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Chin ChinRestaurateur Chris Lucas’ newest venture, Chin Chin, brings tasty Thai to Melbourne. Head chefs Andrew Gimber – ex-Jimmy Liks and with experience working alongside Thai culinary master David Thompson – and Ben Cooper – ex-St Ali, Nobu and Ezard – are all about sharing; their standout dishes range from seared scallops on the half shell with sweet pork and green-chilli nahm jim to a sour-orange curry of kingfish heads with daikon and betel leaves. Try the barbecued goat marinated in coconut and paired with a cucumber-and-mint raita – fresh, flavourful and fun, what more could you want?

chinchinrestaurant.com.au

Pollen Street SocialBritish chef Jason Atherton’s first post-Ramsay venture (Atherton previously helmed Gordon Ramsay’s Michelin-starred Maze restaurant), London’s Pollen Street Social is light, bright and breezy in dining room and menu. Begin your evening with retro cocktails and tapas at the bar before moving into the restaurant where local produce stars in dishes such as roasted Dingley Dell pork with beetroot, and a lightly cured Shetland salmon with smoked herring-roe cream. Don’t overindulge on mains: Pollen Street has its own dessert bar where you can watch pastry chefs create desserts – strawberry and tomato gazpacho, anyone? – before your eyes.

pollenstreetsocial.com

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Ivy DubaiChef Simon Conboy, formerly of Le Deuxième in London’s Covent Garden, oversees the kitchen at the new Dubai outlet of this London institution. Targeting big spenders, the menu features a long list of expensive imported ingredients – three kinds of caviar, poached lobster, foie gras – alongside a surprising range of down-home dishes including shepherd’s pie and a big beef burger. Despite the predominance of posh plates, don’t expect silver service: The Ivy’s dining room in the Jumeirah Emirates Towers nods to a classic Parisian bistro in design with padded leather seats and banquettes and dim lighting. For those avoiding the paparazzi, the restaurant comes

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CATCH OF THE DAY

Clockwise from above: Seabass on the menu at Al Molo; Chin Chin dishes up tantalising Thai cuisine in a fun dining room in Melbourne

• Coco-Joe’s Bar & Grill, Borneo: New to Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, this alfresco beachfront restaurant offers shimmering views over Borneo and the island-speckled South China Sea. Dining here is a casual affair, with comfy couches to enjoy cocktails in and tables set under the stars. Generous meat and seafood grills dominate the á la carte menu and there’s also a cook-it-yourself barbecue area where guests can help themselves to fresh salads and platters of pre-marinated fare. shangri-la.com

• Spiedo, Sydney: This August, Alessandro Pavoni (behind one-hatted Ormeggio at The Spit) will launch his newest restaurant, Spiedo. Set in the new Westfield shopping mall in Sydney’s CBD, the restaurant’s menu will feature Pavoni’s handmade pastas alongside small plates and mains inspired by the Lombardy region of Italy. If you’re after a lighter meal, the adjoining Stuzzichini Bar will offer antipasto and salads, not to mention great coffee and beer on tap. spiedo.com.au

• Caffé Sicilia, Sydney: This breezy eatery on Crown Street dishes up classic Sicilian fare in an Art-Deco-style dining room. While it’s tempting to skip the mains altogether and just feast on the homemade cakes and desserts – cassata, a delectable tiramisu, cannolo – it would be a shame to miss savoury highlights such as fresh pastas, a wide variety of salumi and sticky rabbit with vino cotto, almonds and sultanas. caffesicilia.com.au

• The National, New York City: Having cut his teeth at Daniel Boulud’s Le Cirque, celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian’s The National Bar & Dining Rooms occupies the 1927 Beaux-Arts style Emery Roth building, in midtown New York. The casual bistro takes guests from breakfast – think Berkshire pork belly Benedict – to lunch and dinner (steak frites, a burger with jalapenos, house pickles and bacon) without missing a beat. Don’t skip dessert – Zakarian’s sweets are legendary. thenationalnyc.com

OTHER NOTABLE OPENINGS *

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with a private dining area able to accommodate 16 people.

theivy.ae

Al MoloItalian obsession? You’ll want to visit American chef Michael White’s newest eatery in Hong Kong. Al Molo serves up modern, New York-styled Italian cuisine in an earthy wood-and-leather dining space at Harbour City, on the water in Kowloon. The cuisine bounces from antipasto and pizzas to homemade pasta and risotto, complemented by a selection of rich, Italian desserts and wines including 20 by the glass. Memorable dishes include the wild seabass with artichokes, roasted peppers and pinenuts and grilled Mediterranean octopus given a salty kick with spicy sausage and black-olive vinaigrette.

diningconcepts.com.hk

Mama San Indonesia’s Sarong restaurant group has thrown open the doors of its newest culinary concept, Mama San: a three-in-one establishment in the heart of Bali’s hip Seminyak district. There’s a bar blending Southeast Asian designs with the ambiance of a gentlemen’s club of yesteryear; a cooking school (opening in October) where Sarong chef Will Meyrick will share trade secrets with guests; and a restaurant serving up authentic dishes from the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and India. Given the buzz surrounding Meyrick’s contemporary Asian cuisine at Sarong, it won’t be difficult to pack out Mama San’s.

mamasanbali.com

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I’m a big fan of any cuisine that eliminates the need for cutlery. Burgers, soup in a mug and morsels served on a stick… anything that ensures the food gets to my mouth without much effort. Needless to say, I’m rather fond of Crazy Wings. With a sister restaurant in Sydney’s CBD, the Chatswood branch of this restaurant takes its design cues from a traditional Beijing hutong (courtyard house) with grey brick walls, faux antique furniture and red lanterns.

