Porteno's Ben and Elvis named Chefs of the Year

Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz of Porteño the SMH Good Food Guide 2013 Chefs of the Year.

For the very first time in it's history the SMH Good Food Guide has named joint winners for Chef of the Year with Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz of Porteño being crowned Chefs of the Year at last night’s awards ceremony at Merivale's Establishment.

The Fink Group's Quay was named Restaurant of the Year and maintained it's three coveted chef hats along with Sepia, est., Marque Restaurant while Neil Perry's Rockpool on George moved back to top billing after seven years, joined by David Chang's Momofuku Seiobo - the only restaurant to be awarded three chef’s hats on debut and Best New Restaurant.

Of Quay's win co-editor of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2013, Joanna Savill, said: “Put simply, Quay is a world-class restaurant that has consistently put Sydney on the map internationally. It really stands out from the crowd, not least due to the ever-evolving brilliance of chef Peter Gilmore’s kitchen.”

Fellow Guide editor, Terry Durack, said that Quay’s well-deserved win was just one of the high points of what was a 'pretty crazy' year.

“Definitely the most exciting addition to Sydney dining during the year was the opening of Momofuku Seiobo, David Chang’s first venture outside New York City,” Durack said.

“It represents a whole new direction for high-level dining,” added Savill.

“We’re equally delighted to issue a joint Chefs of the Year award to Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz of Porteño. Their hugely individual and original style, as well as their pioneering role in ‘fire-to-table’dining, really deserve recognition at this level,” she said.

“We’re equally delighted to issue a joint Chefs of the Year award to Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz of Porteño. Their hugely individual and original style, as well as their pioneering role in ‘fire-to-table’ dining, really deserve recognition at this level,” she said.

For the low down on all the ups and down of the Chef Hats check out Winners, Losers, and lots of hats.

Source: Foodservice, 4 September 2012