I’m greedy! Not for quantity, but for variety. I love sharing food – sampling lots of different dishes rather than just having a plate or two to myself. More and more restaurants are writing menus designed for sharing, and most of them also make decision-making easy by offering a selection of their favourite dishes as a set shared menu. So we can get straight down to ordering a drink and chatting with friends while the kitchen just sends out eats. Here are five of my favourite places to just say ‘please feed us’, where the food is delicious, abundant and ideal for sharing.
Chiosco Mosman
At his casual sunny diner on the wharf next to Ormeggio, Alessandro Pavoni’s Sharing Feast includes the likes of creamy burrata, semolina-coated baby squid, grilled split prawns, spicy chicken, corn-on-the-cob with pecorino and so much more – plus delicious sweet treats to finish. $65, 2 or more.
Mercado Sydney
www.mercadorestaurant.com.au
Rotisserie-cooked meats are the star of the set menu in this bustling basement where flavours are Moorish Spanish and everything is cured, fermented and preserved in-house: charcuterie, pickles, and ricotta with truffled honey, plus barbecued chorizo, great veg dishes and that stunning dulce de leche ice cream. $80, 3 or more.
Nomad Surry Hills
House-made charcuterie also features on the Feed Me menu at Sasi’s old digs, where chef Jacqui Challinor adds her own spin with the likes of ceviche with avocado and finger lime; confit lamb with grains, barberry & feta; and delicious Middle Eastern-inspired ice cream sandwiches. $69, 3 or more.
Long Chim Sydney
Thai food is all about balancing flavours and dishes, and David Thompson’s Maa Long Chim menu makes this deliciously easy. Start with a few snacks (love the grilled pork skewers) before a curry, salad, fried dish and soup then something sweet to finish (ahhh! banana roti). $68, 2 or more.
Kitchen by Mike Sydney
Mike McEnearney’s communal tables say it all. And his Mike’s Menu is a feast of the freshest and most exciting produce – like his stunning woodfired bread and house-churned butter, whole roasted flathead, goats cheese soufflé, ash-baked eggplant and seasonal desserts. $70, 2 or more.
