Jacqui Lim has dined at more than 350 ever-changing Top 100 restaurants around the country over the years, plus a number of the World’s 50 Best and Michelin Star restaurants. She has a Master of Arts in Gastronomy, is a judge for the national Eat Easy restaurant, chef and produce awards and is co-owner of award-winning Thai restaurant Soi 38 in Adelaide.
Jacqui is a passionate, active advocate of the food and wine industry. Besides eating and drinking a lot, she sees her role to be connecting people with, and through, good food whether it be organising food and wine events, sharing her experiences on Instagram @jacquisfoodfetish, recommending restaurants or simply bringing friends together to enjoy a meal.
House of George
Snacks/small plates $3 – $25, Mains $35 – $65
Yiasou George has had a refresh and young gun chef Sav Sexton has taken over the kitchen. Here you’ll find Mediterranean food with a focus on the Basque Country. The menu’s driven by seasonality and sustainability, inspired by tradition but not bound by it. You’ll find dishes like Saltbush and Mountain Pepper Squid, and Lamb Rump with Anchovy Dressing and Macadamia Skordalia. It’s delicious and it’s fun.
30 East Terrace, Adelaide
Patch Kitchen and Garden
Snacks/small plates $8 – $29, Pasta/mains $32 – $48
Opening in February this year, breakfast, lunch and dinner in Stirling got a whole lot more exciting! This rustic restaurant, in what was originally the Stirling post office, is all about showcasing the best of Adelaide Hills produce and beverages. It’s a treat to be able to enjoy food by Andy Davies again (formerly of Press, Osteria Oggi, Bread & Bone), including his famous blue swimmer crab pasta that I’ve missed so much.
143 Mount Barker Rd, Stirling
Singapore Circus
Small Plates $12 – $24, Mains from $35, Set menu $80pp
It was formerly the fine diner Cube Restaurant located in the d’Arenberg Cube and now it’s the more relaxed Singapore Circus serving southeast Asian fare. It’s bright, it’s bold and it’s vibrant flavours. A la carte or banquet-style, there’s a flavour-packed selection from radish cake with lap cheong, lobster dumplings or Singapore laksa to an impressive whole duck or a perfectly cooked chilli or black pepper mud crab.
The d’Arenberg Cube, McLaren Vale
Topiary
$8 – $38, Forager’s Menu $90pp
Dining at Topiary is always a special experience. Here, chef/owner Kane Pollard combines his high-end restaurant skills with his passion for unique produce, sustainability, and traditional methods including culturing, churning, curing and smoking. This food is truly seasonal. Kane forages each morning for all things edible, with the rest of the produce coming from the local community and growers. Choose from the menu or let them feed you. This place is one of my favourites.
1361 North East Road, Tea Tree Gully
T-Chow
Mains $17 – $70, Banquets $45 – $55pp
From lemon chicken to live seafood, T-Chow has it all, and people have been flocking here for years. Located in Chinatown’s Moonta Street, this place is value for money and with its large dining room, you’re pretty much assured to score a table. It’s a great place for a quick feed or for a long boozy lunch or dinner, and cheap BYO makes it even more appealing. I rather enjoyed the Peking Duck.
68 Moonta Street, Adelaide
Follow @jacquisfoodfetish for more insights into the dining plates of Australia’s best restaurant.
