Time Out Editors' dishes of the year 2023

Choosing a favourite dish of the year is a near-impossible task for me, considering I eat and drink for a living (I know, terrible job, someone has to do it etc). I reckon Sydney’s dining scene is five-star, and many plates have stopped me in my tracks this year. But the pigs head fritti with sauce gribiche at Bar Copains is my number-one pick. Well-seasoned shredded pork is crumbed, fried and comes out looking like a perfectly golden, crisp nugget. Sliced zippy pickled cucumber on top cuts through the richness of the meat, while a dollop of herby sauce gribiche sings of tarragon, adding freshness and creaminess. The bite-sized balanced snack has bags of flavour and attitude – and for me, was a showstopper.

A fish sambo may be simple, but done right – with fluffy white bread, crispy battered fish, creamy tartare and a zingy pickle (all washed down with a glass of pinot) – it can be simply the best thing I've eaten all year. Cheers to Le Foote's bar menu, which features perfect drinking food like this. 

The first time I tried Masala Theory's curry bombs they blew my mind. They're like a little explosion in your mouth. You bite through the crunchy shell and then get hit with the buttery curry flavours on the inside. I could easily demolish a number of plates for myself.

My go-to for sweet treats that won’t upset my dairy-intolerant tum is vegan bakery-café Miss Sina in Marrickville – and I literally cannot stop dreaming about 'the piecaken'. This seasonal addition to the menu is five desserts in one, a sweet vegan riff on that bastardisation of the holiday stable, 'the turducken'. Piecaken starts with a base of sticky, crunchy pecan pie, topped with a layer of pumpkin pie, fluffy spiced cake, and apple pie filling. Then it's all crowned with silky cinnamon buttercream. By some miracle of baker Sina Klug’s patisserie wizardry, it doesn’t taste overly rich – it's the perfect balance of textures and spices. Paired with the insanely good gravy-dip sandwich (yes, also vegan), it’s the ultimate comfort feast. (P.S. Miss Sina also has a mini shop on Holt Street in Surry Hills, for those emergency treats during the working week.)

There’s a reason Dan Pepperell’s pretzel with whipped bottarga hasn’t left 10 William St's menu since the intimate Italian restaurant opened more than a decade ago. It’s a divinely umami poem of salt, carbs and fat. It’s uncomplicated and dignified but oh-so impossible to replicate. I aspire to hold more innovative, controversial opinions, but until then – this plate of perfection will remain my number one.

I can’t stop thinking about the agebitashi eggplant at Ito, Surry Hills’ freshest Japanese-Italian izakaya. The perfectly pillowy eggplant comes in a pool of tomato kaeshi (a sweet-salty potion), with a creamy layer of sesame sauce and a confetti of crunchy bits on top. It’s a sure upgrade from your typical miso eggplant, and spooning into it is about as addictive as listening to Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’ on repeat – and that says a lot, for me.

Look, I had to sneak in another dish because the passionfruit tart from Bistro George is simply sublime (and, that’s coming from a salt and vinegar fiend). The pastry work is flawless – crumbly, not too thick, buttery. The tart filling is silky smooth, sweet, sour and bursting with summer flavour, and the cream brings reprieve. It’s the best dessert I’ve had all year, and I reckon you’d love it, too. Lemon tart, watch out.