Shaking the pompoms for putting the ’burbs on the culinary map, there’s Altair. Five years in, and husband-and-wife team Kelvin and Michelle Shaw’s Zone 2 gem in Warrandyte opposite the Yarra is a truly exciting place to dine.

The room might look sedate, yet Kelvin’s dishes are anything but, letting fly with quirky combos and curious native ingredients over multi-course and a la carte menus.

With Michelle’s expert service you’re in safe hands to expand your palate. Dishes range from a congee of al dente fermented grains folded with sweet spanner crab, finished with a warm crocodile tea which gives a luscious mouthfeel, to a delightful pumpernickel tart filled with yabby and potato, with crisped wakame shards and the lemony pop of green ants.

Elsewhere, there might be magpie goose, smoked emu in a tartare, kakadu plum and bunya nut.

The passion here is palpable, with deeply imaginative and intricate cooking presented with care and elegance for a dining adventure beyond the tramlines.

Must-eat dish: Spanner crab & fermented grain congee