A nomad is a person without a permanent home, but while the head chef here travels regularly for overseas inspiration, to Surry Hills she always returns. Jacqui Challinor is one of Sydney’s hot female chefs to keep an eye on, known for her ongoing search for new, more sustainable, local, ingredients that she treats with her own global nous and prowess on the pans.

The produce is local, but the inspiration comes from distant shores – as far as Spain, Morocco and France – and the menu spans kingfish ceviche with avocado and finger lime, to David Blackmore wagyu tongue with Jersey yoghurt and chilli oil. There’s a menu pointer to leaves from “Marty’s Garden”, the chef-turned-producer Martin Boetz (ex-Longrain) who can now be found on his Hawkesbury farm Cooks Co-op, and free-range Melanda pork.

Great care has been taken around produce selection, and in turn it shines on the plate. Wood-roasted rainbow trout is an often-seen fish turned splendid, stuffed with sweet and sour diced eggplant and wrapped in vine leaves. The result is a symphony of soft, salt and fragrant that stands out from the crowd of whole fish in Sydney restaurants.

The room is textbook industrial chic, with large steel-frame windows, wine barrels, distressed timber and an open kitchen. It’s large, and the 180-seater means service can feel scattered. A little more advice would be helpful on the wine, especially at lunchtime, but all is forgiven when everything lands. The house-made goat’s yoghurt sorbet is good, but matched with Hawkesbury figs and honeycomb, and a glass of De Iuliis Late Picked Semillon, the whole world shines.

Must eat dish: Wood-roasted rainbow trout wrapped in vine leaves
Instagram: @nomadsydney