Your weekly taste of Australia’s best food, drinks and spirited discoveries
One of Australia’s most memorable dining experiences is hiding in a Victorian country town.
This week, I’ve discovered a restaurant delivering an explosion of Southeast Asian flavours, along with six more regional tables worth the drive.
There’s also an award-winning Shiraz, a remarkable wine homecoming, a Tim Tam afternoon tea and a country pub with a giant rabbit trap on its roof.
MAIN COURSE
Fook Shing: A culinary giant worth the drive
I’d happily drive to Kyneton just for lunch at Fook Shing. In fact, I’d organise the entire day around it.
About an hour northwest of Melbourne’s CBD, this Southeast Asian restaurant on historic Piper Street is one of Australia’s hidden culinary gems. It’s also responsible for one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve enjoyed in ages.
The food delivers an explosion of flavours, the setting transports you somewhere closer to Singapore than country Victoria, and the hospitality is first-class.
Our two-and-a-half-hour banquet was outstanding.
I’ve eaten at plenty of highly regarded restaurants over the years, and Fook Shing deserves to be mentioned alongside some of the best. It makes you wonder why we spend so much time chasing tables in the city when country towns are producing food of this calibre.
Owner and maître d’ Justin Forrester, who founded Fook Shing in 2019 and bought it back in February, is a big part of its appeal. He brings the confidence of an experienced hospitality operator and the enthusiasm of someone delighted to have you at his table.
The historic former hotel has a distinctly Singaporean feel, with atmospheric interiors and couches that invite you to settle in. You can come for a drink, too, although once you’ve read the menu, leaving without eating would take considerable discipline.
And what a menu.
Smoked trout miang combines pomelo, tamarind and peanut on a betel leaf. Prawn toast croquettes arrive with mandarin chilli jam and pickled ginger salad, while chicken and prawn dumplings are accompanied by Sichuan sauce.
Our jumbo barramundi curry was a highlight, a magnificent dish that brought together the richness, fragrance and spice that make Southeast Asian cooking so irresistible.
The crispy tofu deserves attention, too, served with salted caramel, green papaya, cashew and chilli. Even the vegetables get star treatment, from fried cauliflower blossom with hot-and-sour dressing and toasted peanuts to a crisp bean shoot salad with coconut, onion and peanuts.
There’s serious thought behind every dish, but nothing feels overcomplicated. It’s food designed to excite your tastebuds and keep you reaching across the table for another mouthful.
The five-course banquet with sides is $82 a person, with a vegetarian version at $79. Other temptations include twice-cooked pork collar, Malaysian slow-cooked beef curry and confit duck legs with Thai red curry and lychee.
The wine list warrants a proper browse. Macedon Ranges names including Lyons Will, Hesket Estate and Cobaw Ridge sit alongside Australian and international selections. Riesling and gewürztraminer offer tempting possibilities with the Southeast Asian flavours, and there’s plenty to explore among the reds.
And don’t overlook dessert. Doughnuts with passionfruit curd and kaffir lime and ginger ice cream sound tempting, as does sticky pumpkin pudding with lime ginger butterscotch and smoked coconut ice cream.
Then there’s Kyneton itself.
If you haven’t discovered this historic town, put it on your list. It’s packed with galleries, interesting shops, cafés and beautiful old buildings. Piper Street is particularly appealing, and there are plenty of accommodation options nearby if you want to turn lunch into a weekend away.
That’s exactly what I’d suggest. Arrive hungry, give lunch the afternoon it deserves, then spend some time exploring the town.
Fook Shing is a culinary giant with a country postcode, and a dining destination in its own right.
Where: Fook Shing, Piper Street, Kyneton, Victoria.
Banquet: $82 per person, or $79 for the vegetarian option.
My Verdict: One of the most impressive country dining experiences I’ve enjoyed. Exceptional flavours, generous hospitality and absolutely worth the drive.
Watch my accompanying video for a taste of our visit.
Discover more at Fook Shing
Fook Shing is far from alone. Across Australia, regional chefs are producing food that can compete with anything you’ll find in our capital cities. Here are six more destinations worth building a day trip or weekend around.
Driving times are approximate and depend on traffic. Check current menus and opening hours before travelling.
The Bellarine Peninsula is famous for its cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but one local vineyard has just given Shiraz lovers a compelling reason to pay attention.
Jack Rabbit Vineyard has taken out Best Shiraz of Show and Best Victorian Shiraz at the 2026 Saint Martin Oak Great Australian Shiraz Challenge.
Its 2025 Shiraz scored an impressive 98 points in a competition featuring more than 300 wines from some of Australia’s most respected red-wine regions. That’s a significant achievement for a coastal wine region often associated with lighter varieties.
Winemaker Nyall Condon credits consecutive warm, dry growing seasons and lower-than-average yields for the wine’s concentration, depth and structure.
