He’s the baseball cap-wearing New York chef who first introduced Sydney to buttermilk fried chicken and oyster po’boys at his inner-west restaurant, and five and a half years on, Gregory Llewellyn’s food is still teaching us new tricks.

There’s still a fried oyster on the menu and that fried chicken served with biscuit and gravy, but the evolution of Llewellyn’s cooking shows a mastery of vegetables, evident from the very first bite.

A snack of housemade radish kimchi is as satisfyingly fleshy and silky as diced salmon, served atop an oat and chia cracker spread with smoked butter made from the toasted radish tops – a true no-waste dish both in the kitchen and on the table as we wipe the plate clean and order another round.

Fat pillows of pumpkin dumplings are bedmates with house-made cottage cheese, king brown mushrooms and pine nut puree – a dish that is ultra comforting, but not heavy (a combo that is Llewellyn’s trademark) – and fried globe artichokes are served on a voluminous bed of shaved Brussels sprouts, sprouted lentils and creamy stracciatella. The chef had already won us over with his brisket and poutine, but these pairings show a deep understanding of what makes food truly delicious.

While the plates are refined, the vibe is certainly more neighbourhood than white cloth, and service achieves that impossible balance of slick and warm, considered and down-to-earth. The floorstaff bounce between the eat-in bar at the front and wooden tables out the back topping up glasses, suggesting drinks matches as they deliver plates of food and generally making you feel at home.

The Sydney dining scene is a fickle beast, and while the queue of people out the front waiting for a table may have disappeared, Hartsyard today has a self-assured swagger that makes it as exciting a dining destination now as was when it first burst onto the scene.

Must eat dish: Radish kimchi on oat and chia cracker
Instagram: @hartsyard