Quay restaurant takes out delicious.100 People’s Choice win
It sparked fierce debate among readers but the delicious.100 People’s Choice winner has been crowned, with its head chef putting its success down to the restaurants evolving menu. SEE THE LIST OF NSW’S TOP 100 RESTAURANTS.
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Peter Gilmore is settling into his role as the humble ruler of Sydney dining.
For the second consecutive year Gilmore’s flagship fine-dining alter Quay has been named in the number one position in the delicious. 100 People’s Choice vote, and second in the critics’ vote.
It was a repeat of last year, where Quay was slotted in at number two behind Josh Niland’s seafood restaurant Saint Peter in Paddington by the critics, and at the top by the people.
It’s an honour not lost on the famously down-to-earth celebrity chef who is preparing to round his 19th year helming the world-famous, waterfront institution, now arguably the best in the country.
“It is something I never take for granted,” Gilmore said of Quay’s enduring popularity with diners.
“Getting industry recognition is one thing. But to get the people’s choice vote is something that little bit more special.
“Because when you think about it, we are a very high-end fine dining restaurant. We’re not the place people go to once a week,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.
“We are more like the place people might go to once a year and to still be voted as people’s favourite now, with 18 years behind us, it really means a lot.”
In a year which has seen many high-profile restaurant closures — most notably Paper Bird and Billy Kwong — Gilmore said the secret to Quay’s unshakeable success is his constantly evolving menu.
Pasta was added to the Quay menu for the first time this year while a stunning new dessert — titled simply Moo — a mix of Jersey milk, cream, burnt cocoa and caramel — has also helped raise the bar.
Soon Gilmore will add several more new dishes based around unlikely ingredients including striped peanuts from Byron Bay and pink Keravel heirloom onions from a grower in Newcastle.
“For me the creative side is what drives me,” he said.
“Coming up with new ideas and always pushing forward and experimenting with new things all the time. We just don’t rest on our laurels.”
Another notable mover on the People’s Choice list was inner city eatery Restaurant Hubert which jumped from ninth to second spot while Tetsuya’s jumped a massive 24 places from 47 to 23rd spot.
Delicious editor-in-chief Kerrie McCallum said she was blown away by the response to the People’s Choice vote which appeared to trigger some fierce loyalties among readers.
“It’s amazing to see how passionate readers are about their favourite restaurants,” McCallum, who applauded Quay’s place at the top of the list, said.
“They have been doing great things for many years but what’s really exciting is I think this year has been their best yet.
“After refurbishing 18 months ago and reinvigorating the menu, Peter Gilmore and the team at Quay have never been more on their game,” she said.
“They are superb but humble and even though it is a high-end experience, it is
still very delicious and they make diners feel very welcome and comfortable.”