“If you’d told me that I’d be head chef at Chiswick I’d be like, ‘Oh, that’s kinda weird’,” Sam Rozsnyoi (ex-Dear Sainte Eloise, Cafe Paci, Saint Peter, Acme) tells Broadsheet. “I’ve always done the 50-seater wine bar or Michelin stuff. But I’m really excited to work in a big venue, lots of business-side-of-things to learn.”

He’s just joined the kitchen at Chiswick, Matt Moran’s Woollahra dining room. Its steady flow of adoring regulars would’ve noticed tweaks to the menu – powered by the on-site garden – and Rozsnyoi’s keen to make it his own. “The customers in general are a bit of an older crowd. As the months go on, I think my people – the ones that’ve been following me round for a bit – will come in, all my family and friends. I’m excited to see the different clientele trickle in – it’d be nice to see a big mix of people. Don’t get me wrong, I love the current customers, but the nuances of bringing in people through food is extremely rewarding.”

Rozsnyoi’s debut menu includes his take on a roast chook and a fresh grill offering. There’s a particularly lush-looking bay leaf custard tart, too. We caught up with the chef, and found out where he’s eating around town.

Stay in the know with our free newsletter. The latest restaurants, must-see exhibitions, style trends, travel spots and more – curated by those who know.

SIGN UP

There’s so many. I love Bessie’s at the moment. I’ve been maybe three times since it’s opened, and it’s just super beautiful. They’ve got that Scandi style. They’ve got the fernet and cola – which is one of my weaknesses – in a can. And then you have the flat breads with all the dips.

I made a burger from scratch two weeks ago at home – I made the chips and bun and everything.

One hundred per cent Club Fontana. If you Googled couple goals, Dan and Ivy would be on there. I don’t want to say it’s underrated, cos that would take away from the fact that it’s so good, but yeah, it’s so good. I had the best vitello tonnato of my life. Incredible. I still remember it to this day. And I love his little giardiniera salad with the olives and the pickled capsicum. And the pistachio and prawn tonnarelli. He does a scotch bonnet, which is something I’ve tried to cook once, and I failed miserably. It’s almost like a steamed pudding with amaretti chocolate. It’s quite hard to pull off, but he just nails all the techniques. The simplicity of what he’s doing is super hard to do, and he’s just nailing it. And that’s what I love about it.

You know what? I went to The Grill at The International a couple weeks ago. And the chef I was with – between two of us, we spent three-and-a-half K.

It was literally an unforgettable experience. We had all the wines, we had the fruits de mer, the lobster, the steak. We just got the best of everything. It’s definitely somewhere I’d go back. The sommelier there was one of the most professional people I’ve ever met in my life. I was like, “Thank you for your professionalism, your whole vibe.” It’s just perfect.

Padre on Glenmore Road, Five Ways.

Initially, I’d go Olympus, but I want to go Apollo. Apollo, as an institution, has been around for so long, and it’s just as good every time you go back as it was previously. It’s really consistent, it’s really hearty: lots of bread, dip, meat. That’s what I want to eat on a long lunch. And then the upside of that is you’re in Potts Point, and I love to be in Potts Point when I’m drunk during the day. It’s probably the only place with at least three places to go that are decent. You can either go rooftop Kings Cross or The Roosevelt or DSE after. I’m always so full after The Apollo – so it’s either that or go home and go to sleep.

I have five. Sezanne in Tokyo is number one. It’s French, it’s fine dining. The food, aesthetically, looks the most insane at the moment, the head chef Daniel Calvert is getting so much attention. He’s quite young, and it’s so good to see people so skilled that are young. Then Jeremy Chan at Ikoyi in London. It’s just another amazing fine-dining restaurant. I read the book back to front; his South African influence really inspired me to use more spices in my cooking. Then Trinity in Clapham, England. The head chef’s a bit of an old bloke, and he has amazing cooking videos online. Everything looks super classic, but elevated. Then we’ve got Restaurant Alchemist in Denmark, that just looks like one of the most insane experiences ever, just from a dining room perspective – going through separate rooms and then having a roof that changes with each dish. It just sounds like a bit of an unbelievable experience. And then Mr Juice in San Francisco. It’s a two-star Chinese restaurant, one of my most-favourite books I’ve read. I’ve definitely taken inspiration from that – the Chinese chilli oil we used at my last two [workplaces] is his recipe. So yeah, I hope to go to all five in the next five years – one can dream.

Lucky Prawn! Or Dry Dock in Balmain, it’s just got a vibe to it. It’s dimly lit, they’ve got a fireplace, perfect for a Sunday. The music’s a bit of Johnny Cash, the food is really tasty and well executed.

I don’t have the biggest sweet tooth, but I have a very soft spot for ricotta cake. So I’m going to Five Dock Tamborrino. I used to live there, and it was just a daily thing when I was younger to go for ricotta cake and a piccolo latte. I could eat any ricotta cake and like it. But this one’s special – it’s the perfect mix of savoury and sweet.

I don’t know how underrated Ante is, but I feel like it’s probably the best spot for sake for sure. And I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it should be spoken about more. It’s one of the best dining rooms in Sydney. A lot of people are trying to copy that whole record bar trend, but they’re the first ones to do it properly. The collection of records is insane, and the setup is truly one of a kind.

@samuelalexanderrozsnyoi
@chiswickwoollahra