The Advertiser’s 2018 Food Awards winners: The Salopian Inn named Restaurant of the Year
A much-loved eatery has upstaged the more prestigious fine-dining restaurants to take top honours in The Advertiser’s 2018 Food Awards. SEE ALL THE WINNERS HERE
ON WEDNESDAY: We celebrate all the Food Awards winners in The Source SA
ON SUNDAY: The Advertiser Delicious 100 unveils SA’s 100 best restaurants on Advertiser.com.au
Much-loved McLaren Vale eatery The Salopian Inn, where owner/chef Karena Armstrong uses produce picked from her own garden each morning, has upstaged more prestigious fine-diners to be named The Advertiser Restaurant of the Year.
Armstrong was among more than 130 of the state’s best chefs, restaurant owners and other food heroes who gathered at Sir Keith Murdoch House on Monday night for the presentation of the The Advertiser Food Awards.
They also heard details of The Advertiser delicious 100, an exciting new ranked list of restaurants, which will be revealed exclusively on Advertiser.com.au on Sunday.
With the personal touch defining both its service and flawless cooking, The Salopian was a popular choice for our judges, who felt it perfectly captured the relaxed manner in which many people prefer to dine.
Rather than an elite, special occasion destination, they opted for a restaurant that fitted its regional community perfectly and they would happily visit every few weeks.
They also said that Armstrong’s cooking, backed by the resources of her productive backyard vegie patches and orchard, had gone to another level in recent times.
In other major accolades on the night, Jock Zonfrillo was named TAFE SA Chef of the Year for both his pioneering work with native ingredients at the acclaimed Orana and its more approachable downstairs sibling, Bistro Blackwood.
The award also recognises his commitment to supporting indigenous communities and preserving their food culture through the Orana Foundation and caps a stellar year in which he won the prestigious Basque Culinary World Prize for chefs improving society through gastronomy.
The Phan family, who have run Vietnam restaurant in Pennington for more than 30 years, were declared the Yalumba Adelaide Food Legends.
Citing the hard work and unwavering belief of Dinh Phan, wife Suong Thi Ho and their children, the judges said the restaurant was as popular as ever with the community in the surrounding western suburbs and food lovers were prepared to cross town for their favourite salads, hot pots and soups.
Other establishments to feature included the weird and wonderful d’Arenberg Cube (Best New Restaurant), city hot spots Shobosho (Best Japanese/Korean) and Golden Boy (Best South-East Asian), and the plush Empress Restaurant (Best Chinese). The Port Admiral was named Best Hotel, while near-neighbour La Popular Taqueria took out the prize for Cheap Eats.
New York-style deli The Flying Fig was judged the Best Cafe, while small venue pioneer Udaberri returned to the winners’ list when it was declared Best Bar.
The awards are based on unannounced visits to more than 120 of the state’s restaurants by The Advertiser team of reviewers during the year.
The 2018 Advertiser Food Awards
Restaurant of the Year
The Salopian Inn
McLaren Vale
Adelaide Food Legend
Phan family (Vietnam)
TAFE SA Chef of the Year
Jock Zonfrillo
Orana/Bistro Blackwood
CBD
Best New Restaurant
d’Arenberg Cube, McLaren Vale
Best Italian
Osteria Oggi, CBD
Best Chinese
Empress Restaurant, Toorak Gardens
Best South-East Asian
Golden Boy, CBD
Best Japanese/Korean
Shobosho, CBD
Best Indian
Cinnamon Club, Hyde Park
Best Regional Restaurant (Winery)
Fino at Seppeltsfield
Best Regional Restaurant (independent)
The Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale
Best Community/Suburban Restaurant
Topiary, Tea Tree Gully
Best Cheap Eats
La Popular Taqueria, Port Adelaide
Best cafe
The Flying Fig, North Adelaide
Best Hotel
Port Admiral, Port Adelaide
Best Bar
Udaberri
Best Service
George Kasimatis, Georges on Waymouth, CBD
Best Wine List
FermentAsian, Tanunda
A legend in the making since 1984
WHEN Dinh Phan came to Australia in 1975 aboard a crowded boat of Vietnamese refugees, dishes such as banh mi and pho would have been unknown to all but the most adventurous of travellers.
After moving to Adelaide and finding his feet over the next decade, Dinh opened a restaurant introducing the food he knew from home.
That was back in 1984 — as the staff uniforms proudly remind everyone who walks through the door of Vietnam.
Now, of course, Vietnamese food has become a staple everywhere from lunchtime food halls to slick pan-Asian diners. But the unassuming restaurant on Addison Rd is as busy as ever.
It is still run by Dinh, wife Suong Thi Ho and their children, whose hard work is recognised in the awards and clip-pings plastered along one wall.
It’s the first choice for both its local community and well-informed food lovers who are prepared to cross town for their favourite dishes. The dining room can be frenetic, even early in the evening, and the tables out the front on the footpath are frequently filled.
It’s a dining tradition that looks in safe hands with the next generation and that is why the Phan family are Adelaide Food Legends for 2018.