And if you fancy tasting it at the source, Jack Rabbit has one of the Bellarine’s most spectacular vineyard settings, with sweeping views across Port Phillip Bay.
There’s a fine-dining restaurant and the more casual House at Jack Rabbit, both making excellent use of that remarkable outlook.
My Verdict: An award-winning Shiraz that puts the Bellarine firmly in the conversation with Australia’s established red-wine regions.
The Region: Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria.
Best with: Chargrilled beef, roast lamb or a slow-cooked casserole.
Price: $55 a bottle, available on pre-release.
Discover more: Jack Rabbit Vineyard
With warmer days approaching, here’s a white worth adding to the shopping list.
Ravensworth’s 2025 Regional Riesling has earned 95 points and a place among Halliday Wine Companion’s Top 100 Australian wines for 2026, in the whites under $40 category.
Wine critic Jane Faulkner praised its crisp, dry character, with lemon, lime, green apple and delicate floral notes.
At a recommended retail price of $32, it’s an appealing alternative to the heavier reds that tend to dominate Australian wine conversations. While Canberra might not be the first region that springs to mind when choosing Riesling, its cool-climate vineyards are producing some excellent examples.
My Verdict: A highly rated, affordable summer white that deserves a place on the tasting list.
The Region: Canberra District.
Best with: Fresh prawns, grilled fish or Thai-inspired seafood.
Price: $32 RRP.
Discover more: Ravensworth Wines
The humble Tim Tam is getting a luxurious makeover at Park Hyatt Sydney, where the hotel’s popular Tim Tam Afternoon Tea returns for summer.
The menu features a Tim Tam Mangoes & Cream Pavlova, an Iced Vovo Éclair with raspberry jam and coconut, and a Chewy Caramel Sandwich with chocolate biscuit and caramel ganache.
Savoury treats include chicken and tarragon sandwiches and pork and fennel sausage rolls, alongside traditional scones with Tim Tam spread. There’s even a Tim Tam Espresso Martini and Iced Vovo Bellini, both $28, plus a non-alcoholic Iced Vovo Mocktail for $19.
Running from December 4 to February 28, the afternoon tea starts at $115 per person, according to the hotel’s announcement.
Not your everyday cuppa, but a tempting Christmas outing or special-occasion treat.
When: December 4, 2026 to February 28, 2027. The hotel advises Friday to Sunday, excluding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Where: Park Hyatt Sydney.
Price: Advertised from $115 per person. Confirm current prices and session times when booking.
Bookings: Park Hyatt Sydney Dining
South Australia’s Clare Valley has another reason to tempt food and wine lovers into the countryside. The former Clare Country Club has been relaunched as Peppers Clare Valley, bringing with it a new restaurant called Clara.
Overlooking Lake Inchiquin, the restaurant is led by head chef Matthew Sanderson, whose career has taken him from the hatted Cavau restaurant in Wollongong to luxury resorts including Orpheus Island Lodge and Lizard Island Resort.
His approach at Clara is built around South Australian ingredients, with seasonal menus shaped by relationships with local farmers, growers and producers.
Dishes include yellowtail kingfish and a Riverine beef tomahawk designed for sharing, while the wine list puts Clare Valley producers firmly in the spotlight.
It’s a promising addition to a region already celebrated for its Riesling, cellar doors and country hospitality and with rooms at Peppers starting from $195 a night, there’s every reason to stay over rather than nominate someone to drive home.
I’d be inclined to make a weekend of it, with time to visit a few Clare Valley wineries before settling in for dinner.
Where: Peppers Clare Valley, South Australia.
Accommodation: From $195 per night.
Dining: Clara restaurant, open to hotel guests and the wider community.
Discover more: Peppers Clare Valley
Only in Australia would someone decide that the best decoration for a country pub is an enormous rabbit trap on the roof. Welcome to the Rabbit Trap Hotel in Albert, a tiny settlement in central New South Wales where the attractions are big, even if the population isn’t.
Established in 1929, the pub has become a favourite stop for travellers exploring the state’s quieter backroads. The building is hard to miss, thanks to the giant rabbit trap perched above it. Across the road stands an equally unlikely attraction: a giant beer can.
The pub also has a connection to Australian cartoonist Eric Jolliffe, whose famous Saltbush Bill cartoons captured the humour and characters of bush life.
Publicans Paul and Terri Wilson have kept the place going through difficult times, including the devastating NSW floods of 2022. Inside, expect traditional pub meals, cold beer and the chance to swap a few stories with the locals. There’s accommodation available, along with camping options for travellers who decide one beer might turn into a longer visit.
Where: Rabbit Trap Hotel, 1 Federation Street, Albert, NSW.
Discover more: Rabbit Trap Hotel
Until next Friday… keep discovering, keep tasting and never drive past a country pub on an empty stomach.
Comments 0
Join the conversation. Comments are reviewed before they appear.
Be the first to comment.
Join the conversation
Tell us who you are to post a comment. We'll remember you next time.