Called Susuru, which means “slurp” in Japanese, it will open on King Street in the next fortnight – fingers crossed.

The menu will be a fresh, local take on traditional Japanese comfort food. 

On a recent trip to Japan Namba and his head chef Chris Schofield became fascinated with the multi-layered process involved in producing ramen and gyoza.

The essence of truly great ramen, Namba explained, comes from taking the utmost care in the preparation of each ingredient and extracting their flavours over many hours to produce soups bursting with umami taste and complemented by noodles cooked to perfection. Traditional gyoza dumplings have been enjoyed in Japan for centuries but remained singular in flavour until recently to satisfy a range of tastes. 

Susuru’s interior is a collaboration with architect Ben Berwick from Prevalent and the creative team at Headjam. 

The Hunter region held its own at this year’s Good Food Guide Awards. Muse Restuarants retains its two hats, while Muse Kitchen gained one. Bistro Molines, Margan Restaurant, Subo and Restaurant Mason held on to their respective hats. Former Maitland chef Josh Niland’s Saint Peter was named New Restaurant of the Year and Megan Rhoades-Brown, of Muse Restaurant, was a finalist in the Citi Service Excellence Award for restaurant service. 

As Megan Rhoades-Brown’s nomination suggests, front-of-house service is just as important as a restaurant’s food when it comes to a memorable night out. 

“Front-of-house staff are the connection between the kitchen and guests so it’s important that the dining room and kitchen work as one,” Hunter Culinary Association chairman Ben Neil told Food & Wine. 

“Incredible food without the service to match is not enough. Front-of-house staff need to convey the same passion and commitment as seen in the kitchen by translating this into a memorable dining experience for guests.”

The annual First Creek Wines Front of House Scholarship and Hunter Culinary Association Rising Star Award give two professionals the chance to further their hospitality careers through financial support and educational opportunities.

Winners also receive a fully funded Diploma in Hospitality Management at TAFE NSW – Hunter Institute.

Past winner Eliza Stevenson used the scholarship money to travel to London where she landed a permanent job as head waitress at The Ledbury with Brett Graham. She now works at Margan Restaurant. 

“The scholarship gave me a great boost in confidence and a little foot in the door at The Ledbury. I probably wouldn’t have challenged myself with The Ledbury without being the recipient. The scholarship gave me the drive to be more successful and it also made me very proud to be from a region that has such wonderful initiatives that support the hospitality industry and especially the front of house,” she said.

“I entered the program purely to test myself and to create new career opportunities. I had a money can’t buy experience by being a part of the best restaurant team in the UK and I learnt some invaluable skills – from the nature of human interaction, to the different species of deer, to the history of the doughnut. I met some incredibly passionate people who demonstrated the dedication and commitment behind a two-Michelin-starred restaurant.”

The winners will be announced at the Brett Graham Scholarship Finalist dinner on October 24 at TAFE NSW – Hunter Institute in Newcastle.

Muse Restaurant has been named Best Fine Dining Restaurant in Australia on TripAdvisor for the second year running. Troy Rhoades-Brown was thrilled, thanking staff, guests and even babysitters for helping the Pokolbin restaurant reach number 22 in this year’s TripAdvisor fine dining restaurant world rankings.

The Terrace pop-up restaurant at Belmont 16s’ Boat Shed has now closed, to be replaced by Burger Bros.  The official launch is on November 1 however Food & Wine has seen the sample menu and it looks tasty indeed.  

Some familiar names popped up at the 2017 Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence this month in the NSW regional restaurants category. The winners are as follows: Asian: Nagisa Japanese; Beer Cafe/Wine Bar: Grain Store; Cafe Dining: Awaba House Restaurant & Cafe; Fine Dining: Circa 1876; New Restaurant: Locavore Dining at The Sebel Kirkton Park; Restaurant in a Winery: Esca at Bimbadgen; Seafood: Little Beach Boathouse, Nelson Bay; and Steak Restaurant: The Cottage, Scone.

Throsby Street Providore is closing its doors this week. Owner Scott Webster told Food & Wine: “I just wanted to let you and your readers know due to circumstances beyond our control I will be closing Throsby Street Providore on Friday, October 20. Our intentions are to relocate in the months ahead. With all the development growth and parking restrictions going on in the Wickham area it is just not feasible to continue to operate under the current business model.”

Not good news but hopefully Scott and his team can find a new and more viable venue sooner rather than later.