News bites: Lunar New Year celebrations continue with wok battles, the world's best female chef and more

By Freya Herring|

Adam Liaw
Adam Liaw

The mid-week food news update:

Wok on!

Sydney’s The Galeries is celebrating Lunar New Year until 13 February. Don’t miss Battle of the Woks on 2 February, where the head chefs from The Galeries’ restaurants will be competing against each other to win a People’s Choice Award. And you, the public, are the judge. That’s right, head down to the CBD and sample dishes from Chat Thai, dumpling king Lotus, Malay eatery Jimmy’s Recipe and Japanese bento box resto Hotto Motto. And it’s all overseen by Masterchef’s Adam Liaw, aka the chillest man in food. Save us a spot!

The battle of the woks chef line up - Chat Thai, Lotus, Hotto Motto and Jimmy's head chefs

Earlier this week:

Ana Roš is the world's best female chef for 2017

So first thing's first: the fact that there is an award for the best female chef in the world is riddled with issues. Why is there a separation at all? But the fact is–sad as it is–there are a lot more male head chefs in the world's top restaurants than female, so if there wasn't this award, would women be receiving satisfactory recognition in this industry? Unlikely. Anyway, the World's 50 Best Restaurants have awarded Slovenian chef Ana Roš World's Best Female Chef 2017. Roš is a self-taught chef (a former national ski champion) who works alongside her sommelier husband, Valter, to run their restaurant Hiša Franko in Slovenia's Soča Valley. The food is both a celebration of local produce and of Slovenia’s culinary heritage. Roš will receive her award at the 2017 World’s 50 Best Restaurants award ceremony, taking place at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building on April 5.


Battle of the restos and imitation games

There has been a spot of drama at Sydney's Continental Deli Bar Bistro. The ridiculously excellent bistro has a copycat – and it's none other than Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton of international hospitality empire The Social Restaurant Group (which includes Kensington Street Social in Sydney's Chippendale within its portfolio). It seems that Atherton has opened a restaurant in London that strikes a remarkable resemblance to the Sydney restaurant – including a bistro focussed on charcuterie downstairs, with a posher joint up the stairs, and a range of cocktails in cans including one called the 'Martinny' (see our chat with them on why tinned food is back in fashion). For the uninitiated, these are all Continental's calling cards. They've even used a remarkably similar font for the logo and website of the London venue (which is called Temple and Sons, by the way). Continental aren't happy, as their staff's Instagram attests, and it's not hard to see why. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but in a game where originality, creativity and fundamentally great ideas are its very currency, this is pretty cutthroat.

(Continental Deli, Newtown. Rip off)

Cocktails and dreams

There's a major cocktail competition happening in Adelaide tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday January 31. Some of the city's best mixologists and baristas are competing to get a cocktail on the list at Bank Street Social during the Adelaide Fringe Festival in February. All they have to do is create a cocktail containing 30ml of milk from the Milklab range, 30ml of Mr Black coffee liqueur and 30ml espresso. Venues taking part include cafés Local Grind, Sad Café, Magill Estate Kitchen, The Topiary Café and Pane e Latte. They’ll be facing off against bars Maybe Mae, Hains and Co, NOLA, La Vigne and Electra House Hotel. Who will win? Whatever happens, they will be buzzed to the max.

Norway comes to Bondi

You may not know his name yet, but Tomi Bjorck is a big deal in Norway – he's one of their most famous celebrity chefs. And now he's opened up in little old Bondi, with Blanca Bar and Dining now trading. The food is a bit like Sydney's food scene in general; a little bit Asian, a little bit Euro and boasting a helluva lotta seafood. We're loving the sound of green shell mussels with kombu soy, lemon jam and marinated trout roe. And by God do the grilled king prawns and milky stracciatella, saffron butter, basil, bottarga and black garlic sound good. And can someone just shovel the cured wagyu with truffle crème, rosemary ponzu dressing and pickled mushrooms directly into our mouths? Thanks.


