The Australian Traveller team couldn’t agree on the Top 100, so they took it upon themselves to give their favourite from the final list, as well as the ones they wish could have made it. Who do you side with? Log on and let us know if we all missed one too . . .
Greg Barton
Favourite from the 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences:
The Great Aussie BBQ. It’s something that will always be an iconic Australian experience, but it doesn’t limit itself to being a “basic" or “non-gourmet". Yes, you can stick to the script of sausages, beer, more sausages and more beer, but if you fancy yourself as more of a Matt Moran type, there’s nothing to prevent you from barbequing a nice piece of fish and bringing it to that Masterchef level with a few more sophisticated accompaniments. For that reason alone, it’s the great social equaliser. Something that can bring all Australians together.
One That Got Away
I was quietly devastated when Eating a Pie and Sauce at the Boxing Day Test at the MCG didn’t make the Final 100. Again, it can be a simple Four’n’Twenty or dolled up to something more gourmet. I have vivid memories of bonding with my Dad as he showed me how to get that sauce onto your pie with one hand, while leaving the other hand free to drink a beer (soft drink for me at that age), all while keeping one eye on the batsmen at the crease. I hope some day to teach my son how to do the exact same thing.
Quentin Long
Favourite from the 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences:
Sorry, but anything that’s two days of nose-to-tail cooking of an entire pig where you learn butchery, cooking, vegetable cultivation and more cooking is just too good to be true – it has to be The Agrarian Kitchen.
One That Got Away:
Clairault Margaret River. A fabulous lunchtime restaurant in Margaret River wine country that is everything the Margaret River needs to be.
Nigel Herbert
Favourite from the 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences:
Taste of Tasmania. It’s the best way to spend the New Year in Australia. Full stop. If I had a magical transporter machine, I would have New Year’s in Sydney, staying at the Four Seasons, then I would roll out of bed on New Year’s Day and be magically whisked to Constitution Dock in Hobart. Where I could sit in the sun, nurse my hangover while listening to Jazz and watching the boats form the Sydney to Hobart roll in. All the while eating the world’s best oysters, matched with great wine. This is the best-known hangover recuperation session on the planet.
One That Got Away:
BBQ King in Chinatown. It’s not the best duck but it has that brutal Chinese efficiency. I think the soup nazi in Seinfeld was modelled on these guys. It’s an experience. And it is the best way to end a Friday night in Sydney.
Lisa Perkovic
Favourite from the 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences:
Sunnybrae Restaurant and Cooking School – George Biron wins you over with his passion for Australian produce, teaching and a good meal.
One That Got Away:
Jannei Goat Dairy – these Lithgow cheesemakers live and breathe for their produce and it shows. The goat curd is divine.
Jane Abma
Favourite from the 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences:
The Turkish-gourmand delight of Ottoman Cuisine in Canberra. On my last visit there, I gave three of my senses the evening off so I could fully appreciate what was a truly orgasmic fusion of taste and smell – a sensory adventure I will never forget.
One That Got Away:
I would have to say the Fort Denison Cheese & Wine Experience – I have already given personal reviews to certain cheese-loving comrades encouraging them to do it before the year is out because it really is fascinating.
Alex Barnett
Favourite from the 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences:
MoVida, because it was Great Food and an all round fantastic venue and when Nigel asked the waiter would that be enough he made a smug laugh and said “You’ll see" . . . needless to say what followed was not enough for such amazing food.
One That Got Away:
Won Ton Noodle Soup with Extra Won Tons and Egg Noodle From Cafe China in Cairns or Happy Chef on Sussex. A Sunday tradition for the past two years, it’s just great food.
Megan Russell
Favourite from the 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences:
Nothing beats The Great Aussie BBQ during summer!
One That Got Away:
Enjoying a Sunday pub lunch – it’s gotta be a pint and parma at your favourite local pub.
