Most Mondays, I’m wading through my inbox and writing up the latest Sydney food and drink news, and usually in track pants (WFH on Mondays for the win). Not yesterday. I, along with Time Out Sydney editor Alice and a handful of food writers, were lucky enough to be invited to lunch at Australia’s best restaurant, Quay, to celebrate and taste the San Pellegrino Young Chef Pacific Region winner’s dish by chef Robin Wagner. There are worse ways to start the week.
An annual event, the San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition identifies the best young chefs from around the world to showcase their talent and support the next generation of culinary wizards. In other words, it’s a Pretty Big Deal in the food world.
The Pacific regional competition went down in Sydney in October 2022, where chefs cooked their dish for a line-up of star-studded judges, including Saint Peter’s Josh Niland, Nomad’s Jacqui Challinor and Quay’s Peter Gilmore.
Robin Wagner – who has worked at Sepia, has been the head chef at Artisans of Barossa and most recently was the sous chef at Magill Estate Restaurant – came out on top with his winning dish that Niland said: “was the best dish I’ve had all year.”
And the dish? Smoked celeriac with Granny Smith apple and crispy taro. Oh, and it’s 100 per cent vegan, which Wagner says is a nod to the economic environment we find ourselves in, as well as the actual environment.
We sat in Quay’s Upper Tower, which overlooks the turquoise harbour and Sydney’s most famous house, and is probably the nicest room I’ve ever been in. Sunlight poured in and a waiter poured me a glass of riesling. And I thought to myself: LG.
The meal kicked off with a few glorious snacks and starters by Gilmore: seaweed and oyster cream chocolate; white asparagus with sea salt; and a perfect seaweed tart with oyster cream and Oscietra caviar. We then had Abrolhos Islands scallops with katsuobushi (dried bonito) cream, sea cucumber crackling, Murray cod roe and white flowers (which looked like art and cements why Gilmore is one of the world’s best chefs).
Then, it was time for the main event, Wagner’s winning dish, which as mentioned featured only three core ingredients. It was a textural delight, with crisp taro, ribbons of charred, smoky apple, creamy and umami-rich celeriac and zippy apple granita that melted in my mouth. It was bright, layered, balanced and a joy to eat – which was evident as no one spoke a word while we ate.
In short, it was a masterpiece – and unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before.
“What I think really impressed us about Robin’s dish was the depth of flavour and texture from simple and humble ingredients: celeriac, taro and apple, that danced across the palette in a balance of textures and temperatures,” said Gilmore.
Wagner will now head to Milan for the Grand Finale, where he will represent Australia and the Pacific against 14 other regional winners from across the world as one of them is crowned the best young chef in the world. The coolest bit? Wagner’s mentor is the one and only Peter Gilmore, who will be making the journey over to Milan with him. Which, let’s be honest, is a dream come true for any chef (or food lover).
“It’s a really clever dish, and it’s going to do us proud,” said Gilmore with a smile.
Good luck, Wagner. You’re already a winner in Australia’s book.