Here are some moments where I was within reach of food perfection.
For the sake of variety, I’ve excluded dishes that are similar (you wouldn’t want a list full of Wagyu and Sushi would you?)
World
| # | Dish | Restaurant | City | Score (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankimo Mousse (Denutella) | Jimbocho Den (傳) | Tokyo | 9.75 |
| 2 | Wagyu Beef Sirloin | Yakiniku Nakahara (炭火焼肉なかはら) |
Tokyo | 9.75 |
| 3 | Shirako Tempura w/ White Truffle | Takiya (たきや) | Tokyo | 9.75 |
| 4 | Anything with Crab in it | Sushidokoro Mekumi (すし処 めくみ) |
Hakusan | 9.5 |
| 5 | Tokyo X Loin Tonkatsu | Narikura (成蔵) | Tokyo | 9.5 |
| 6 | Paella (Sanma) | Aca 1° (アカ) | Kyoto | 9.5 |
| 7 | Taiza Crab Miso w/ Rice | Kimoto (紀茂登) | Tokyo | 9.5 |
| 8 | Noduguro Nigiri | Taheizushi (太平寿し) | Hakusan | 9.5 |
| 9 | Sabazushi | Kataori (片折) | Kanazawa | 9.5 |
| 10 | Ikura Gunkan | Sushi Obana (鮨おばな) | Tatebayashi | 9.5 |
Sydney
| # | Dish | Restaurant | Suburb | Score (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Truffle Egg Fettucine | Buon Ricordo | Paddington | 9.25 |
| 2 | Chase Toro Toro | Sokyo | Pyrmont | 9.25 |
| 3 | Beetroot, Black Sesame, Goat Cheese | LuMi Bar and Dining | Pyrmont | 9.25 |
| 4 | Dry Aged Rib of Beef (aged 200+ days) | Firedoor | Surry Hills | 9.25 |
| 5 | Basically any pasta | Ragazzi Wine & Pasta | CBD | 9 |
| 6 | Gnocchi (occasionally on the specials board) | A Tavola | Darlinghurst | 9 |
| 7 | Roast Pork & Rice w/ Ginger Scallion Oil | Wang Wang BBQ | Eastwood | 9 |
| 8 | Steamed Rice Noodle w/ Sugar Cane Prawn | Phu Quoc | Cabramatta | 8.75 |
| 9 | Fish Sauce Eggplant w/ Rice | K&J Takeaway | Eastwood | 8.75 |
| 10 | Ten-don | Konakara | Surry Hills | 8.75 |
Melbourne
| # | Dish | Restaurant | Suburb | Score (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine-Style Tiger Prawn Roll | Rockwell & Sons (Closed) | Collingwood | 9.5 |
| 2 | Soft Shell Crab Burger | Hammer & Tong (closed) | Fitzroy | 9.25 |
| 3 | Nori Taco | Mr Miyagi | Windsor | 9 |
| 4 | The Snacks | Igni | Geelong | 9 |
| 5 | Gnocchi di Patate | Tipo 00 | CBD | 9 |
| 6 | Three Cheese Jaffle w Chips | Tuckshop Takeaway | Caulfield North | 8.75 |
| 7 | An Imperfect History of Ripponlea as Told by Tarts | Attica | Ripponlea | 8.75 |
| 8 | Blueberry & Ricotta Hotcake w/ Berries, Organic Maple, Seeds & Double Cream | Top Paddock | Richmond | 8.75 |
| 9 | Soy Marinated Blackmore Wagyu Intercostal 9+ | Restaurant Shik | CBD | 8.75 |
| 10 | Ham & Gruyere Croissant | Lune Croissanterie | Fitzroy | 8.5 |
Tokyo
| # | Dish | Restaurant | Suburb | Score (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankimo Mousse (Denutella) | Jimbocho Den (傳) | Aoyama-Icchome | 9.75 |
| 2 | Wagyu Beef Sirloin | Yakiniku Nakahara (炭火焼肉なかはら) |
Ichigaya | 9.75 |
| 3 | Shirako Tempura w/ White Truffle | Takiya (たきや) | Azabu-Juban | 9.75 |
| 4 | Tokyo X Loin Tonkatsu | Narikura (成蔵) | Minami-Asagaya | 9.5 |
