Takam becomes Sydney's first Filipino restaurant to earn a chef's hat in the Good Food Guide

Darlinghurst restaurant Takam scored 15/20 in the 2027 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, making it the first Filipino restaurant in Sydney to earn a hat, while Melbourne's Serai and Askal kept their One Hat recognition, SBS Filipino reported.

Takam in Darlinghurst became the first Filipino restaurant in Sydney to achieve 15/20, equalling a hat, in the 2027 edition of the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, the Herald reported. The awards were announced on Monday, October 26, at Carriageworks.

Good Food Guide co-editor Callan Boys said Takam head chef Francis Dela Cruz led the menu through several evolutions, landing the restaurant "right where it needed to be" at the intersections of familiarity, innovation and deliciousness. It also served the tastiest skewers he'd eaten all year.

SBS Filipino, which featured Takam's chef couple Aileen Aguirre and Francis Dela Cruz, said the restaurant made history in the 2027 guide. It also reported that Melbourne culinary staples Serai and Askal both maintained their One Hat recognition.

How the hats work

Each restaurant reviewed in the guide is scored out of 20: 10 points for food, five for hospitality, three for setting and experience, and two for value. Restaurants scoring 15 or above are awarded one hat. SBS Filipino noted that the Good Food Guide and the Australian Good Food Guide are separate entities that rate restaurants using 20-point scales to award Chef Hats.

More than 160 restaurants across NSW were recognised with at least one hat this year, many for the first time. Takam was newly hatted alongside Olympic Meats, Tida Persian Food, Avia and Farmhouse Kings Cross.

"Many were awarded a hat for the first time because they understood that making guests feel welcome and nourished, no matter how much they're spending, is paramount," Boys said.

Subscribe to newsletter