Since being back in Australia, one of the more common questions I get is some variation of: “So what’s the difference between Michelin Stars and Chef Hats?” Usually followed quickly by, “Do you think Australian restaurants would get Michelin stars?”

After a decade in Hong Kong, a city where you can get a bowl of noodles worthy of a star and also pay rent-level money for a meal that absolutely shouldn’t have one, I’ve spent much of this last year eating my way around Brisbane (with a side trip to Sydney), readjusting to a country where the Australian Good Food Guide (AGFG) holds court instead of that little red book.

And honestly, it’s been an interesting comparison.

Before I get into the differences, let me say this upfront: Michelin Stars, Chef Hats, World’s 50 Best… they’re useful. They’re often a good indicator of quality. Often, but not always. I’ve had brilliant meals at starred and hatted restaurants, but I’ve also had more than a few shockers at restaurants in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

A shiny accolade or two might get you through the door, but it doesn’t guarantee magic on the plate or a great experience.

Similarly, some of the best meals of my life have been in completely unrecognised places. No stars, no hats, no plaques on the wall. Just chefs cooking food they believe in, without the weight of expectation or the need to impress an inspector. There’s a kind of honesty in those meals that’s increasingly rare at the top end. Conversely, I’ve also seen restaurants lose their spark the moment recognition arrives, as if the star or hat becomes the goal rather than the byproduct of excellence.

And to be brutally honest: some of the worst meals I’ve had in the last decade have been at three‑Michelin‑starred restaurants. Especially when you consider the price tag, which often feels like it includes a surcharge for prestige and a second surcharge for the privilege of being disappointed.

On the flip side, my experience with Brisbane’s hatted restaurants has also been mixed… leaning more toward “underwhelming” than “memorable.” A handful of 2–3 hatted meals in particular were so far below expectations that I left wondering how they could possibly have attained (and maintained) their hats. Brisbane has some great chefs, don’t get me wrong, but consistency at the top end hasn’t been its strong suit so far.

And here’s the thing that should, in theory, give Australia the edge: the produce here is incredible. World‑class. The kind of ingredients Hong Kong chefs would commit minor crimes and misdemeanours to get their hands on. When Australian chefs let the produce speak for itself, the food can be extraordinary. But when ingredients get over‑worked or overly conceptual, especially by teams that don’t quite have the technical foundation to pull it off, the results fall flat.

Creativity is only impressive when the execution keeps up.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, imports over 90% of its food. The produce simply isn’t as good, there’s no getting around that. But the technical skill in the kitchens is exceptional. The top chefs in Hong Kong routinely pull off complex, demanding dishes with precision you rarely see elsewhere. This is why a Michelin restaurant there can simultaneously be impressive and flawed: brilliant technique, sometimes hindered by ingredients that arrived on a plane 12 hours earlier.

Across all of this eating, in both cities and across the country, I’ve worked my way through a good number of Australia’s so‑called top restaurants. And if Michelin ever made its way here, I can see a handful snagging a star, maybe a couple nabbing two.

But three stars?

I’d be surprised if we saw more than five across the whole country. Australia has extraordinary talent, but consistency at the highest level is another story.

Which brings me back to my last post, the whole “to blog or not to blog” dilemma. Writing this has reminded me of why I missed it. There’s something fun about putting food into words, trying to make sense of what makes a dish (or an entire dining scene) work… or not work.

So going forward, I’ll be sharing more reviews from my Brisbane (and when applicable, wider Australia) dining adventures, and at the same time picking up the Flashback Series to finally write about the Michelin‑starred spots I visited in Hong Kong & around the world – the incredible, the disappointing, and everything in between.

If you’re still reading, then I guess the answer is: yeah, I think I’ll keep writing and blogging..