Year In Review
2007 year in review - the dishes that rocked
1 Catalonia's morcilla with asparagus and fried duck egg The egg plunges like a protein comet through the deep frier only to be broken at the table in a wave of saffron coloured yolk over blood sausage. Shop 2, 31A Fitzroy St, Kirribilli 2061. (02 9922 4215 www.catalonia.com.au)
2 Rockpool's mud crab Served with nowt but a linen bib, this QLD mud crab could change the world with its pure, sweet flesh. We can die happy now. 107 George St,?The Rocks 2000. (02 9252 1888)
3 Bistrode's fried duck egg with sourdough crumbs and pine mushrooms The beauty of the Strode's food is in its simplicity - a bed of pine 'shrooms, a fried egg and a few crumbs and yet it works in complete harmony. 478 Bourke St, Surry Hills 2010. (02 9380 7333)
4 Glebe Point Diner's Oaks organic roast chook Totally organic and the happiest hens on earth (they're driven around on a bus to roost on different sits around the property!) are these. All they've been given is a roasting. 407 Glebe Point Rd?Glebe 2037. (02 9660 2646)
5 Bentley Restaurant & Bar's chickpea chips Jenga shaped fingers of pureed chickpea are coated in besan flour and deep fried until crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. 320 Crown St, Surry Hills 2010. (02 9332 2344 www.thebentley.com.au)
6 A Tavola's olives a Ascolana Just like a little Italian style Scotch egg, it's an olive swaddled in pork mince, crumbed then fried. Bliss. 348 Victoria St,?Darlinghurst 2010. (02 9331 7871 www.atavola.com.au)
7 Jasmins' felafels Crisp and salty on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, they beat the hell out of all those dried-out balls of nothing you find so often in restaurants around town. 30b Haldon St,?Lakemba 2195. (02 9740 3589)
8 Mado's Maras ice cream The Mado folks claim it's the only ice cream you can eat with a knife and fork. And they're spot on - the consistency is bizarre and it tastes faintly like orchids. 63 Auburn Rd, Auburn 2144. (02 9643 5299 www.mado.com.au)
9 Jugemu & Shimbashi's cold soba with duck fillet broth This wonderful little restaurant has a guy on the payroll whose sole job it is to make the noodles. And what a job he does - these are slurptacular. 246 Military Rd, Neutral Bay 2089. (02 9904 3011)
10 Guzman y Gomez' pork adobado burrito Strips of spicy pork, melted cheese, beans and rice all wrapped up in a soft tortilla to sublime effect. Hell yeah! 175 King St, Newtown 2042. (02 9517 1533 www.guzmanygomez.com.au)