"Don’t be fooled by all the concrete, terrazzo, and marble—Etta is more than just a good-looking neighborhood joint. Bold dishes draw on the chef’s Chinese, Malaysian and Irish heritage, underpinned by a firm handle of the wood-fired hearth. Char siu marinated in rhubarb and cooked over red gum delivers flavour fireworks, as does ironbark-smoked duck leg with rambutan and red curry. Prawn skewers get kick from mango hot sauce, and even dessert packs heat (the signature is a parfait made with numbing chili oil). The wine list runs 400-long but it’s all-killer, favoring independent Victorian producers and other drops that hold their own against all the acid, spice, and fire coming out of the kitchen." - Ellen Fraser