Potato scallop or potato cake? It’s the former in NSW and Queensland, the latter in Victoria, Tasmania and SA. And over in WA it can be either – or even a potato fritter. Tasmanian-born chef Daniel Garwood has put paid to the age-old argument at his new restaurant in New York City by layering fresh sea scallop on the top of the tempura-battered potato.

It’s a blending of ideas that the 30-year-old says is very Australian. More likely, it is the product of his strong desire to stand out in a city that pits the best against the best. Just two weeks after opening his first restaurant, Acru, in Greenwich Village, he’s already being noticed by The New Yorker magazine as well as The New York Times, the latter noting the tasting menu’s Australian twang.