Eating agedashi tofu and sushi while live jazz music plays is a pleasure of mine made possible by the very unique Jazushi restaurant in Sydney’s Surry Hills. The hidden gem specialises in traditional Japanese cuisine fused with European influence.

Think actual mushrooms in your miso soup; grilled eggplant steak with tomato miso and cheese; camembert tempura; teriyaki chicken served on a bed of roast potatoes; and fish garnished with balsamic soy sauce. Above all, the delicious tapas-style menu is designed for sharing among friends so you can taste an assortment of morsels. The sweet choya plum wine, sesame ice-cream and wonderful service made an impression on my stomach and left me smiling. I will definitely be returning to this hip jazz headquarter.

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Colonel Tan’s is the latest food sensation creation by Cookie’s Karen Batson. The kitsch Thai menu is served at Revolver’s upstairs supersized loungeroom to the beats of a live — caged — DJ. Combining classic Thai dishes, such as Pad Thai and, my favourite, Beatle leaves with Chicken Nuggets and Kaffir lime, the whole experience is very laidback and cheeky. Even better is that Thursday night is fifty percent off for locals in the 3181 postcode. Lucky me!

If your quest for the perfect Mexican pit-stop seems like seeking the lost city of gold, then you’ll feel like a proud explorer when you discover Dorado Tacos and Cemitas in Brookline, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.

In this festive eatery, Chef Doug Organ’s fantastic fish tacos are heavy hitters. These palm-sized delicacies feature improbably fresh-tasting fish nestled on a bed of crispy green cabbage wrapped in a warm and flavorful corn tortilla. Try the namesake, a spicy dorado taco, battered, lightly fried, and topped with a pico-style salsa, chipotle crema and cheerful, peppery radish slices.

The cemitas — a Poblano street food sandwich — are a hit: spicy and saturated with layers of black beans, creamy avocado, feisty cilantro, chewy Oaxaca cheese, and your choice of chorizo, marinated steak, chicken, or portabella on a soft, egg-washed roll. Wet your whistle with a fruity agua de jamaica (hibiscus-ade) or an HFCS-free South American Coca-Cola (featuring actual sugar!).

With lively sides like charred jalapenos, vegetarian rice and black beans, and sweet-and-spicy Mexican-style pickles, no one – herbivore or carnivore – leaves hungry.

Just to seal the deal, Dorado features compostable packaging, low-flow water systems, and energy efficient lighting. Unlike that jive turkey Pizarro, you can walk away with a clean conscience.

Located on an unassuming side street in central Madrid, El Mollete is a simple restaurant serving knock-out local dishes. Sliced potatoes cooked in olive oil are topped with salty, smoky, fried eggs broken just before serving to release their oozing, deep yellow yolks.

Croquettes filled with creamy gorgonzola and silky pureed potatoes are beautifully crisp on their breaded outside and sublimely soft in the center. When paired with regional wines, these and other mouth-watering specialities are supremely satisfying, rich, and indulgent Madrileño eats. With space for only 26 diners, reservations are a must at this tiny spot, but it’s well worth planning ahead to experience this exceptional, off-the-beaten path joint. [photo via Jared Crebs]

Designed by — and named after – the iconic architect Frank Gehry, Toronto’s FRANK is a tasty complement to the Art Gallery of Ontario, located, as it is, within the building’s beautiful surrounds. The interior design is stunning: modern, chic, and urbane, it’s a work of art in its own right, featuring modern Danish furnishings and an installation of Frank Stella’s work. And the restaurant itself benefits from the oversight of executive chef Anne Yarymowich, who has created a small but delightful menu, showcasing local wines and seasonal ingredients.

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One of the best designed restaurants I’ve eaten at, Ultra Supper Club, located in Toronto’s bustling downtown area, offers a fun and playful ambiance and a beautifully conceptualized menu that fits neatly into that burgeoning culinary category of ‘modern fusion’. Which means, exactly? A bit of this, a bit of that, all elegantly presented and rounded off with a sparkling wine selection which complements the variable dining options.

The interior at Ultra is very cool, with bold colors offsetting a striking curtained section which, when we were there, was housing what looked to be a bachelorette party with wickedly mischievous intentions. And props, too, to the excellent down-tempo music, which works in well with the low-key but classic minimalism that permeates the restaurant’s overall aesthetic. [photo by Alison Zavos]

Ultra Supper Club
314 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 2A2, Canada
(416) 263-0330