"When Cafe Paci first emerged in Darlinghurst as a low-key pop-up in 2013, the restaurant was painted an underwhelming low-cost gray — but chef Pasi Petanen’s dishes brought the color, flavor, and humor. While his brilliant popcorn fairy floss with butter salt didn’t make the transition when he moved things to his full-time Newtown site in 2019, two star dishes earned permanent residency on the menu: The Finnish rye bread with trademark molasses coating (ranked as one of the city’s defining dishes by the Good Food Guide) and his brilliant carrot, yogurt mousse and salted licorice dessert (which also deserves to be in Sydney’s culinary hall of fame). Know before you go: The grapefruit and gin Lonkero soda is an ultra-refreshing taste of Petanen’s birthplace. The pre-mixed beverage was designed for 1952’s Helsinki Olympic Games and is still frequently consumed in Finnish saunas." - Lee Tran Lam