‘Aussie probably punches harder than most’: Jamie Oliver ranks Sydney food as among the best

Superstar celebrity chef Jamie Oliver believes Sydney has one of the best food scenes, but unlike other renowned foodie cities, it isn’t intimidating.

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Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver believes Sydney’s food scene is comparable to the best in the world, yet isn’t as intimidating.

“Sydney has some of the best restaurants and best produce in the world,” Oliver told The Daily Telegraph.

“And Aussie across the board punches very high. If you look at the population when it comes to food, music, film, actors, producers, and Olympians, pound for pound, genuinely I think Aussie probably punches harder than most.

“You lot (Australians), I don’t know how you do it? I love trying out all of the different restaurants when I am in Sydney, there is so much to choose from and so many amazing world-leading chefs.”

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver pictured in Sydney today. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Oliver believes our strength lies in “serving up really incredible food but doing it in a place that you don’t feel out of place because you haven’t got a bow tie.”

Which is why Oliver believes one of the best restaurant in Sydney is a family-owned Italian pizzeria in Balmain.

Oliver made time in his busy schedule this week to dine at Gigi’s Pizzeria, after coming across Daniel Semrani’s work on social media about two years ago.

“The best thing I do in my job is find or see or observe hungry talent, the unexpected, I can see it and smell it from a mile off,” Oliver told The Daily Telegraph.

“As I get drawn to it, I fall in love with it. The best bit of my life is dropping in on strangers who I know are genius and surprising them. I love it and hopefully it makes them feel happy as well.”

The top chef is in Australia for the inaugural Jamie Oliver Food Hero Awards, at which The Daily Telegraph is presenting an award.

Oliver has a packed schedule of checking out local eateries between work commitments.

His favourites include Bar Copains in Surry Hills, Sean’s at Bondi and the original bills Darlinghurst.

Sydney Weekend review: Bar Copains,

Bar Copains wine bar in Surry Hills, NSW. Source: Supplied

Gigi’s was so good though, he intends on swinging past again during his short trip here.

“It is real, proper neighbourhood food,” Oliver said.

“I came to try the dough and it didn’t let down. In a world where everyone wants to be good at everything, he (Semrani) just privately goes into a room and makes the dough himself. And he has only got a certain amount each night, then he is sold out. I love that restraint, I love that commitment and I love that simplicity.”

Oliver, 49, said he is “desperate” to open his own restaurant in Australia again.

Roast Chicken at Seans restaurant at North Bondi. John Feder/The Australian

“I want to be here, there is so much good stuff so what am I going to do?” he said.

“That is a complex thing. Certainly in the early days of Jamie’s Italian, we did smash it. It didn’t work out in the end for a bunch of reasons but we did smash it so I’d love to have that again. I’d love to do something in Sydney, I am trying to find a partner currently that can allow me to be me. If I was really lucky as I get into my later years, I would love to be here at least three months of the year, ideally in the British winter.”

The Jamie Oliver Food Hero Awards meanwhile shine a light on the people and communities across the country doing brilliant things to inspire kids through food.

Held in Sydney on Wednesday, this newspaper is presenting the Food Educator of the Year category.

“I love bigging up other people and I think the Food Hero Awards is to celebrate with Australia at large amazing, unique, beautiful people doing beautiful things in communities that are changing lives,” he explained.

“Hopefully the Aussies will be as curious as to what that is as I am.”

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