A Melbourne cooking star with famously good taste shares her favourite restaurants

Popular cookbook author, style maven and Good Food recipe regular Julia Busuttil Nishimura is not one to sit still. The busy mother of two will release her first children’s picture book in November, and has a third baby due in December, among many other things.

Busuttil Nishimura is also making her art dinner collaboration debut on August 22, with Ostro X Einder, a one-night-only event at Melbourne’s Town Hall as part of the Now or Never Festival. Her menu riffs on the audiovisual fabric installation by Dutch artist Boris Acket titled Einder, with a seasonal produce-driven feast set to conclude with a long pavlova topped with roasted and fresh spring fruits and a bay leaf cream, assembled in situ.

“It is billowy and messy, very much inspired by the [chaos] and voluptuousness of Boris’ work and a nod to the storm theme that is found in his art,” she says.

Ahead of the special dinner next week, the Melbourne-based food identity sat down with us to chat about her eating-out and eating-in favourites.

EATING OUT

My favourite Melbourne and Victorian restaurants

I love [two-hatted] Tedesca Osteria in Red Hill. Brigitte Hafner has created a restaurant that feels special and familiar all at once. The menu is ever-changing, but the last time I was there I ate the tortelloni with ricotta, zucchini and culatello [cured pork].

I also love Kafeneion for their chicken with Greek pasta and their portokalopita [Greek syrup cake made with filo pastry]. The vibe is always so fun and you feel like you’re in Europe. My friend, chef Tom Sarafian (whose new restaurant Zareh I am so excited for), recommended I order the whipped cod roe eaten with the olive oil chips – that’s rather unbeatable.

My favourite hometown cafe and bar

My go-to is Florian. I love the breakfast plate with smoked fish, dill cucumbers, soft-boiled eggs and toast. They have excellent pastries from Austro Bakery, and now a homewares shop next door.

I also love Standing Room in Fitzroy North. It’s my local and such a great cafe – wonderful food, good coffee and lots of dog-watching since it’s opposite Edinburgh Gardens.

I go to A1 Bakery for their kibbe platter, which has hummus, tabbouleh and pita, or if I’m on the run I’ll grab chicken tawouk wrap. I always pick up some Lebanese grocery items from there, too.

My favourite bar is Bar Olo, where I go for a vermouth and tonic, and a good hunk of parmigiano reggiano. For something more substantial, their agnolotti del plin [roasted meat-stuffed pasta] is divine.

Builders Arms in Fitzroy is my family’s go-to. I go there for a burger with the kids, or head to the bistro for a special celebration. The food is always wonderful, and they have a great wine list, too.

My favourite Melbourne takeaway

Malaymas in Fitzroy North. It’s a long-standing family-owned Malaysian restaurant, which I love. I always order the char kwai teow.

My favourite Italian venues

For pizza, I love Magma in Fitzroy North. It’s super family-friendly, but also so lovely for a date night. I also really love the pizza at Di Stasio and D.O.C in Carlton. For pasta, it has to be Tipo 00 and Scopri – two of the best. I also love Rosa’s Canteen for Sicilian dishes.

Favourite restaurants and bars in Sydney

I like Fratelli Paradiso for everything, but especially the fried calamari with a balsamic emulsion. I love all the dishes there – lasagne, risotto, radicchio with the creamiest buffalo mozzarella.

I love to meet friends at Bar Copains in Surry Hills for a King George whiting sandwich. It has an incredible drinks list and is just always a good time. I’ve eaten a very memorable wild weed pie there, too.

One of my all-time favourite restaurants is Sean’s Bondi. From the shell decor to the views of Bondi Beach, it feels so “Sydney”. Everything they do is perfection, especially the roast chicken. I also really loved a passionfruit, mango and meringue I ate there once.

I always make a beeline to Pina cafe in Potts Point. My go-to is the Brussels sprouts salad topped with this delicious savoury granola. I get it with a side of grilled chicken and it’s just so good, it’s always worth the wait. I also really love the sandwiches at Small’s Deli − the chicken sandwich and salad sandwich are my go-to orders.

I also recommend Ho Jiak Haymarket for amazing Malaysian food. My go-tos are the char kwai teow or Hainanese chicken rice.

It’s not a trip to Sydney if I haven’t visited 10 William St for a drink and a snack. Sometimes that’s in the afternoon or maybe after an event − some focaccia, salumi and a glass of wine is perfect there.

Recently, I went to Olympic Meats and it was very good. Their chips are unreal, and the spanakopita is made with filo [made] by hand and super delicious.

Where to stay

I often stay at The Ace or Paramount House Hotel. The locations of both of them are really great and I love the room service at PHH. If I really want to splash out, I like to stay at Capella, which is so beautiful and incredibly relaxing.

Favourite Australian food memory

I grew up in South Australia, so I am so fond of it. I remember going to the Limestone Coast with my family as a kid during the summer holidays. We would buy crayfish near the pier and eat it on the beach with fresh lemon.

I love going back now as an adult and taking my kids and husband. My favourite spot is Chianti Classico, which just does amazing Italian food simply, but so elegantly. They usually have some sort of tagliatelle or pappardelle with ragu on the menu.

EATING IN

My signature dish
A simple plate of pasta al pomodoro or my lemon olive oil cake.

Guilty pleasure
I love a Loco Love peanut butter caramel chocolate as a 3pm pick-me-up.

Best kitchen wisdom
Food is best when it is simple, seasonal and pleasurable.

Julia Busuttil Nishimura Ostro X Einder takes place at Melbourne Town Hall on August 22. Book tickets here