Neil Perry’s dish of the month

Chef Neil Perry shares his favourite meal of the month: fried potato, salted egg and uni from Sydney’s Poly.

Why I love it At first this dish seems simple but then a wave of amazingly complex flavours comes through. The fried potato cake is creamy and crisp and the seasoning of the salted egg yolk adds zing. Then that sweet uni [sea urchin] kicks in. While you can order the potato and egg combination alone, I love to add the uni – it’s like soft scrambled eggs with the long flavour of the sea. I always order a second serve – one is never enough.

The vibe Chef Mat Lindsay is one of the great cooks in Sydney. Poly and his first restaurant, Ester, (get it?) are doing perfectly crafted modern food in a relaxed environment, making them both such a joy to dine at. Poly’s dining room is sleek and simple, with the open kitchen and fire at its heart. It’s one of the city’s coolest spots but Lindsay’s playfulness means you’re in for a fun and whimsical experience.

What else is on the menu It runs through a series of snacks and builds to a few main-sized dishes – expect Asian flavours combined with native ingredients and highquality produce. Everything is delicious. And don’t skip dessert: the queen of puddings is an awesome tricked-up tiramisu with layers of coffee-dunked savoiardi biscuits and a cacao mousse topped with a light mascarpone and Italian meringue kisses to finish it off. It’s a textural masterpiece.

Goes well with A crisp riesling is a great foil for the rich creaminess of the fried potato dish. Or put yourself in the capable hands of the staff – they take diners on a journey through the natural wine list.

Where to get it Poly takes a mix of bookings and walk-ins as well as providing the room service at the Paramount Hotel, which is above the restaurant.

74-76 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills; (02) 8860 0808; polysurryhills.com.au