The Best of Melbourne Finds a New Home at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

Mark Best

Mark Best's second Sydney restaurant, Pei Modern will open its doors on Wednesday, 15 October at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney on George Street.

With the kitchen headed up by Matt Germanchis, who has worked alongside Best at Pei Modern in Melbourne since it opened in 2012, the Sydney kitchen will maintain its focus on local seasonal produce, great wines and warm, professional service.

In Best's words, “If it's not delicious, we won't serve it. We want every dish that goes across the pass to tell a consistent story about beautiful local produce and Pei Modern – the same relationships that are intrinsic to the Pei brand; the farmer, gentle cooking and the customer will be nurtured in Sydney.”

Pei Modern has an investment in seemingly simple, bold flavours. These include:

• Wood fired tiger prawns with slow cooked pineapple and sorrel
• Whole flounder and sea urchin butter
• Kurobuta pork cutlet with fermented blueberries
• Duck eggs with sauternes custard and crostoli

Favourites from Pei Modern Melbourne such as the casarecce with chicken dumplings and Reggiano, and lamb shoulder cooked in chamomile will be heading north to Sydney and will be key features on the menu.

Taking centre stage in the kitchen will be the wood-fired oven.

“Matt and I have been engaged in the kitchen for the past eight weeks, working with the oven and trying out new techniques and some gorgeous produce. Wood baked surf clams with smoked butter and broad beans and whole Holmbrae chicken crisp skinned in eight minutes has our juices flowing” Best says.

At the bar you will see a liquid extension of Pei's approach to food, with produce that is in season converted in-house into syrups, juices, shrubs and infusions. Rillettes, tartare and oysters are complemented by drinks such as the Camille, an elegant twist on a Negroni, with the bar's aim to provide a bespoke cocktail experience.

Joining Germanchis and Best will be restaurant manager Tara Sullivan and sommelier Annette Lacey who has designed the wine list, focussing on wines that speak to their time and place. Lacey was recently awarded the 2014 Vin de Champagne award and was previously the sommelier at Marque – Best's first Sydney venue established in 1999.

Seating up to 190 people, Pei Modern is the perfect backdrop for all casual and corporate dining experiences. A delicious Melbourne Cup four-course feast will be available between 12pm and 2pm on Tuesday 2 November, with a live screening of the race at 3pm. Packages start at $120 per person.