Sydney Airport didn’t rate a mention in a recent survey of the top global gateways for exceptional dining. No surprise there given the bountiful offerings at Tokyo Narita, Singapore Changi and Hong Kong. But powerhouse chef Wolfgang Puck is here to remedy that culinary fail.

“People should have access to great food all of the time,” says Puck, whose new restaurant The Bistro at Sydney Airport’s T1 International terminal might tempt you to arrive earlier for a flight. Menu highlights include cinnamon-spiced buttermilk pancakes, free-range chicken with Calabrian chillies and Puck’s signature chopped vegetable salad.

Certainly, it beats scarfing down a soggy meat pie at your gate. The LA-based wunderkind has been a gastronomic force since the 1980s, when he opened his trailblazing restaurant Spago. Since then, Puck has advanced “California cuisine”, experimented with French and Asian flavours, and expanded his portfolio with alacrity. “We have more than 100 locations around the world,” he says, referencing high-end restaurants, retail ventures and airport kiosks.

For the last 22 years, Puck has also catered the Oscars Governors Ball, the soiree attended by the most pernickety eaters on the planet. If your Academy Awards aspirations were dashed during the ceremony, at least you could find solace in a bottomless raw bar, chicken potpie and 24-carat-gold chocolate Oscars.

What you don’t expect from the intrepid chef is caution. His first restaurant in New York, the steakhouse Cut, opened only a few months ago. Why did it take him decades to take Manhattan? “For a long time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to New York,” he admits. A partnership with the downtown Four Seasons convinced him.

Interestingly, Puck is now considering bringing Cut or Spago to Australia. “I am looking for a location in either Sydney or Melbourne,” he says.

Adjoining the split-level Bistro is Heineken House, an ode to the Dutch beer brand, and nearby is Shannon Bennett’s Benny Burger. Coming soon is Kitchen by Mike, from Mike McEnearney. With such enticing options to choose from, it’s increasingly likely that some distracted travellers may well miss their last call.