Josh Niland takes out The Good Food Guide’s chef of the year award
The Good Food Guide has held its award ceremony, with Josh Niland, the man behind the tuna cheeseburger phenomenon, taking out the top individual award.
The Good Food Guide Awards, presented by Vittoria Coffee and Oceania Cruises held at Art Gallery of NSW on Monday night, brought together around 300 of NSW’s and indeed Australia’s best chefs.
Attendees included Kylie Kwong, Neil Perry, Justin Hemmes, Dan Hong and Matt Moran.
Niland was awarded Oceania Cruises Chef of the Year in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024. The accolade is seven years in the making, with the popular chef behind the two-hatted Paddington fish restaurant Saint Peter seafood bistro, Petermen, in St Leonards.
Niland operates both restaurants with his wife.
“The award is certainly overdue,” Good Food Guide editor Callan Boys said.
“Josh has long been developing and refining techniques that make use of every part of the fish, and changing the way Australians think about cooking and eating seafood.
“It’s not all flathead mortadella, though – he also happens to fry the best fish and chips in town.”
Niland will open a Singapore version of the restaurant later this year.
Neil Perry was another winner with Double Bay fine-diner Margaret named Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of the Year.
“It’s also just a beautiful room where you can sit back and enjoy a two-bottle lunch in the hands of a well-rehearsed floor team. Neil is in the kitchen more often than not, with wife Samantha and daughters Josephine, Macy and Indy on the floor.
“In a dining space increasingly dominated by the same hospitality groups, Sydney needs more singular family-run restaurants like it,” Boys said.
While Margaret wasn’t given three hats, of the award Boys said, “We’re looking for somewhere that pushes the hospitality industry forward and supports Australian producers, as well as cooking straight-up delicious food.”
The three restaurants that came away with three hats include: Stanmore’s Sixpenny, Oncore by Clare Smyth at Crown, and harbourside stalwart Quay, which has been awarded three hats for the past 22 years.
“That reason is chef Peter Gilmore, who sleeps, eats and breathes flavour.”
Canberra’s one-hatted Such and Such took the title of Aurum Poultry Co. New Restaurant of the Year.
“It represents everything that’s fresh and thrilling about dining across NSW and the ACT right now,” Boys said.
Kylie Kwong, who Boys called “a true legend” accepted the Vittoria Coffee Legend Award for outstanding long-term contribution to the hospitality industry.
Cafe of the Year went to Happyfield in Haberfield and the inaugural Critics’ Pick of the Year went to Malay Chinese Noodle Bar in Circular Quay.
“This year we’ve introduced a Critics’ Pick tick to the Guide for places that don’t quite reach the score for a hat – perhaps it’s a counter-service pizzeria, or tiny shop with only two tables – but our reviewers are big fans of the food and experience regardless,” Boys says.
While not receiving any award, independent venues including Darlinghurst sake bar Amuro, Surry Hills Sri Lankan restaurant Kurumba, and Euro wine bar Caravin, in Potts Point were singled out as ones to watch.
Jonathan Jackson, 24th October 2023
