Adam Liaw’s favourite Sydney spots for some top quality beef

Is there any source of food recommendations as reliable as a master chef? Adam Liaw, he who took the crown on the second series of MasterChef Australia in 2010, has been a beacon for good food around the world through numerous TV appearances and cookbooks over the years. So it makes perfect sense to grab some foodie tips on Sydney, where he is based.

The AU Review caught up with Adam to uncover his five favourite spots in Sydney for beef lovers, seeing as Australia has some of the best in the world. Here are the places Adam reckons are doing our country’s produce absolute justice, whether it’s in the form of Korean BBQ or just a good old fashioned steak.

KOGI for Korean BBQ

“I love to bring my family to KOGI because it’s like a backyard barbecue taken to the
next level. Cooking at the table teaches my kids a lot about how to cook, and the
food at KOGI is my kind of simple. Just good quality Australian beef cooked over the
hot coals. Our favourite is the marinated beef ribs, cut in the traditional Korean
style”.

Level 3 Market City, 9-13 Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000

Sasaki for Shabu Shabu

“When it comes to Japanese food in Sydney, Sasaki is its best kept secret. Every single
detail of the experience at Sasaki given the greatest attention, and the result is
authentic and undeniably brilliant. It’s refined, but not stuffy. Sasaki’s take on
Japanese shabu shabu the thin slices of best-quality Australian wagyu lightly dipped
in kombu stock and served with housemade ponzu, fermented chilli and okra. it is a
true taste of Japan and a dish I would happily eat every day”.

102/21 Alberta St, Sydney NSW 2000

Korean BBQ at KOGI, Market City; Chris Pavlich Photography.

East Village for Steak

“A great pub feed is all you need sometimes and I can never go past East
Village without thinking of their steak. Kicking back for a quiet lunch or a dinner with
a spectacular view of the city from the rooftop is tough to beat. Their steaks, cooked
by expert chef Richard Pattendan are brought in especially for the pub from Western
Australia. Richard is a bit of a beef nerd (I hope he doesn’t mind me saying) and
you’ll be hard pressed to find a steak this good at any other pub, or anywhere else
for that matter”.

234 Palmer St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Australian Youth Hotel for Beef Pies

“This beautiful heritage pub is the first pub I ever went to in Sydney more than 20
years ago now. A good pub, a cold beer and a well-made beef pie is pretty much the
Australian dream, and this is a great place to achieve it”.

Note: It’s now called The Glebe Hotel.

63 Bay St, Glebe NSW 2037

Burger Patch for Burgers

“This is my local burger place in Chatswood and they do great Australian beef burgers.
And yes, they even have beetroot on them. A great burger patty should just be good
quality beef – nothing else. No breadcrumbs. No eggs. No herbs. No onions. All of
that stuff can go on the burger, not in the patty. With good quality meat the best
way to cook it is just to keep it simple and let the flavour of the meat do the talking”.

234/1 Katherine St, Chatswood NSW 2067

Feature image: Chris Pavlich Photography.

Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.