SIX DISHES

Gourmet Traveller staffers share their favourite plates of the moment.

Our favourite plates.

HAND-HARVESTED SEAFOOD, Quay

Start as you mean to continue. Peter Gilmore sets the tone for an exceptional meal as he opens Quay’s 10-course menu with this impossibly delicate, fresh seafood dish. Virgin soy and aged vinegar bring perfect balance to this feather-light delight. Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, Sydney, NSW. JOANNA HUNKIN, EDITOR

FISH AND CHIPS, Fish Butchery

Crisp, batter-fried pink ling with yoghurt tartare and thick, hand-cut chips, alongside a box of fried Ballina school prawns with hot cocktail sauce from the Fish Butchery takeaway counter make for one of Sydney’s most satisfying seafood spreads. 388 Oxford St, Paddington, NSW. MADELEINE BENTLEY, CONTRIBUTOR

CANNOLI, Lalla Rookh

Trust the chefs of Lalla Rookh to take a classic and make it even better. This Sicilian dessert arrives looking like its traditional self, crisp and dotted with pistachios, but it was the addition of savoury juniper that had me asking for seconds. 77 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA. LAURA JACOBS, ART DIRECTOR

BUSH CHOOK PIZZA, Si Paradiso

Does emu belong on a pizza? Paul Iskov, the chef behind native food pop-up Fervor, says yes. And this glorious pie starring emu pepperoni – a one-off pizza created for Beaufort Street hotspot Si Paradiso – suggests our man is onto something. 1/446 Beaufort St, Highgate, WA. MAX VEENHUYZEN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA EDITOR

BARBACOA DE CORDERO TACOS, La Casita

This Brunswick restaurant’s name may translate to “the little house”, but chef Josh Lewis is generating big ideas. Here, lamb is slow-cooked under coals, topped with zucchini pico de gallo and salsa, and served with a bowl of umami-rich braising juices to splash on top. 5/3 Fawcett St, Brunswick Heads, NSW. GEORGIE MEREDITH, WRITER & EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

MAZESOBA, Iiko Mazesoba

This Darling Square eatery specialises in a brothless style of ramen from Japan. The vegan version is very good, although you can also “un-veganise” it by adding a soft egg and cheese, and swirling it around to create a Japanese-style carbonara if you like. 86 Hay St, Haymarket, NSW. LEE TRAN LAM, NEWS EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR