I love a prawn cocktail. The original party showstopper is a part of my youth, and I wasn’t convinced by chef Shannon Bennett’s playful tongue-in-cheek homage at first – well, until I tasted it. Five fat Mooloolabah king prawns are poached in court bouillon, then sprinkled with crumbled cured duck egg yolk, kombu, wasabi and finger lime. The ultimate finger food. DISH: Prawn cocktail CHEF: Shannon Bennett and Justin James

It’s renowned for its roast chook, but the tacos got me – I’ve even made an interpretation at home since downing them with a Farm Hand organic chardonnay. Soft tortillas hold diced South Australia hiramasa kingfish cured in lime juice, with the twang of pickles, a spritz of mint, earthy coriander and coconut cream on top. DISH: Kingfish ceviche tacos CHEF: Matt Moran and Mathew Fulford

Chef Mat Lindsay’s (Ester) food is as unique as it is breathtakingly delicious, and his garlic bread is the epitome of his culinary cachet. Grilled to order, it’s puffy, doughy, dense and mottled with fluorescent fresh young garlic. The aroma sets tongues wagging, its weight as you tear it open triggers anticipation, and the eating… well it’s the best garlic bread I’ve ever had. DISH: Garlic bread CHEF: Mat Lindsay

I should start by saying I’m a sucker for the classics: apple crumble, lemon tart, pavlova. Neil Perry’s rhubarb pudding has the very same culinary hug as if your grandma had made it. For all the glamour and glitz of the stunning room at Rockpool Bar & Grill, this dessert is at home here as it would be if you were in your tracky dacks on the sofa. Sweet, buttery and cakey, with a velvety vanilla cream poured at the table and that twang only new season rhubarb can deliver. Heaven. DISH: Rhubarb pudding CHEF: Neil Perry and Corey Costelloe

Lankan Filling Station, East Sydney.

This is real food, cooked with love, consideration for provenance and a keen sense of adventure, too. A crackling-coated wedge carved from a larger beast, our suckling pig was soft, delicate and sweet beneath the surface – but it was the array of sides that really floated my boat: salted cabbage with toasted sesame dressing; shredded potato with chilli oil, peanuts and black pepper; plum sauce, kim chi and cucumber pickles. One of the best shared feasts I’ve ever had. DISH: Wood-roasted suckling pig served with sides CHEF: Rodney Dunn and Ali Currey-Voumard

I’ve loved seeing the resurgence of the classic beef tartare, and what I loved even more was Natural History’s ode to keeping it as old school as possible – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. (Okay, they’ve added beef tendon chicharrón to provide the vehicle to scoop up textural O’Connor pasture-fed aged sirloin tartare laced with smoked oysters.) It’s served with all the usual condiments (eschalot, capers, garlic, chives, pickles) and a big bright-orange soy-cured yolk on top. It’s fabulous. DISH: Beef tartare CHEF: James Wilkinson and Morgan McGlone

I’ll be honest, I prefer Embla, the seductive wine bar downstairs, but Dave Verheul’s mastery with a piece of pork had me wanting to ascend to sibling Lesa again and again. Slowly cooked as an entire rack for hours above searingly hot binchotan coals, with the loin then sliced to order. Its pretty, blushing-pink flesh is seductively tender and the crackling as good as any I’ve experienced. It’s rich, but a clever little side of pickled walnut, crisp kale and buckwheat miso completes the dish beautifully. DISH: Pork loin, buckwheat miso, kale, pickled walnut CHEF: Dave Verheul

It was a rare cold night over in the West when this dish warmed more than my cockles. The Italian swagger inside this monolithic beast is something to savour – especially the sweet flesh of Exmouth tiger prawns. Topped with salsa verde, the prawns wade in the spicy punch of ’nduja that’s combined with the rich umami from the juices of the crustaceans’ heads to create a sauce that requires a serve of bread to mop up. Waiter, I’ll need a new bib! DISH: Exmouth tiger prawns, ’nduja, salsa verde CHEF: Giles Bailey

Leek is one of the most underrated ingredients, and, in fact, it may well be my favourite. At this Adelaide izakaya it’s the hero of the plate, thanks to high heat courtesy of binchotan coals. The leek is charred on the outside so it steams inside. Its sweet, soft centre succumbs to the acidic spark and smoky allure of buttermilk, rounded out by Kyoto green onion oil. Stunning. DISH: Charred leek, Kyoto green onion oil, spring onion oil and smoked buttermilk CHEF: Max Sharrad