Think globally, cook locally is the guiding principle at Pheast. The breezy restaurant, which materialised on Bronte Road earlier this year, is the handiwork of Amanda Gale. The accomplished chef has spent time in the kitchens at Rockpool and Soho House, as well as 15 years as culinary director of Como Hotels and Resorts, a high-end hotel chain with properties in exotic locales such as the Maldives and Thailand. Consequently, Gale’s menu is a culinary travelogue of all the far-flung places she has visited.

There are small plates infused with big flavours, vegetable-centric offerings and a clay tandoor oven that imbues dishes with smoky sensuality. Slivers of kingfish crudo are enlivened with a tropical mix of ginger, green chilli, radish, coriander, finger limes and tamari sauce. Grilled, spiced eggplant, a dish that’s both Moorish and moreish, is arrayed with freekeh, olives, dates and tahini sauce.

A more substantial grilled octopus, served with hummus and carrots and splashed with orange blossom water, hints at the Mediterranean; while a transporting dessert of rose-scented cheesecake paired with quince segments and dotted with pistachios, recalls nights on Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait.

The simple room, with potted plants, pinned-up sketches and silver-haired patrons speaking in hushed tones, has an inviting neighbourhood vibe. Pheast may have a worldly-wise outlook but, in typical Sydney style, the restaurant is still waiting for its liquor license. In the meantime, there are non-alcoholic beverages to imbibe, such as dry lemonade with Sicilian lemons, and ginger ale with Fijian ginger root. Or BYO. Global nomads should be used to that.

Must eat dish: Rose-flavoured whipped cheesecake
Instagram: @pheast.waverley