The "Battle of the Tasman" degustation dinner, held at Hilton Sydney on Monday night, was pronounced a resounding success, with more than 200 diners enjoying the best ingredients from Australia and New Zealand.
Hilton Queenstown Wakatipu Grill chef Peter Thornley and pastry chef Brian Campbell joined Hilton Sydney glass brasserie chefs Luke Mangan and Joe Pavlovich for the one-night-only event, at the Sydney restaurant.
Each guest sampled dishes incorporating key ingredients from both sides of the Tasman, with each course matched by either New Zealand or Australian wines.
While it was billed as a "battle", Hilton Queenstown business development director Mandy Kennedy said no team or dish "won" on the night.
"However, we do have it [on] very good authority that, although there was not a vote as such as we wanted it to be celebration of both sets of produce, the courses ... were cheered one by one at the end and you'll be pleased to hear that Brian's dessert seemed to be the winner.
"Go Queenstown, New Zealand, we say."
Mr Thornley's main dish comprised Auckland Islands scampi, cauliflower jelly, lipstick pepper, Meyer lemon paste and almond milk, matched with 2010 Millton Crazy by Nature Chenin Blanc, from Gisborne.
Mr Campbell produced a dessert - Heilala vanilla Bavarian cream, citrus, raspberry, Araguaia chocolate and yoghurt - which was matched with a 2010 Gibbston Valley Le Fou riesling, from Central Otago.
