This year, Sydney's Good Food Month is celebrating 20 years of food events, and the retro themes are strong across the programming.
There's going to be a '90s themed long lunch with Victor Liong (Lee Ho Fook) and Andy Bowdy (Saga) on Sun Oct 7. Your $99 ticket will get your a nostalgic riff on '90s culinary trends (hello, focaccia, desserts in cocktail glasses and balsamic glaze on everything), with beer, wine and a killer playlist.
If you prefer noughties nostalgia you'll want to book in for the Noughties Lunch with Mitch Orr (ACME) and Kate Reid (Lune Croissanterie) on Sun Oct 14, with beer, wine and hip hop.
The festival program is also harking back to the early days of the country's biggest cheffing names, with retrospective dinners from Bill Granger, Stephanie Alexander, Ross Lusted and Neil Perry.
Everyone's favourite outdoor eating extravaganza, the Night Noodle Markets, are back, featuring stalls from Gelato Messina, Hoy Pinoy, the Original Korean Twist Potato, Mr Bao, Shallot Thai, Donburi Station, Waffleland, Wonderbao, Donut Papi, Eat Fuh, Puffle, Poklol, Chat Thai, Teppanyaki Noodle, The Wagyu, May's Malaysian Hawker, Bangkok Street Food, Black Star Pastry, Satay Brothers McHenry Avenue, Grumpy G’s Kitchen, Chinese Dim Sum King, N2 Extreme Gelato, Chur Burger, yhe Hard Style Kitchen and Thai Riffic.
There will be international guests – Italy’s Isabella Potì and LA’s Jason Neroni – and a Young Chefs Lunch, plus a a celebration of Culinary Women of Influence: a three-course dinner created by Alia Glorie, head chef of hatted Perth institution Billie H; Alanna Sapwell (formerly at Saint Peter); and Karena Armstrong from The Salopian Inn in McLaren Vale; hosted by Momofuku Seiobo’s GM, Kylie Javier-Ashton.
For carb lovers there's a pasta battle between Federico Zanellato (LuMi), Federica Andrisani (Fico, Hobart), and Joel Valvasori-Pereza (Lulu La Delizia), and for our plant-based people there's a vegan pasta party with Melbourne's vegetable masters, Smith and Daughters.
Good Food Month runs across Sydney from Thu Oct 4 to Sun Oct 21. Tickets on sale now.
Hungry right now? Head out for Sydney's best cheap eats.