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Showing posts with label Sepia Martin Benn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sepia Martin Benn. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Rick Stein Accepts Award For Lyndey

What flat-lining economy ?. If last night's The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2012 launch and restaurant award announcements are anything to go by, the dining business is booming with more than 950 establishments listed including more than 100 new places to eat.
Rick Stein & Sarah Burns

The 27th edition of the book and one of the largest to date was launched last night at the magnificent 1920's Byron Kennedy Hall in the Fox Entertainment Centre (corner of Errol Flynn and Peter Finch Boulevards) with 400 guests sipping Louis Roederer champagne.

The awards consist of one, two and three hats and the usual suspects topped this year's winners. Those awarded three included Quay which regularly tops international awards, Marque in Surry Hills, a newcomer on the block Sepia in the city and Bilsons run by the Godfather of Australian modern cuisine, Tony Bilson and Est, part of Justin Hemmes' empire with chef Peter Doyle.

Porteno in Surry Hills won Plumms Wine Glasses Best New Restaurant.

Tony Bilson makes a point to Patrick Benamou








40 reviewers put together the guide and the awards presided over by the SMH restaurant reviewer Terry Durack and co-editor of the guide Joanna Saville.
 
Terry Robinson  the chef at Sepia picked up the The Josephine Pignolet Best Young Chef while one of the countries favourite food identities Lyndey Milan was awarded the Vittoria (coffee) Legend Award. Lyndey is in Ireland filming a new TV series so good pal Rick Stein jetted in to accept the award on her behalf.

A full list of the awards is here.

Terry Durack & Jill Dupleix
Rachael & Sarah Doyle from Porteno
















James Valentine MCd
Kin Chen & Kylie Kwong
    














Terry Robinson from Sepia
Three Hats for Peter Gilmore of Quay
                                                                                                                 

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Only The Best

It's one of the world's finest champagnes so when Laurent Perrier announced they were launching two new versions the Shuttle felt that it would be only good manners to help them out.

Sepia is a relatively new bar and restaurant in downtown Sussex Street not far from Chinatown and it's quickly developed a  reputation for it's atmosphere and fine food presided over  by Martin Benn whose credentials are impeccable. Recently from the Boathouse, Glebe's top eatery but formerly Benn was head chef at Tetsuyas.

nice-Natarsha Belling at Laurent Perrier
And Tetsuyas -as anyone worth his salt knows, has received more world awards than one can poke a fork at including being voted amongst the fifty best restaurants in the world for 8 years.  Owner and chef Tetsuya Wakuda has now reached God-like status in his birth country Japan where he commands audiences in the thousands when he makes an appearance there. One of his regular customers David Bowie makes side trips to Sydney just to eat at Tetsuyas.

Georgia Stenmark & Gretel Packer at Sepia
So Marin Benn has been part of that magic and has now brought it to his own establishment, aided by partner Vicki Wild in a New York  type brasserie with Japanese and French influenced food that is quite simply, sensational.

But more on that champagne: Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut and Brut Millesime 2002 which are really quite superb and were served in copious amounts at the tasting.

Taste is far too personal to describe the exquisiteness of these two bubblys. Just go and grab a bottle now as they are on sale at $140 and $120 respectively. You will definitely not be disappointed.
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We've just scored a pair of tickets for Elton John's show at the Hope Estate at Polkolbin in the Hunter Valley in December.

This is how spectaculars always should have been-at one of the world's finest vineyards. Hope have really hit the jackpot with this brilliant concept by joining with promoter Michael Chugg , so much so they have now built their own 19000 seat amphitheatre. Recent shows have included The Who and Neil Diamond.

Pepper's Convent
It makes for one of the most pleasant weekends- a two hour drive to the glorious Hunter (especially in December), stay at one of the cheery hotels and guest houses (we always stay at Peppers, either the guesthouse or the Convent) and dinner at one of dozens of fantastic restaurants in the area and then on to the concert.

But you have to book now!. It will be sold out by September. Book here 
 ## And we will have 2 tickets to be given as prizes for Elton's just announced concert at Star City-there will only be 2000 seats !. More later.