Every so often, you eat something so good it lives rent-free in your brain for years to come. This week, I had one of those moments – but it wasn’t just a single dish, it was a multi-course meal cooked by two of Australia’s top chefs: rising young star KyongHo Daniel Choi and his mentor, the legendary Josh Niland of Saint Peter – Australia’s only entry in The World's 50 Best Restaurants. It was a bucket-list experience to say the least, and I’m here to give you a little look at everything they cooked.
To start, how did I end up at a lunch hosted by two award-winning chefs? Earlier this year, Choi won the Pacific Region chapter of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition (SPYCA) 2024/25. In October, he’ll head to Milan to go head-to-head with 14 other rising stars under 30 for the title of the world’s best young chef. To mark the milestone, Choi’s mentor, Josh Niland, hosted a special lunch at Saint Peter – where we got to taste both Choi’s award-winning dish and a selection of Niland’s signature creations.
First course: Fish Butchery Charcuterie
Niland is best known for his revolutionary fin-to-tail approach to seafood, and that’s most apparent in his inventive fish charcuterie. At Fish Butchery in Waterloo, his team transform lesser-known fish cuts – like tuna heart, fish eyes and kingfish collar – into meat-like delicacies. This starter featured a skewer of swordfish belly bacon, Murray cod chorizo and striped marlin ham, among other cuts. It was paired with a quartet of tiny tarts, including coral trout head terrine and John dory liver pâte.
Second course: Salt and Vinegar King George Whiting
Next was my favourite course: delicate slices of King George whiting bathed in slightly warm oil and olive brine. It was served with a thick slice of Fiore sourdough, and we were instructed to “rip, dip, butter and fish” to our heart’s content.
Third course: Hand-Line-Caught Coral Trout with Savagnin Butter
After that came a seasonal take on another Saint Peter tasting menu classic: hand-line-caught coral trout with Savagnin butter. A light foam nodded to the sea, while borlotti beans and stinging nettles added earthiness, and sliced grapes rounded it out with a burst of sweetness.
Fourth course: 12-Day Dry-Aged Swordfish with Cabbage Gochujang, Cheddar, Apple and Potato
And now the moment everyone had been waiting for… chef Choi’s winning dish from the SYPCA Pacific Regional Final. Originally titled ‘Bacon and Cabbage, or Pork and Kimchi’, the dish reimagines the flavours of his childhood through a modern, fine-dining lens. Gochujang and kimchi pay homage to his Korean roots, while potato and cheddar nod to his Irish upbringing. Since we were at a seafood-focused restaurant, Choi and Niland swapped the bacon and pork for swordfish, showcasing their creativity and collaboration.
Choi said, “To represent Australia and the Pacific at SPYCA is an honour. I’m flying a few flags – Irish, Korean and Australian – and wanted my dish to reflect that mix of cultures and personality. Our region is rich with stories, ingredients, and traditions that deserve to be celebrated, and I’m proud to carry that to a global stage.”
Final course: Sweets from the Sea
To finish, guests were treated to a quintet of bite-sized desserts that you’d never guess were made of seafood. Think yellowfin tuna bone marrow fudge, a caviar canelé and a choux bun with a filling made from fish offcuts.
This was a seriously spectacular meal in a seriously spectacular setting by a seriously spectacular duo. While I tried each course, I opted for some of the vegetarian alternatives and was blown away by how equally innovative and delicious they were – a real testament to the chefs’ creativity and skills.
Choi will now fly to Milan to compete in the SPYCA grand finale, running from October 27 to 30. There, his dish will be judged by a panel of seven world-renowned chefs – and we have no doubt they’ll be just as impressed as we were. You can keep up to date with the competition results here.