The food also nods to the Chinese capital with kao chuan (barbecued skewers) and northern specialties

dominating the menu. If you thought that only meat could be speared and grilled, think again. In addition to an extensive roster of proteins – eight varieties of chicken wings of varying degrees of spice, lamb, pork belly and oysters – the menu lists dozens of vegetarian skewer options, from eggplant and enoki mushrooms (our favourite) to haricot beans and honey toast.

Unfortunately, you can’t use your hands for all dishes. Crazy wings also cooks up a mouth-numbing “Crazy Fish” – a huge terrine of fish smothered in chillies and fresh herbs – as well as excellent fried-rice

dishes served in wooden pails. The wine menu is small and to

the point but we suggest skipping alcohol altogether and doing as the regulars do by ordering one of the Asian-inspired iced drinks. Believe me, after the chilli-fuelled “BT Monster” wings, you’ll need something cool to put out the flames in your mouth. •

Shop 8, Chatswood Eat St., 1–5 Railway St., Chatswood, Sydney; 61-2/9410-3978; crazywings.com.au

By Petrina Price.

tried&testedcrazy wings *FOODNEWS

• CRAVE Sydney Food Festival: We’re already hungry for this year’s food festival, consuming Sydney for the month of October. The theme of the event in 2011 is South America so expect visiting chefs of the calibre of Willie Harcourt-Cooze (in the spotlight for his Venezuelan cacao plantation), Gaston Acurio (one of South America’s hottest chefs and the brainchild being Lima’s Astrid Y Gaston), and a host of local and international talents. Look out for popular feature events including the Night Noodle Markets and Breakfast on the Bridge. cravesydney.com

• Wellington On a Plate: New Zealand’s premier culinary festival, Wellington On a Plate is set to serve its third course of culinary creativity. From August 5 to 21, the event takes over the New Zealand capital with great deals – 100 of the region’s finest eateries will prepare special lunch and dinner menus – and more than 80 tasty events ranging from a kitchen battle with three challenges, a chocolate and wine degustation dinner and dozens of cooking classes for kids. Don’t miss the masterclass, where local culinary heroes Martin Bosley and Justin North, among others, reveal their kitchen secrets. wellingtononaplate.com

• Great Barrier Feast: We were lucky enough to attend June’s feast with Peter Gilmore who cooked up a storm at Hamilton Island’s Qualia resort. For those who missed out, there are still two more dinners on the cards: from July 22–24, chef Frank Camorra of four Melbourne restaurants (MoVida, MoVida Next Door, MoVida Aqui and MoVida Terraza) will bring a Spanish tapas frenzy to Hamilton Island and from December 2–4, Dan Hunter from the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, Victoria, will take to the stove. hamiltonisland.com.au

• The Maitland Aroma: One of the Hunter Valley’s two major towns, Maitland should be on the tip of your tongue this August. For two days (August 13 and 14) the town comes to life with a festival dedicated to chocolate, coffee and fine food. Learn how to make a barista-quality latte, sample the region’s finest chocolate, indulge in a cheese tasting, or simply enjoy the live entertainment over a decadent high tea. Check out our June e-newsletter for a full report on proceedings. maitlandcitycentre.com.au

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IVY LEAGUE

Clockwise from right: The oh-so-chic dining room at Dubai’s new Ivy restaurant; have water on hand when you sample Crazy Wings’ spicy chicken skewers; the same restaurant takes its design cues from Beijing’s courtyard homes; fried rice

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Photography/Gino Zardo Fashion director/Penny McCarthy Hair/Alan White Make-up/Amanda Reardon Horse/Courtesy of Centennial Stables; centennialstables.com.au.

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For a black-tie look that’s high on glamour, it’s hard to go past YSL’s classic “Le Smoking” suit … or a little

black (or white) dress.Shot on location @ Caffe Sicilia, 628 Crown Street, Surry Hills. caffesicilia.com.au

Ralph Lauren Black Label jacket, $1995, tuxedo shirt, $599, bow tie, $150, and cummerbund, $200. Ellery pants, $600.

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Alice McCall jacket, $499, and shirt, $179.Carla Zampatti pants, $449.

LeftCarla Zampatti dress, $749. Aurelio Costarella bolero, $485.

AboveCollette Dinnigan dress, $1250.Thurley belt, $249.Falke tights, $55, from Mr Rose.Ralph Lauren shoes, $899. Stockists

Alice McCall 9280 0333Aurelio Costarella (08) 9227 6535Carla Zampatti 9260 9700Collette Dinnigan 9360 6691Ellery elleryland.comMr Rose 9368 1423Ralph Lauren 1800 501 201Thurley 9368 7711

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siciliaCAFFE

CROWN STREET STRIP WELCOMES A SLICE OF SICILIAN DINING