Who’s pinching the great chefs of Melbourne? Sydney. Khanh Nguyen, the executive chef at Aru when it swept the Restaurant of the Year category at The Age Good Food Guide Awards in Melbourne last November, is headed to Sydney start-up King Clarence, which opens on Friday, December 1.

King Clarence co-owner Brent Savage says it isn’t so much pinching as reclaiming. Nguyen was raised in Sydney, and worked for Savage and Nick Hildebrandt’s Bentley Restaurant Group (Bentley, Monopole, Cirrus Dining) before climbing to the top of the restaurant pile in Melbourne.

“You could always tell Khanh was going to make it. He’s super dedicated, always had his eye on the prize,” Savage says.

With The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 Awards to be held tonight, Nguyen’s signature is a promising early addition for next year’s budding contenders.

Savage, who has been awarded the prestigious Chef of the Year twice, says Nguyen will be given reign over the King Clarence kitchen, which will open on the corner of King and Clarence streets, in the Sydney CBD. The restaurant’s incoming Australian-Vietnamese executive chef is already trialling dishes for its opening menu.

“Khanh’s 14-day dry-aged duck is his signature. There’ll also be a wood-roasted pork belly ssam with condiments, kimchi and a fermented chilli sauce,” Savage says. The contemporary Asian restaurant will feature a custom-built barbecue and grill, and a live seafood tank.

Nguyen, who also worked at Mr. Wong in Sydney, remained in touch with Savage and Hildebrandt after he moved to Melbourne: “They’ve both been amazing mentors for me and I’m so excited to work alongside them once again ... I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my career and spending more time in Sydney.”

Cirrus head sommelier Polly Mackarel will also join the King Clarence team for its December launch. It’s a promising sign for the Asian food and wine matching – last month she and Hildebrandt took out the Judy Hirst Award for Australia’s Wine List of the Year at Cirrus.

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 is on sale for $14.95 from newsagents, supermarkets and at thestore.com.au. It features more than 450 NSW and ACT venues, from three-hatted fine-diners, to suburban wine bars, regional chicken shops and food-court icons. Venues listed in the Guide are visited anonymously by professional restaurant critics, who review independently. Venues are chosen at our discretion.