The restaurant with more hats than Gai Waterhouse . . . a user's guide to the enigma of Tetsuya's

pic courtesy www.smh.com.au

According to its wiki entry, 'Tetsuya's is a restaurant in Sydney owned by Tetsuya Wakuda. Tetsuya's cuisine is based on Australian, Japanese and classic French sensibilities, and makes use of Australia's bountiful ingredients including Tasmanian Ocean Trout, which forms his signature dish. Tetsuya's is housed in the former Suntory building in the centre of Sydney, which accounts for its Japanese design. This is the second restaurant under the same name, its predecessor in the late 1980s and into the 1990s having been in a terrace house of a style typical of the Sydney inner-western suburb of Rozelle. It is located on 529 Kent Street, Sydney.'

Right. That's the official version.

To me, there's always been an enigma to the name Tetsuya's. Even a reverence to the point where you feel like bowing as each dish lands on the table, then quietly clapping, or even giving a standing ovation, as the empty plate is taken away.

Awarded every food award possible (it really does have more hats than that aforementioned horse trainer) and a constant fixture on the credible SMH Good Food Guide it even made it, in 2007, to being fifth best restaurant in the world (according to Restaurant magazine).

With the chances being that many may never get there, due to geographical difficulties or just other financial priorities, I thought I would give you a lay-person's reasons why it deserves the hats, the back-slaps and an inclusion in the prestigious Relais & Chateaux directory, which features many of world's best restaurants, lodges and hotels.

I will leave serious food and wine commentary to those who do that so very well (thank you Simon Thomsen, Terry Durack, Winsor Dobbin, Nick Ryan et al) but as a diner going along as a guest again (the last time I was there I sat alongside Cate Blanchett when she was unveiled her SK11 ambassador role) it is a true dining experience.

The nine course degustation lunch (brilliantly served and savoured in just over two hours) started with a glass of Moet & Chandon Rose thrust (more like 'nicely placed' into my hand) as I stood around with head honco Anthony Knox chatting about all thing Relais & Chateaux-ey.

Looking out onto a tranquil Japanese-inspired garden, we started with some chilled soup with chestnut pumpkin; then sashimi of kingfish with blackbean and orange (served with a mighty fine Tomsnohikari sake) followed by soft roast scampi tails matched with a 'Pierro for Tetsuya's' perfect chardonnay.

Then it was time for Tets' piece de resistance and signature dish - his Salad of Confit Ocean Trout, this one served Zucchini and non-pasteurised roe.

'Signature' because he hand pics the trout that is used and double signature because it literally does melt or fall away in your mouth. Yes, in the Malteser 'melt and fall' sense of the words.

It was like Maxwell Smart's 'cone of silence' has descended on the room as fellow diners savored every mouthful and not one plate was left untouched.

The ravioli of octopus, breast of chicken with corn and foie gras, the grass fed Tasmanian Angus beef were the final 'mains' before desserts of soup of Pione Grapes with Sauternes sorbet and salted sable (a form of shortbread) with lemon scented leather wood honey completed the menu.

I think people get slightly scared of degustation menus. They always sound like some madly, ridiculous amount of food as course by course comes out.

But for some strange reason, the balance of how they are served works brilliantly.

There isn't one moment you get that 'I am so full because I just ate an entire pizza' feeling. Promise.

Rarified food has been bought back down to earth since the success of various food-inspired TV shows and the rise and rise of the celebrity chef, and as far as I am concerned, we need to knock out of our minds that an 'experience' like Tetsuya's is just for a 'special occasion'.

Simply, like fellow chefs Justin North, Neil Perry, Guillaume Brahimi, Dietmar Sawyere, Peter Gilmore, Sean Connolly and Matt Moran, Tetsuya creates extra-ordinary food because it is their passion.

And aren't we lucky to have so many passionate cooks willing to do it for us.

Can't wait to go back.

There are prices and all that important stuff at http://www.testsuyas.com/ or take a look at http://www.relaischateaux.com/ for what else makes their culinary and hotel grade . . . .