delicious.100: What’s hot and what’s not in NSW restaurants in 2022

Bumps of caviar, solo dining and prawn toast— after reviewing hundreds of restaurants for this year’s delicious. 100, reviewers Erina Starkey and Kate Gibbs share the top trends coming to a table near you.

After reviewing hundreds of restaurants for this year’s delicious. 100, reviewers Erina Starkey and Kate Gibbs share the top trends coming to a table near you. Here’s what’s on the menu for 2022.

WHAT’S HOT

Early bird

Can’t find a 7:30pm booking? We’re not even sure they exist anymore. As restaurants move towards a reservation-only model, they’ve opened up a new timeslot and we think your grandma’s going to love it. It’s official, the 5:30pm booking is the new 7:30pm. Sydneysiders are going out for dinner earlier than ever before, leaving plenty of time for a good night’s rest. It’s hard to argue with that.

Snack time

It’s official, the degustation is dead. Diners across the country are swapping out the long, drawn out dinner for an entire meal of snacks. Small plates mean you can try even more of the menu, plus you don’t have to share food with your dining companions if you don’t want to *cough* Covid. Newcomers like Paski serve up a whole menu of tasty titbits, from crunchy tapioca fritti to one-bite sausage crostini.

Delicious 100: Paski Restaurant, Sydney. Picture: Supplied

Prawn toast

A classic of country Chinese restaurants everywhere. Now the deep-fried triangles along with its neon Pink sweet and sour dipping sauce has made the leap from yum cha cart to restaurant table. Throwback Chinese eatery Lucky Prawn within The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre is Marrickville’s most popular restaurant right now, and its prawn toast – golden fried, a little greasy and made with sliced white bread from across the road – has a lot to do with that. Meanwhile over at Ms G’s in Potts Point, a crunchy slab of toast comes with a prawn topping and drizzle of yuzu aioli.

Delicious 100 Pictured at Bob Hawke's Beer & Leisure Centre in Marrickville is Chef Kim Nguyen and James Sinclair with Kims signature Prawn Toast. Picture: Tim Hunter

Martinis

The martini is back to being the toast of the town. But it’s about more than just what’s in the glass. Restaurants are now serving them on engraved silver trays while others have their own dedicated martini trolley so they can be shaken and stirred at the table. Whether you take yours wet, dry, dirty, with one olive or three, there’s a V-shaped glass for everyone at new martini bar Bar Planet in Newtown. The signature cocktail is made from a gin/vodka hybrid with a blend of three vermouths, garnished with an olive and lemon zest.

Omakase

Sharpen your chopsticks, there’s a new way to enjoy your favourite sushi dishes. Omakase is a multi-course set menu that is personally selected, prepared and served by the chef. Besuto in Circular Quay serves up 18 courses, most of which are nigiri topped with tuna, scallop, mackerel, and more. At Haco in Surry Hills, the tempura omakase includes 20 deep-fried courses, from battered prawns to foie gras fritters and crispy-coated wagyu cubes.

Images from the Instagram of Bay Nine Omakase at the Rocks. Picture: Instagram

Solo dining

Whether it’s because our other half is at home with symptoms or because we’re just fabulously solo, more of us want to go it alone when eating out. Restaurants are catering to our single status with snack plates portioned for one, as well as more bar and counter seating with views to the kitchen for entertainment. Just please don’t ask us “will you be dining alone this evening?”

Caviar bumps

Interest rates are on the rise, but that’s not going to stop Sydneysiders from enjoying the finer things in life. Forget the buckwheat blinis, the new way to enjoy caviar is as a “bump” on the back of your fist followed by an ice-cold shot of vodka. The trend first appeared at mimi’s two years ago, but you can now try it at S’More in Castlecrag and Botswana Butchery in the CBD.

Botswana Butchery restaurants. Picture: Supplied

Anchovies

Diners can’t get enough of these salty little fillets. Anchovies are an easy win for chefs, with some restaurants serving them still in the tin. If you’re lucky they might come with a side of hot buttered sourdough toast. La Salut in Redfern takes it to the next level with a salty cracker topped with manchego custard, tomato and a single Angelachu Cantabrian anchovy.

Delicious 100 – La Salut. Picture: Nikki To

WHAT’S NOT

Degustations

Walk ins

Cauliflower

Bone marrow

Late bookings