NSW FOOD AND FINE DINING STEALS THE SHOW IN NY

Two of Sydney’s top chefs appeared on the popular ‘Martha Stewart’ show in the United States showcasing Sydney and NSW during a special ‘Taste of Australia’ episode.Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay said Mark Best (Marque Restaurant) and Peter Gilmore (Quay Restaurant) starred in a live segment showing off Sydney’s world-class cuisine,""Sydney enjoys global appeal as a superb dining destination and this is a great opportunity to promote the excellent fresh produce and great wines available in Sydney and NSW.“Mark and Peter used their appearance on the Martha Stewart show to promote high quality NSW produce and to talk about Sydney as a must-visit destination for US foodies.“Mark and Peter were also guest chefs at a ‘Destination Dining’ event at New York’s famous Per Se Restaurant, preparing an eight-course meal with matching NSW wines for more than 30 US-based food and travel writers,” Ms McKay said.Ms McKay said the two events were part of a wider effort by the NSW Government to promote the State’s food, wine and dining experiences to the lucrative US market during G’Day USA - a week long celebration of Australia as a great place to visit, invest and do business.“Screenings of ‘Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure’ make this the perfect time to showcase to the people of the United States all that NSW has to offer,” Ms McKay said.“As part of the Martha Stewart ‘Taste of Australia’ show, audience members were given the chance to win a five-night trip to Sydney, sponsored by Tourism NSW and Qantas.“Audience members were also given a gift pack of NSW produce featuring Balance water, made with Australian wildflower essences; Wild Hibiscus Flowers in syrup; Vittoria Coffee; and Brookfarm macadamia products.”Ms McKay said Quay and Marque, along with Tetsuya’s, were last year named among the world’s best dining experiences in the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards.“Quay won the breakthrough award in the San Pellegrino list and was recently named Restaurant of the Year in the 2011 SMH Good Food Guide.“Marque was also recently named Best Restaurant in Australasia in the Acqua Panna World’s Best 50 list and is a two-time winner of the SMH Restaurant of the Year.“Tourism NSW has been working with Sydney’s top restaurants and chefs since 2009 to promote the city both domestically and internationally as Australia’s premier dining destination,""These events will further support those efforts and will result in some fantastic exposure in the United States media for Sydney’s food and dining scene,” Ms McKay said.Source