Eggplant with Honey at El Bulli - Photo: Andrew Lim

The 2008 list is out, and again Sydney’s Tetsuya’s has again been ranked as one of the world’s top ten restaurants.

Fusing flavours of Japan with renowned French technique, Tetsuya’s was ranked ninth in the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, down from fifth last year.

Neil Perry’s Rockpool (fish) restaurant was the only other Australian restaurant squeezing inside the top 50 at number 49.

For the third successive year, Spanish restaurant El Bulli topped the global poll of industry experts - astonishingly, one of three restaurants in Spain named in the top ten.

The UK’s Fat Duck, France’s Pierre Gagnaire, Spain’s Mugaritz and chef Thomas Keller’s restaurant French Laundry, in California complete the top five.

Shannon Bennet’s Vue de Monde in Melbourne was the only other establishment in Australia in the top 100.

View the full list.

Sour cherry & custard donuts with crème fraiche sauce, cinnamon & Kirsch

The Marron special. Poached coral trout with baby radishes, red witlof, baby spinach & smoked prawn infused butter. Sour cherry and custard donuts as above.

Lunch on a fine, summer day. Whilst it did rain in the cab on the way over, the blue sky that appeared after was a sight we haven’t seen very often during our sodden summer.

We just couldn’t wait any longer.

Shiitake mushroom rice with green bean and asparagus salad with sesame dressing

Very tasty, and very simple to make. However, you need to have some ingredients that not everyone will find straight away in the pantry, but a quick visit to an Asian or specifically a Japanese grocer and you’ll get sorted.

Speaking of asian grocers - there’s been much public discussion about the benefits of the Goji berry in recent times. Go to your local supermarket and a small packet will cost you $5, try your asian grocer instead and they’ll set you back less than $2. Considering I’d never had them before, I thought at that price I had to try them, plus the guy behind the counter wanted me to spend $10 before I could use the EFTPOS. I can’t say they were fantastic - somewhat similar to raisins, just a little more tacky, and even with all the superfruit claims I can’t quite believe they helped Li Qing Yuen live until he was 252.

Kel lounging at the FCC - Phnom Penh

In both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh we visited the the FCC. In fact, we visited, ate and drank there several times whilst we in Phnom Penh.

After a hot day, visiting the sights of Phnom Penh, there was nothing better than sitting on the balcony overlooking Sisowath Boulevard with your drink of choice in hand as darkness descends over the confluence of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong Rivers.

Nightfall over Sisowath Boulevard

The food wasn’t bad either - in fact if you’re after a fix of flavours back home, this is one place that certainly delivers it. Or you can always try something a little more local, like the Khmer style mixed platter below.

The Khmer Platter - Duck cakes, spring roll, fish amok, by char, Cambodian curry, Beef lok lak with steamed rice and mixed sauces

Jared Ingersoll of Danks Street Depot has just released his second book “Sharing Plates” which I’m yet to check out.

However, the recipe for Baked Ricotta with cherries in a vanilla syrup (taken from the book) looks most awesome.

Check out the review for breakfast at Danks Street Depot.

Post scriptum: It may be Mother’s Day this weekend, but if you’re thinking about breakfast in bed for your Mum or wife, read this article first and think again.

Inhale - for two reasons, to savour the fragrances of the Vietnamese fare on offer and to tuck in that stomach, make your way around the tables packed in tightly, and get to a seat.

This little gem tucked in the back of Darlinghurst is packed come 7pm, any night of the week - so you’re advised to get there at the opening time of 6pm otherwise you’ll be forced(!) to have a drink at the newly renovated Green Park whilst you wait for your mobile to ring.

Freshness is the key to the dishes here, and you’ll see some are in limited supply. The specials board diminishes and so does the main menu - late diners, you’ve been warned!

Gawking around at the other diners, we make our choices in a When Harry Met Sally fashion. The pancakes are sizeable, no make that huge, banana blossom salad fragrant, the salt and pepper squid cooked to perfection, but the batter being the letdown - but it is still better than many variants on this dish kicking around town.

It’s frantic in here, you could be in an out in a hurry, or kicking back and enjoying a bottle of wine, which ever way you choose, you can’t lose when you regard the price.

Returnability: Phesh. Phast. Phlavoursome. That means yes.
Score: 12.5/20

Entrees $9 to $12. Mains $13 to $19.5.
BYO ($1 corkage per person)
354 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, NSW.

Another one of Sydney’s bright new stars in the food game, the Kirekton Dining Room has ceased trading effective today.

Proprietor James Ingram was not available for comment.

We dined there several months ago and deemed it a hot and sexy location - wonderful modern French food, plus a superb bar decked out in browns and blacks with leather and wood fittings. Definately a shame to see this venue go.

Is it faux pho because of the seafood?

After an afternoon of “adventure alley” shopping in preparation for our jaunt to Asia later in the year, it was time for some food at Saigon Pho in the Sussex Center.

One of my favourite restaurants in recent times around Sydney town, Omega (read the review from October 2005) - has closed its doors.

Word has it that owner Peter Conistis has been forced into bankruptcy and had no other alternative but to close the business, terminate employees and surrender control of the premises in the week before Christmas.