing.
Producers get to talk and sell directly to the customers. Beyond that,
farmers now want their produce to be in the finest restaurants. If they
manage it, it's considered a great achievement," says Moran.
If anyone knows about the quality of Aussie produce, it's Moran. For a TV series, Paddock to Plate, he journeyed across his vast country in search of the best. Any favourites? "Too many to name, but Holy Goat do a [goat's] cheese that has to be one of the best in the world, there's Sher wagyu, Pure Valley milk, Snowy River samphire, the list goes on..."
Moran also reels off a list of gourmet getaways he'd recommend to visitors, from Yarra Valley and Daylesford near Melbourne to Hobart, Byron Bay, the Barossa Valley near Adelaide and Margaret River near Perth.
In Sydney, his haunts are numerous. "I love Quay, Pete [Gilmore] has been doing such a fantastic job there for years," he says. "I've been hanging around at Nomad in Surry Hills a lot too, and Three Blue Ducks in Bronte for breakfasts, the Clovelly hotel for steak, and of course North Bondi Fish for fish and chips! We've also got a great gelato place in Bondi called Messina."
Matt Moran
Fine dine in Sydney harbour
"People like Pete have been helping to push the standards not just in Australia but around the world," says Matt of Quay's executive chef Peter Gilmore. The restaurant juts into Circular Quay, offering spectacular views of both the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. nijahotnews.blogspot.com
Scoop up the southern hemisphere's best gelato
Now with four stores in Sydney and one in Melbourne, Gelato Messina are the kings of gelato, with six inventive flavours introduced each week to go alongside their classics. nijahotnews.blogspot.com
Enjoy brunch at Icebergs on Bondi beach
When you tire of looking at the golden curve of Australia's most iconic beach, head to the famous Icebergs, a swimming club dating back to 1929, but famed for its Mediterranean dining room and bar, the coolest joint in town. nijahotnews.blogspot.com
The taste of Australia in Byron Bay
Byron Bay's farmers' market is one of the best in New South Wales, a window to everything that's good about the new wave of Australian food. Bynijahotnews.blogspot.com
It's not just first class that benefits from good food, either: the airline offers economy class passengers a choice of three hot meals, devised to suit international tastes, and a complimentary bar service. Suite, first and business class customers can pre-order meals from a menu featuring more than 60 dishes, including lobster thermidor, which are individually prepared to order.
Want to know what wine to drink with your lobster? Air sommeliers are on many flights to suggest the best wine pairings. They can even organise impromptu wine tastings in the sky!
Singapore Airlines prides itself on the quality and breadth of its wine list, which has been carefully selected by three independent wine consultants, including Australian wine expert Michael Hill Smith of Shaw and Smith winery. As you'd expect, Australian wines are prominent on the list, reflecting the quality and range of wines that the country produces.
*Valid until 28 February
Today we're falling over ourselves to take brunch at Bill Granger's restaurants or discover the Persian delights of Greg Malouf's latest cookbook. Aussie chefs have cornered every part of the market, from brunch and modern Asian to the poshest of nosh. Drinks are seemingly untouchable too, with coffee, craft beers and wines setting the benchmark. So how has Australia propelled itself to the top of the culinary hit list?
"People have been going overseas, bringing ideas back with them and questioning why we haven't got certain things here," says chef Matt Moran, who's been at the forefront of Australia's food scene for years with such acclaimed restaurants as Aria, Chiswick, the Opera Bar and new venture North Bondi Fish.
"When I started, Australia couldn't lay claim to much food-wise. Maybe fish and chips, a meat pie, and that's it. But what's happened since has been incredible," adds Moran, who is also a member chef of Singapore Airlines' International Culinary Panel.
"Australian food has improved tenfold. Go to a shop 25 years ago, and you might find an iceberg lettuce or a bit of cos, now there are about 50 different varieties. We've got baby herbs, micro herbs, not to mention truffles, wagyu beef, grain-fed beef, lamb – things we never used to see. Seafood would be sent overseas, but now we're eating it here."
