Signature Luxury Travel & Style
THAI temptation
A new level of Thai fine dining has arrived in Sydney, taking this nuanced cuisine to a whole new level, discovers Cathy Wagstaff.
After nearly two decades of cooking in and running notable kitchens across Europe, London and
Asia, internationally acclaimed chef Annita Potter has left David Thompson and his company to launch Viand, her own cutting-edge Thai restaurant in Woolloomooloo.
Potter’s globetrotting career began at 17 with an apprenticeship in Perth. Soon after, she was packing her bags for London and a dream job at David Thompson’s Michelin-starred (now defunct) Nahm, a restaurant that forever changed perceptions of Thai food. The talented Potter impressed, and she moved rapidly through the ranks to the position of sous-chef. Thompson then lured her to Thailand and into his company, which was developing the Long Chim concept. During the early stages of Long Chim’s conception she was posted between Cambodia and Vietnam to develop the culinary vision on luxury cruise ship Aqua Mekong; Potter would go on to open Long Chim outposts in Singapore and Sydney. Then when Thompson opened Aaharn in Hong Kong, Potter was at the helm, steering it to its first Michelin star in 2019.
Now Potter is back in Sydney and it’s her own restaurant concept creating a buzz, exciting diners with Thai cuisine that is familiar yet refreshingly new, and artfully crafted with flair, energy and precision. Potter says: “There are so many delicious and amazing Thai dishes that inspire me and made me look at Thai food differently. I love that our cuisine is different and that Viand sits apart from the others. Unique dining experiences are usually the ones you remember the most and so I want to bring that to our diners.”
And memorable it is. The dining room, stunningly embellished in crimson hues, sees the kitchen transformed into a stage, allowing guests to witness the artistry of Potter’s cooking while enjoying artfully presented dishes.
What struck me most as I undertook a journey through the theatre of Potter’s menu was the intoxicating layering of flavour. Her extensive knowledge of ingredients and innate understanding of the delicate balance needed for each dish is nothing short of culinary alchemy.
From the textural masterpiece of spanner crab smothered in pickled leek and river tamarind served with crisp slabs of puffed tapioca, to sublimely sticky aged pork and scampi topped with fresh herbs and salted duck egg relish, every element of Viand’s extraordinary elevated tasting menu was part of a perfect whole. viand.club