Pilar Mitchell

The Malaysian-born chef, who trained in Europe before dedicating her later life to sharing her country’s cuisine, passed away in February. Writer Pilar Mitchell pays tribute to her friend, who helped raise the profile of Malaysian food in Sydney.

Alongside excellent beef pies and an array of regional bakery hits, the menu also features hard-to-find dishes like bak kut the and assam laksa.

The menu from Comedor’s Alejandro Huerta and Michelin-credentialled Galia Valadez isn’t Mexican, but there will be nods to the flavours of the chefs’ childhoods. A loose riff on Peking duck and a Guadalajara-style lamb barbacoa star, and a dessert Huerta says is “the best I’ve ever had in my life”.

There’s plenty of drama at Martin Place’s newest dining destination. From ravioli in kombu broth and tuna crudo with bottarga to a 24-layer chocolate cake, the Mille Vini team is crossing culinary borders with ease.

He’s moving to the mountains, heading up The Kyah’s dining room with his wife Galia Valadez. With a refined menu that draws on his Mexican heritage, he’s already discovering the power of networking in a small community.

The little wine bar’s chef residency program is for up-and-comers or those just looking to do something all their own – and the first is a P&V chef bringing a menu inspired by her Egyptian and Lebanese roots.

At Greenbergs, the menu is powered by an Ottolenghi-like reverence for vegetables – with textural salads and dressings so good you’ll want to drink them.

The menu looks to the Athens Riviera, with a contemporary Greek approach turning dishes like moussaka, dolmades and galaktoboureko on their heads.

Let’s get one thing straight: the brightly coloured, shelf-stable sweets at supermarkets aren’t mochi. The real thing is almost impossible to find in Australia.

From Japanese cheesecake shops to Javanese smashed chicken joints, Asian food and drink franchises are flocking to Australia. Can they give big fast food a run for its money?

The What If Society’s day-to-night venue The Studio wins with a punchy aperitivo hour, Southern Highlands produce and a blind menu – simply tell the chef how hungry you are.

Order bouncy handmade noodles doused in soy and chicken fat, spicy beef rendang with turmeric rice and more, then wash it down with a hibiscus tea or an iced coffee from the Starbucks of Indonesia.