Is there a chef in Australia who brings a big bag of delicious better than Paul Carmichael? His Barbados roots, New York schooling and uncanny knack of understanding and interpreting our native ingredients have him miles ahead of many – and good god its finger-licking fantastic.

Momofuku Seiobo shook the foundations of our culinary landscape when rockstar chef David Chang brought his unorthodox approach to finer dining Down Under. Although we love the theatre of the open kitchen and bang-on service led by restaurant manager Kylie Javiar, we’d love louder music, or simply more energy in the room to match the panache of the food (perhaps screening out the Casino mall completely).

The real story here is the culinary musings of Carmichael. So, if dining here, ask for a spot at the kitchen counter and strap yourself in for a festival of 14 courses. It starts with finely sliced military snails with plantain and escabeche, before abalone and lardo steal their thunder. A hat tilt to the Caribbean manifests in crab curry, while pumpkin and zucchini get a smacking hot-sauce treatment. Shards of chicken skin hide a pile of smoked chicken wings. Pretty, blushing pink pork loin would probably stop you in your tracks if it weren’t for the true star – the most buttery, charred, crisp, doughy roti available in Australia. Served with young coconut and marron, whose flesh emulates the texture of the coconut, and served with koji butter. Extraordinary.

Must eat dish: Busted roti, marron, hot sauce
Instagram: @momofukuseiob