Public demand for better choice has also helped to spur a change. "Australians have realised what quality is and expect it from us. Chefs have become more vocal and they're no longer just working in restaurants; they own them too, which makes a big difference.
Photograph: Ross Honeysett
"Farmers' markets, like the one at Fox Studios in Sydney and in Byron
Bay, have become hugely popular, which has to be a good thing.
Producers get to talk and sell directly to the customers. Beyond that,
farmers now want their produce to be in the finest restaurants. If they
manage it, it's considered a great achievement," says Moran.If anyone knows about the quality of Aussie produce, it's Moran. For a TV series, Paddock to Plate, he journeyed across his vast country in search of the best. Any favourites? "Too many to name, but Holy Goat do a [goat's] cheese that has to be one of the best in the world, there's Sher wagyu, Pure Valley milk, Snowy River samphire, the list goes on..."
Moran also reels off a list of gourmet getaways he'd recommend to visitors, from Yarra Valley and Daylesford near Melbourne to Hobart, Byron Bay, the Barossa Valley near Adelaide and Margaret River near Perth.
In Sydney, his haunts are numerous. "I love Quay, Pete [Gilmore] has been doing such a fantastic job there for years," he says. "I've been hanging around at Nomad in Surry Hills a lot too, and Three Blue Ducks in Bronte for breakfasts, the Clovelly hotel for steak, and of course North Bondi Fish for fish and chips! We've also got a great gelato place in Bondi called Messina."
Matt Moran's top tips for enjoying Australia's food
Matt Moran
Fine dine in Sydney harbour "People like Pete have been helping to push the standards not just in Australia but around the world," says Matt of Quay's executive chef Peter Gilmore. The restaurant juts into Circular Quay, offering spectacular views of both the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. nijahotnews.blogspot.com
Scoop up the southern hemisphere's best gelato
Now with four stores in Sydney and one in Melbourne, Gelato Messina are the kings of gelato, with six inventive flavours introduced each week to go alongside their classics. nijahotnews.blogspot.com
Enjoy brunch at Icebergs on Bondi beach
When you tire of looking at the golden curve of Australia's most iconic beach, head to the famous Icebergs, a swimming club dating back to 1929, but famed for its Mediterranean dining room and bar, the coolest joint in town. nijahotnews.blogspot.com
The taste of Australia in Byron Bay
Byron Bay's farmers' market is one of the best in New South Wales, a window to everything that's good about the new wave of Australian food. Bynijahotnews.blogspot.com
Dine your way to Australia
There is no better way to whet your appetite for Australia's bountiful food and drink than flying with Singapore Airlines, the first airline to enlist culinary professionals to devise its menus, establishing an international panel of chefs including Matt Moran.It's not just first class that benefits from good food, either: the airline offers economy class passengers a choice of three hot meals, devised to suit international tastes, and a complimentary bar service. Suite, first and business class customers can pre-order meals from a menu featuring more than 60 dishes, including lobster thermidor, which are individually prepared to order.
Want to know what wine to drink with your lobster? Air sommeliers are on many flights to suggest the best wine pairings. They can even organise impromptu wine tastings in the sky!
Singapore Airlines prides itself on the quality and breadth of its wine list, which has been carefully selected by three independent wine consultants, including Australian wine expert Michael Hill Smith of Shaw and Smith winery. As you'd expect, Australian wines are prominent on the list, reflecting the quality and range of wines that the country produces.
Getting there
Award-winning Singapore Airlines offers five daily departures from London Heathrow and Manchester, and flies over 120 times a week to five of Australia's must-see cities. Take a two-week holiday including dinner at Matt Moran's Aria in Sydney, a few days in Melbourne and the nearby Mornington Peninsula and a road trip including Byron Bay and Brisbane. All flights, including international and domestic connections, can be booked with Singapore Airlines. Fares start at just £760* per person. See nijahotnews.blogspot.com*Valid until 28 February
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