Where Chefs Eat: Toby Wilson’s Got a Classic Pie Shop on Lock

Toby Wilson’s been busy adding vampiros to his Ricos Tacos menu, relaunching The Norfolk Hotel with excellent pub grub, and cooking kinda revolting stuff from vintage cookbooks. But between all that, the Sydney chef’s been eating at a funky clutch of venues.

Here they are, ready for you to add to your list.

Toby, what got you into the hospo industry?
I was at music school studying to be a drummer and, as most musicians do, I ended up getting jobs in cafes to pay the bills. Four years later I opened my first cafe and have been in the industry ever since.

What’s your go-to if you want a quick takeaway dinner?
Garam Merica – an incredible Indonesian joint in the city. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure-style nasi bungkus situation: we’re talking a pyramid of rice with curries, sambals, a boiled egg, cassava leaf. Love it, getting hungry thinking about it.

What about lunch on the go?
The Upper Crust in Collaroy, my childhood pie shop. The chicken and white wine pie is absolutely the move.

What’s your favourite snack?
I’m loving the wave of onigiri joints that have been opening up recently. Mogu Mogu is just down the road from the pub and makes for a pretty good pre-service snack.

Where’s the ideal spot for a date?
I’d have to say Chaco Ramen – that’s where I had my first date with my fiancé (she still contests it was a date). Yuzu scallop ramen with John Dory wontons? Who wouldn’t fall in love.

If it’s a special occasion, where are you booking?
I’m heading to Cafe Paci, sitting up at the bar and eating half a dozen oysters, the ox tongue and rye taco, beef a la plancha, whatever pasta is on special and at least two of the desserts.

Where’s the best coffee?
Double Tap – not only incredible coffee, roasted in-house, but quite possibly the best hospitality in Sydney. You can find me there most mornings.

And Sydney’s best burger?
There is no question: the Little L Portuguese chicken burger. Sydney doesn’t celebrate its ownership of the Portuguese chicken burger enough, in my opinion.

You want a snack and a drink, where are you heading?
Tachinomi YP in Crows Nest. The snacks there seem to change pretty often – so just getting whatever sounds good on the day with an ice-cold Japanese lager.

Do you have a go-to for a long lunch?
Porcine is perfect for a long lunch, particularly with a bunch of mates out on the balcony. People overlook how excellent the seafood and veggies are, so I’m loading up on those after I’ve eaten a kilo of pork creton and lentils. Bonus points if they’ve got one of their choc or custard tarts on the menu.

How about a meal with a big group of family or friends?
Lao Village, a Laotian restaurant. You could probably get away with ordering the entire menu for a large group, but you’d want to double down on the quail, ox tongue and crunchy fried rice.

What’s your bucket-list restaurant?
I’ve already been but I’d love to go back to Tacos el Vaquero in Tijuana. It’s a couple of cowboys who have a taco cart on the street, and the menu is just different cuts of steak. You choose if you want skirt, rib eye, rump or whatever for your taco, and they pull out a huge whole cut, slice a piece off and grill it over charcoal before loading it into a tortilla and sending you off to the DIY salsa bar. Heaven.

If you’re after something sweet, where are you heading?
To Pellegrino 2000 for the crema caramello alla banana. My god, what a dish. Banana-flavoured crème caramel with whipped banana Chantilly cream. Naughty, naughty dessert.

Where’s the best spot to get groceries?
I split my time between Galluzzo, Carriageworks Farmers Market and Thai Hung.

Is there a hidden gem in Sydney that you think is great?
There are so, so many. My number one spot that is off most people’s radar would have to be Jamaican Vibes Food Hut, which was at Castle Towers in Castle Hill but is just about to reopen in a new location. Their curry goat is one of the most flavourful and nourishing dishes I’ve had in Sydney, if it wasn’t 45 minutes from my house I’d be there weekly.

You cook funky stuff at home – got a hack people can improve their home cooking with?
Learning to heat tortillas properly for tacos. Good corn tortillas – La Tortilleria is your best bet in Oz – cooked hot and fast on a dry cast-iron pan with a quick spritz of water to keep them steamy. They should be soft and ever so slightly stretchy with no dry bits or curled edges.

What’s your favourite late-night snack to make after service?
A kimchi jaffle. Buttered white bread, good toastie cheese like a gruyere or cheddar, kimchi, all finished off with microplaned parmesan.

@tobywilson
@norfolkhotelredfern
@ricostacotruck