RESTAURANT NEWS
SYDNEY
Serious sushi fans have been quietly making their way to a nondescript mezzanine level of the CBD’s Grace Hotel to visit a new Japanese eatery that offers some of the best sushi in town. Not for Gold Class Daruma the flashy garnish, or even the radical choice of species; here it’s all about classic cuts and beautifully handled rice, served at a bar of ancient Japanese timber. The miso soup with roasted cuttlefish is worth a visit in itself. MELBOURNE
Sydney is standing by for its outpost of Chris Lucas’s Chin Chin (due August), but Melbourne diners score his blockbuster Japanese spin-off in May. Kisumé is big: it runs over three levels and calls for two executive chefs, KS Moon (from Singapore’s Mikuni) and Shaun Presland (Saké, Nobu). A sushi bar will sit on the street level of the Flinders Lane complex, while an omakase approach rules the top floor. Moon’s training as a chef certified to serve fugu will likely come in handy.
BRISBANE
The Melbourne Residences is Brisbane’s newest set of apartments-with-benefits. One perk is La Lune Wine
Co, the new project for Paul McGivern (The Wolfe). His Burgundy-inspired wine bar sees chef Peter Moon, formerly of New Farm’s late lamented Anise, at the pass, while sommelier Olivia Evans is on the floor. Expect charcuterie, cheese, raw dishes and larger plates to be matched with wine.
ADELAIDE
At Iberia, a newcomer to Rundle Street, the city’s premier dining strip, chef Andrew Douglas (MoVida, Eau de Vie) riffs on classic tapas while using produce from the venue’s Adelaide Hills garden. The dining room offers anchovy crackers, jamón Ibérico and Portuguese tarts, while the stone-walled basement deals in Spanish wines, sherries and vermouth.