100 things you must eat in SA

LOOSEN your belt and feast your eyes on this bucket list of the state's best food experiences. 

SA's top 100 food experiences: Part 4.

Reviews: Simon Wilkinson, Dianne Mattsson, Tony Love, Kylie Fleming, Katie Spain, Renato Castello, Michelangelo Rucci, Tory Shepherd, David Jean

Mixed nigiri sushi

Mixed sushi at Kenji.

Raw fish and rice are dime-a-dozen now in food halls and countless other outlets in the city and suburbs. But if you want to experience sushi and rice-free sashimi at its most exquisite, no one does it better than Kenji Ito. The fish is always first-rate and the presentation shows typical Japanese elegance. A mixed plate of nigiri sushi might include a perfect ruby slice of tuna, flame seared kingfish, a prawn dotted with fish roe and even squid.

While you’re there: Kenji is the only chef here licensed to serve puffer fish — be brave.

Kenji
5/242 Hutt St, Adelaide
8232 0944 

Thit lon cuon la lot

Miang Dish - Top 100 Dishes

These little parcels of betel leaves with caramelised pork are an obligatory introduction to the stunning South-East Asian flavours of chef Tuoi Do. Bite into the cooling, herbal betel leaf wrapper and the fireworks begin: the sweet, richness of the pork, sourness from the lime, the aromatics of ginger and galangal, a little bit of chilli heat that might leave a tingle on your tongue. Each component has been cut into the tiniest dice and the combination is in perfect balance, typical of the eye for detail and hard work of our 2012 Advertiser Chef of the Year. Let the feast begin.

While you’re there: Tuoi’s partner Grant Dickson has compiled one of the best, most personal wine lists we have seen.

FermentAsian
90 Murray St, Tanunda
8563 0765
www.fermentasian.com.au 

Eggnet salad

Eggnet salad at Golden Boy.

The spider-web parcel of egg strands almost looks too perfect to break open. Almost. It’s quickly forgotten when you begin delving into the filling of meaty prawns, pork, bean sprouts, a variety of herbs, all in a dressing which is bang-on in its balance of sweet, sour and salt. While the salad might be the eye-catcher among the Thai favourites at the hugely popular Golden Boy, the simplicity of Chinese broccoli in an earthy, zingy oyster sauce is also worth a second helping.

While you’re there: Finish with a layered ensemble of tapioca pearls in coconut milk, then mango and lychee salad, and a crown of granita with a blast of ginger.

Golden Boy
309 North Tce, Adelaide
8227 0799
www.goldenboyrestaurant.com 

Chicken skewers

Chicken skewers at Yakitori Takumi.

Watch and be amazed as owner/chef Eddie Ye feeds his entire restaurant from two tiny electric barbecues behind the bar. Yakitori Takumi is an eating experience straight from the streets of Tokyo, down to the big cans of Sapporo and other Japanese beer. You won’t find any sushi or sashimi here: just skewers of meat and veg, coated in a soy-based marinade, before being quickly grilled. There are more than 10 chicken choices alone, from cubes of thigh, with or without shiso leaf, to balls of minced meat with ginger, to hearts, liver and chicken with cheese, which tastes much better than it sounds.

While you’re there: Try the plum wine, but be careful.

Yakitori Takumi
Shop 60, 55 Melbourne St, North Adelaide
8239 2111
www.yakitori-takumi.com 

The Four Vindaloos

Ragini Dey with a platter at Dhaba at the Spice Kitchen.

Ragini Dey crisscrosses the vast repertoire of the Indian subcontinent like no-one else, leaping from Kashmiri lamb to Bengali beetroot in a single bound. Her signature “Four Vindaloos” is a case in point, taking one of the standards and twisting it into a platter of four curries that are very different — from the sweetness of pork neck to a beef and beetroot combination that might just raise a sweat, with eggplant and goat somewhere in between. She even has a glass of merlot that makes a good match.

While you’re there: Start with a selection of tiffins, or little snacks.

Dhaba at the Spice Kitchen
252 Kensington Rd, Leabrook
8431 4288
www.spicekitchen.com.au 

Tandoori raan

Dishes at Delhi Spice.

A suburban secret that we have been loath to share, Delhi Spice captures the atmosphere and flavours of India like few other places. The Tandoori raan is tremendous value, a whole leg of lamb that is marinated, cooked in the tandoor and then finished with a sauce of onions and tomatoes, presented bone-in on a platter if you are eating in (noisy, chaotic but great fun). At $27, it would cost as much to do yourself. Owner/chef Sukhdev Sharma goes to lengths not often seen in a place like this, cooking down a massive pot of fresh tomatoes for his butter chicken sauce, for instance.

While you’re there: Try the aloo eggplant.

Delhi Spice
271A-271C Oaklands Rd, Marion
8177 2355
www.delhispice.com.au 

Dosa

Dosa at Cinnamon Club.

The meat or paneer-stuffed dosa is a mini-feast for only $15. The delicious fermented paper-thin pancake made from rice batter and lentils is cooked on a special kitchen contraption, served as a cone for one or in an impressive curl for a crowd. Its chewy ends are great to sweep through more-ish veg and coconut chutneys on the side. The rest of the menu is imaginative and lighter than you would expect given its traditional grounding. It’s a casual space, with prices to match.

While you’re there: Also try the keema pao/roomali roti of spicy mince with toasted handkerchief bread, and the ultimate comfort dish, slow-cooked goat biryani.

Cinnamon Club
2/1 Margaret St, Norwood
8431 3311
www.cinnamonclub.net.au 

Shui Zhu fish

Shui Zuh Fish at From Orient.

Don’t be put off by the mix of chillies that float like driftwood on the surface of this invigorating Sichuan specialty. Yes, the dish is hot and peppery, but it won’t make flames come out your ears or have you gulping water. As with all the cooking at From Orient, this fish poached in a ginger and shallot oil is rendered with high-end sophistication, while still keeping its authentic roots.

While you’re there: Finish with the caramel crepes.

From Orient
125-127 Pirie St, Adelaide
8232 4020
www.fromorient.com.au 

Prawn dumpling

Prawn dumpling at Dim Well..

Easy to overlook among the Chinese eateries that line both sides of Gouger St, little Dim Well prepares the best dumplings we have found. The translucent skins are supple and tender, the filling always delicate and juicy. The prettiest of them is the prawn dumpling, its neck drawn up like a little moneybag, tied with a thin strip of chives, a sprinkling of golden fish roe on top. The chive dumpling is also excellent.

While you’re there: Order the hor fun noodle filled with prawns.

Dim Well
82 Gouger St, Adelaide
8211 8838 

Salt & pepper mini trotters

Park Lok

Off Broadway in the sense it’s a street away from more chaotic Chinatown digs, Park Lok is the new home for the much-loved Mr So of original T-Chow fame. He has resurfaced with many of his favourites and a challenging list of “regular specials” which attracts adventurous foodies and wine lovers. Among the handwritten list is a crazy plate piled with pork shin bone and chewy, glutinous meat, highly spiced though not stupidly chilli hot. They’re moreish beyond belief and have been known to attract high flying international fans.

While you’re there: try the classic cabbage rolls and tender duck.

Park Lok
130 Grote St, Adelaide
8212 8316