The Australian restaurants legendary chef Tetsuya can’t stop returning to (and what he loves to order)

When Japanese-Australian chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Tetsuya Wakuda isn’t running Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore, Las Vegas and Dubai, he’s indulging his love of classic Italian food.

The name behind Sydney’s legendary Japanese-French restaurant, Tetsuya’s, which closed in July after 37 years, is a huge fan of the cuisine.

“I love Japanese cuisine, but since arriving in Australia in the ’80s, I have made many Italian friends and it’s the food I like to cook at home or go out and eat,” says Wakuda.

When at home, he likes to cook simple pasta dishes.

In Sydney, it’s his friendships with retired restaurateur and chef Armando Percuoco from Buon Ricordo and Melbourne’s Ronnie Di Stasio of Di Stasio restaurants fame that lures him back to those restaurants time and again.

“Ronnie is like a big brother to me,” says Wakuda.

“I met him and Armando at the end of ’80s and early ‘90s, and they taught me a lot about the food business. With Ronnie, I remember him saying ‘you have to have balls in this business or you’ll get bored’. He’s that type of strong guy, but it is actually like that – he is right. Ron is very warm and kind-hearted, and I applied a lot of what I learned from the Italians in Australia to my own business,” he adds.

Wakuda recently spent the weekend at Victoria’s two-hatted Pt Leo Estate’s Laura restaurant — where a menu prepared by executive chef Josep Espuga was not only a homage to the celebrity chef, but where he discovered they had crossed paths once before in Madrid in 2001 at a cooking demonstration.

Espuga was employed at La Broche at the time with chef Sergi Arola, and working behind the scenes helping big-name chefs like Tetsuya backstage. The then 20-year-old Spaniard made a point to keep the recipes Tetsuya shared at Madrid Fusion.

Wakuda, who had never ventured to Pt Leo Estate before, was taken by the iconic Peninsula spot, fell in love with its sculpture park and fine dining offering at Laura.

“I don’t get to this part of Victoria at all, so to be at Pt Leo for the first time left me speechless. The food was outstanding. It really is an experience everyone should try,” he says.

Since closing his iconic Sydney restaurant Tetsuya’s, the first-name famous chef says he won’t rule out a return.

“My staff ring me often and say, chef, if you come back to do anything, we’re coming. Just say when.”

My go-to dish at home

I keep it simple – any pasta with aglio and olio and peperoncino.

My favourite dining spots for Italian food

When I am in Melbourne, I always go to Cafe Di Stasio in St Kilda for spaghetti bolognese. I know anybody can make it, but it’s not like this anywhere else. They make it with beef, tomato and red wine – they use a lot of red wine. It doesn’t matter how many times I have it, it’s the same taste, so good and very satisfying.

In Sydney, I always ordered linguine napoletana from Armando at Buon Ricordo. The mix of tomato, basil, garlic and salt served with linguine hit the spot for me. He used to say to me, “it’s so boring you eat this again”, and I would respond “but it’s so good and simple”. If another chef tries to make the same, they simply can’t. It’s the way they cook the pasta, their choice of pasta, how ripe the tomatoes are – that’s the skill in itself that leads to a great dish.

I also love Machiavelli in Sydney. This is a long-standing restaurant and they still serve the same menu. It’s been around since 1988, and what I love is that the staff have been here for a long time. I like the mature service team, and it’s classic Italian food. All these factors combine make it a great experience.

I go to A’mare at Crown Sydney for seafood-based Italian meals – it’s impressive. While Giovanni Pilu at Pilu Freshwater Sardinian restaurant is another favourite. I always order their porchetta arrosto — it’s still as good as the first time I tried it.

My favourite Japanese dining spot

The team at Azuma in Sydney are dear friends of mine, and I am always here. People think I have shares, but no, I just love it. They run a classic Japanese restaurant with properly made stock that makes all the difference. They don’t try to mix things up, it’s very simple food.

“People think I have shares, but no, I just love it.”

I order everything when I am here. I start with spinach that is blanched and served with dashi and soy – and finished with shaved bonito on top. Their grilled scampi is a must. Then it’s tempura and a few pieces of sushi on the day, as well as grilled fish of the day. I always have a miso soup too.

My guilty pleasure

I love sweets. Sugar is my weakness. I like to eat good quality chocolate or dessert made with chocolate. I also love a good creme brulee – the balance of the cream and egg and the texture is always what I am looking for in a good one. I also love the iconic Date Tarte at Rockpool. It is a classic; and in a way it’s like cream brulee in a sense. I could eat a whole cake. At Di Stasio I order torta di vaniglia — white chocolate and mascarpone with pistachio. It has broken meringue on the top – it’s always on the menu.

My favourite cafe

I love to go to the oldest cafe in Double Bay called 21 Espresso. It’s an old Hungarian spot and family restaurant since 1958. I know them and I love this place because it’s comfortable to visit alone. If you feel like a steak for breakfast, they will make it for you. If you want a simple coffee, you can have that too. I start with an espresso if I am really tired, or an Americano. I always order their spinach cream – it’s a classic dish. Sometimes I’ll eat it with schnitzel and bread if I am really hungry.

The food that makes me nostalgic for Australia

When I am overseas, I always think about how much I love fish and chips back in Australia. I have British friends who say they make the best fish and chips, but I think the Australians do. I remember arriving in Australia for the first time in 1982 and ordering fish and chips from a corner shop run by a Greek family, it blew me away. Australian beef also makes me sentimental for home.