Top chef Ben Shewry reckons the pasta at this underrated CBD restaurant is better than Bologna’s

When he’s not in the kitchen at his two-hatted Melbourne restaurant, Attica, highly celebrated chef Ben Shewry can be found getting his culinary thrills on the road in George Town in Malaysia. Closer to home, Ben finds plenty of dining gems hidden among the laneways of Melbourne’s CBD to the bowling lanes of Preston, and up the highway in Sydney.

Ben took time out from collaborating with Melbourne kombucha company Remedy on two new nostalgic flavours – apple rhubarb crumble and lime spider – to discuss his favourite restaurants, chefs, drinks and confesses a weakness for hot chips.

Eating in

Guilty pleasure

Hot chips take me back to Friday night after-school treat at the fish and chip shop. I can only eat them occasionally – twice a month – and appreciate a well-made hand-cut homemade chip, always eaten with tomato sauce.

Best kitchen wisdom

It’s a simple one and directed at home cooks who never put anything under the chopping board to stop it slipping. A damp cloth, a wet paper towel or something damp under the board and bench is essential. It’s a precision and a safety measure.

Eating out

Favourite Melbourne restaurants

The tortellini in brodo at Trattoria Emilia in Melbourne’s CBD is pretty amazing. I have eaten it in Bologna where the dish originates, and can say I haven’t had a version as good as I got in Melbourne. Trattoria Emilia is a great restaurant, underrated, but those who go there regularly know how good it is.

Pho Thin on Lonsdale Street in the city makes a pho I always order. I also like going to Andrew’s Hamburgers in Albert Park for a beef burger with the lot plus pineapple and beetroot. I also like dining at France Soir– it’s always consistent, and wines by the glass are some of the best in town. I always have double beef – steak tartare followed by a fillet steak. Kylie and I got married at Gimletlast year – we had a private lunch for 12 which was perfect – so that place holds a special memory for us.

I always tell people to try the porchetta sandwich at G.McBean Family Butcher at Prahran Market. It’s the most ethical pork you can ever eat.

Vex in Northcote is a great sport for dry gin martinis and the food is really great, it’s a very underrated place.

Favourite spot for group dining

We recently had a staff party at The Keys in Preston – a bowling alley but much more than that – it’s incredibly ambitious. They do burgers and fried food that’s influenced by American style diners. They also have another menu – with two wood-fired ovens and grills and do vegetables and meats. My favourite dish from the grill was a whole-grilled chicken which was moist and tasty. They also have good beer on tap.

Favourite cafes

My two favourite coffee spots in Melbourne are Market Lane (there is one in Collins Street.) They’re ethical and principled, it’s their attention to detail and integrity I like and the coffee, of course. And the other I love in the city is Brother Baba Budan – a Melbourne institution and the coffee is delicious. I order a latte.

Favourite spot outside Melbourne

Chef Annie Smithers from Du Fermier in Trentham is one of the most underrated cooks in Australia. The service here is warm and charming – it has a country vibe, but it’s not that either – it’s unique. The highlight of my last visit was ordering coq au vin (a French classic dish usually made with chicken) made with a rooster. Annie found a young farmer in the area farming roosters – which is pretty bizarre in itself – and put it on the menu. The cost of doing so is high, but she wanted to do it to support the farmer and her ethics really stand out.

Favourite international food city

George Town in Penang, Malaysia. I went there for four days in January and was blown away. I am hesitant to recommend it because there were so few Western tourists there that I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot. Eat on the streets and hawker centres – you won’t believe how many there are, and you can never get through them all. The classic noodle dish char kway teow at Siam Road is outstanding. I queued at this place for four hours to eat. They open for half days and portions are very small. You can eat a couple of plates, don’t be shy. I ate eight plates in four days.

Favourite places in Sydney

I don’t get to Sydney a lot, but some of my regular visits when there include Happy Chef in Sussex Street Food Court. It’s popular with Sydney chefs – people like Neil Perry and Dan Hong rave about it and tell me to go there. I have been numerous times over many years and it’s absolutely super. A delicious noodle soup made with satay and beef brisket is my favourite.

Sean’s Bondi is a classic for a reason, the menu changes daily and it’s an amazing spot. It’s a classic restaurant that deserves the attention it gets. I also like to eat at Fratelli Paradiso in Pott’s Point and Bistrot 916. When it comes to a cocktail bar, it’s Cantina OK! Super lovely hospitality great for a margarita.