| 5 | Taiza Crab Miso w/ Rice | Kimoto (紀茂登) | Kagurazaka | 9.5 |
| 6 | Toro (Otoro & Chutoro) Nigiri | Hashiguchi (はしぐち) | Akasaka | 9.5 |
| 7 | Gyukatsudon | Jumbo Hanare (焼肉 ジャンボ はなれ) |
Hongo | 9.25 |
| 8 | Fresh Smoked Katsuo | Amamoto (東麻布 天本) | Higashi-Azabu | 9.25 |
| 9 | Parma Ham w/ Sugalabo Rice | Sugalabo | Minato | 9.25 |
| 10 | Any of her cakes | été | Yoyogi | 9.25 |
Hong Kong
| # | Dish | Restaurant | Suburb | Score (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fatty Char Siu and Fatty Roast Pork Rice (Combo) | Joy Hing Roasted Meat |
Wan Chai | 9.5 |
| 2 | Crispy Pear Tart served with Vanilla Ice Cream | 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA | Central | 9.25 |
| 3 | Filet de Boeuf Mongolian (Sliced Raw Beef prepared w/ the Chef’s Own Recipe) | Amigo Restaurant | Happy Valley | 9.25 |
| 4 | Brisket Dry Noodles (崩砂腩撈粗) | Aberdeen Fishball & Noodles Restaurant (香港仔魚蛋粉) | Tin Hau | 9 |
| 5 | Anything with Matcha Green Tea Soft Serve | Via Tokyo | Causeway Bay | 8.75 |
United States of America
| # | Dish | Restaurant | City | Score (10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine Lobster Roll | Bite into Maine | Portland, Maine | 9.5 |
| 2 | Pomme d’Amour | Knead Patisserie | San Francisco | 9.25 |
| 3 | Fried Crispy Pork Belly w/ Blood Orange, Jalapeños & Herbs |
State Bird Provisions | San Francisco | 9 |
| 4 | Nduja Toast | Wildair | New York | 8.75 |
| 5 | Fish Taco | 167 Raw | Charleston | 8.75 |
| 6 | Spicy Spring Slice (extra crispy) | Prince Street Pizza | New York | 8.75 |
| 7 | Carolina Gold Rice | Husk | Charleston | 8.5 |
| 8 | Classic Cheesecake | Eileen’s Cheesecake | New York | 8.5 |
| 9 | Marinated Pork Adobada Taco | Los Tacos No.1 | New York | 8.5 |
| 10 | One of the bites of a Plain Regular Pie | Di Fara | New York | 8.5 |
Final note
Unavoidably dish scoring, unlike restaurant scoring, has more personal bias. This is because we all have individual tastes and palates.
As a case in point, one of my most hated things in the world is celery (because fuck celery). If you give me the very best celery dish in the world, I still won’t score it very well.
Dishes naturally have “caps” on how well you score them based on how much you enjoy eating that type of dish. For example, I neither love nor hate wonton noodles, so it’s capped at an 8. Even if you give me the world’s best wonton noodles (Tsim Chai Kee in Hong Kong), the most I will give it is 10/10 within the maximum cap of 8, which means it will score 8/10 overall. Sushi, one of my favourite foods, has no limit so it is foreseeable that in the future I could eat sushi that is worthy of 10/10.
Luckily, while I’m a snobby eater, I’m not really a fussy eater. This may sound paradoxical but it means I appreciate all foods and cuisines, as long as it’s executed well. As a result, the scores above aren’t too biased (unless the dish has celery; who on earth likes that shit anyway).
