Gourmet Traveller March 2022

Whether celebrating or commiserating, there are few moments in life that don’t call for a drink of some description. From the crispest Champagne to a restorative cup of tea, to imbibe is to revive. As Anna Hart writes in her travel column this month, “Sometimes the drink produces the memorable moment, and sometimes a moment calls for a drink. A drink is a moment of pause, pleasure, indulgence and comfort. It is a moment of presence.” So we thought it was about time we make drinks – in all their many varied forms – the hero of this issue and set to work on our first-ever Drinks Special. From the importance of ice to non-alcoholic spirits and new wave bottle shops, we dive into the weird, wonderful and delicious world of all…

Anibou Melbourne Design mecca Anibou is now open in Melbourne, showcasing some of the world’s most iconic furniture designs, including Le Corbusier and Eileen Gray. Find it on Newton Street in Cremorne. anibou.com.au GT Reader Dinner at Franca In case you missed it, our reader dinners are back on the menu, with the next event scheduled for March 22 at Sydney’s Franca Brasserie. Join us for an evening of fine wine, good food and, of course, great company. GTfrenchclass.eventbrite.com.au Gin Loot If you feel bamboozled by the ever growing array of gins available, this new subscription service is for you. Each month, a gin sommelier will curate a selection of gins, tonics and garnishes, delivered to your door. ginloot.com Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards Better late than never! That was the mantra when it came to hosting our Restaurant Awards dinner…

Hogget Kitchen, Warragul, Vic p118 ANSON SMART photographer My island home, p94 Food and lifestyle photographer Anson Smart has been capturing the world’s most beautiful spaces and the dishes served within them for the past 20 years. His career highlights are too numerous to mention but his most memorable assignments always include food. He loves it even more when it’s spicy, so photographing O Tama Carey’s new cookbook was a real treat. “Sri Lanka is still one of my must-visit places, and shooting this book when we couldn’t travel was a welcome escape,” says Smart. ANNA McCOOE writer and acting deputy editor Grape escapes, p118 After 20 glossy years in print, Sydney-based journalist Anna McCooe comes into the Gourmet Traveller fold this month. Her career as a travel editor has taken her from Épernay to the Mediterranean.…

Soul Dining, Sydney Soul’s silky carpaccio takes the flavours of Sirena chilli tuna to new heights. Lifted by a sweet gochujang sauce, it’s studded with salty caperberries, crispy artichoke chips, and finished with moreish dollops of wasabi aioli. 204 Devonshire St, Surry Hills NSW. Writer and editorial coordinator, Georgie Meredith Society, Melbourne A year after I was first treated to a walk through of Melbourne’s most anticipated new opening, I finally got to see it come to life in all its vibrant, elegant glory. The room is a knockout but the food is the real star here. A flawless meal from start to finish - ending with this stunning blueberry tart with the unexpected addition of beetroot and licorice. 80 Collins St, Melbourne Joanna Hunkin, editor Yamba, NSW While La Niña snuck away with so many of…

SYDNEY The recently opened 25 Martin Place precinct (previously best known as the MLC Centre) has welcomed a clutch of new restaurants, including Aalia. The sister restaurant to Surry Hills’ Nour will see Middle Eastern mezze and shared plates executed by chef Paul Farag. Hoping to hero lesser-known ingredients, each dish will represent a more specific area – perhaps spiced batarekh, a traditional Egyptian fish dish, which includes dry-aged salted roe; or hailing from the Maghreb region, Aleppo pepper tuna atop murri (fermented barley). It arrives alongside the already opened Botswana Butchery, a three-level restaurant with a focus on serving choice cuts of game meat and charcuterie. In Waterloo Josh and Julie Niland have opened their second Fish Butchery location. Acting as a central processing kitchen (to service Charcoal Fish, Saint Peter and…

How would you describe your cooking style? I grew up in Albury-Wodonga and my dad and older brothers are both chefs. I have a Polish background, and even though I grew up inland, I now cook predominantly seafood. The mix is broad, but if you were to pinpoint my food, it would be extremely practical and hyper seasonal. I use a lot of fermentation and vinegar to preserve food. There are health benefits in terms of looking after gut health. That ties into how I’ve tweaked the food at Bar Liberty; I want people to eat the food and drink wine, and still feel light and happy, and be able to spend multiple hours there without having to be extremely full or intoxicated by the end. Where does your interest in…