FOUR DISHES

Our team shares their favourite plates of the moment.

Our plates of the month.

FISH AND CHIPS, Port Admiral Hotel

The rejuvenated Port Admiral Hotel in Port Adelaide needs quality seafood anchoring its menu. Or so goes the thinking of chef Stewart Wesson and the hospitality heavyweights who drove the refurb, including the team behind Adelaide bars Clever Little Tailor and Pink Moon Saloon. Wesson’s fish and chips is a star: plump local fillets that change based on what’s caught, thick-cut chips and mayo. Ideally suited to a house lager from Pirate Life. Port Admiral Hotel, 55 Commercial Rd, Port Adelaide SA. DAVID SLY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA EDITOR

BABY GREENLIP ABALONE, CUCUMBER AND CRACKLING, St Isidore

Make sure your plans for the south coast of New South Wales include a bite at St Isidore – it’s in fine form. This mingling of elegantly handled textures and deftly tweaked flavours (check that sea urchin and kombu butter dressing) being just one standout in a menu rich in great ideas. St Isidore, 89 Croobyar Rd, Milton, NSW, (02) 4455 7261. PAT NOURSE, MANAGING EDITOR

CHICKEN, SHIITAKE, GOLDEN BROTH, EGG YOLK, Saxe

I’m not normally a fan of meat cooked sous-vide, but at Saxe, Joe Grbac uses the technique for good, not evil. The slow-cooked chicken here is silky, yet retains its integrity, and matches perfectly with a Chinkiang vinegar glaze, shiitake and a broth thickened with egg yolk. Comfort food with flavour and elegance. Saxe, 211 Queen St, Melbourne, Vic, (03) 9089 6699. MICHAEL HARDEN, VICTORIA EDITOR

CUTTLEFISH, CHORIZO, CORN, SALSA NERO, Monster

It’s surf and turf on steroids. The cuttlefish is firm without being tough, chorizo and chickpeas add contrasting texture, and there’s a touch of sweetness from a purée of corn. A sauce that’s smoky, slightly acidic and full of punch pulls it all together. Monster, 25 Edinburgh Ave, Canberra, ACT, (02) 6287 6287. GARETH MEYER, ACT EDITOR