Viand

Viand (Thai for “an assortment of food”) began as a short-lived pop-up by Sydney chef Annita Potter, who worked with Thai-food legend David Thompson for years at a number of his restaurants around the globe, including the award-winning Nahm in London and more recently as executive chef at his lauded Long Chim.

At Viand's permanent home in Woolloomooloo, Potter continues to celebrate the ingredients, flavours and nuances of Thai cuisine with an eight-course degustation for $145 per person (or $120 per person for the vegan option).

You won’t find dishes ubiquitous at most Thai restaurants in Australia – Potter hopes to offer diners something they may not have tried before. They might include a five-hour-cooked pork curry with tomatillos, makrut lime leaves and holy basil. Or flavour-punching salted duck-egg relish with aged pork, green mango and roasted shrimp paste.

The drinks list is as short and sharp as the food menu, with a tight selection of palate-pleasing wine and cocktail options to match the food.

The kitchen, which is wrapped in an eye-catching mosaic of red tiles, has been strategically placed at the centre of the restaurant so that all preparation, cooking and plating is in full view of diners. Even those with their backs turned to the kitchen won’t miss a beat – there are mirrors on the walls for convenient viewing.

The dining room spills into an intimate courtyard, which is reserved for walk-ins. An upstairs space is also available for private dining experiences and doubles as an artists’ collective run by Potter’s partner, painter Mark Wotherspoon.