These Five Sydney Restaurants Have Created Amex Secret Dishes Worth Booking a Table For
From a French-brasserie take on fish and chips to a nostalgic Indian dish with a modern twist, American Express Secret Dishes is giving Sydney diners a fresh reason to book a table.
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Sydney has no shortage of restaurants, but it's easy to return to familiar favourites and local takeaways. Amex Secret Dishes is giving Sydney diners a reason to switch things up. The dining initiative brings together a handpicked line-up of Amex-accepting venues across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, each creating a unique dish available for a limited time only.
From October through December 2026, Amex Secret Dishes encourages diners to discover new experiences while shining a light on the chefs, creativity, and stories behind Australia's dining scene.
The first round of restaurants will be plating up their limited-time dishes from Friday, October 23, 2026 to Monday, November 23, 2026, with a second burst to follow on the same day. For Sydney diners, that means five local venues to add to the booking list, with dishes spanning everything from Mexican-inspired feasts to inventive takes on Vietnamese and Japanese cooking. Here's what's on the Amex Secret Dishes menu, Sydneysiders.
Harry's Bondi, Trent van der Jagt
Harry's Bondi: The Avocado Tahini
Avocado toast might be a brunch staple, but Harry's Bondi is giving the familiar favourite a fresh spin with The Avocado Tahini, a creation that brings together sourdough, creamy tahini, avocado, pomegranate, dukkah, chervil and sea salt.
The dish takes a tried-and-tested combination and gives it a little more texture and complexity. Pomegranate brings a burst of sweetness, while dukkah adds crunch and aromatic spice. Fresh chervil and sea salt round everything out, making this an elevated take on an old faithful.
There's also a little nostalgia behind the creation: the Avocado Tahini is a Harry's Bondi bestseller from 2020, brought out of retirement for Amex Secret Dishes. It's a great reason to revisit a Bondi favourite.
Book your table here.
Don't Tell Aunty, Trent van der Jagt
Don't Tell Aunty: Black Pepper Chicken
At Don't Tell Aunty, an Amex Shop Small venue, the Amex Secret Dishes meal is all about bringing an often-overlooked spice back into the spotlight. Black Pepper Chicken takes inspiration from kali mirch chicken, a North Indian dish where freshly cracked black pepper, not chilli, provides the heat.
The chicken is pan-tossed over high heat with ginger, garlic and aromatic spices, then finished with black pepper for a fragrant warmth that builds with every bite. Greek yoghurt and cream give the sauce a tangy, silky finish.
Before chillies arrived in India, black pepper was one of the spices responsible for bringing heat to Indian cooking. Native to Kerala's Malabar Coast, it was once so prized that traders called it black gold. This dish gives the spice centre stage again, with a contemporary approach that puts flavour ahead of fiery heat.
Chef Jai Singh's inspiration is personal, too. "Growing up, Pepper Chicken was Mum's go-to meal to get everyone around the table. No chilli, just heaps of black pepper that made your nose run. I've kept that nostalgic pepper punch but added Greek yoghurt and cream for extra richness. Mum would say it's unauthentic, then ask for the recipe."
The result is a dish that draws on childhood memories while giving a familiar recipe a new identity. It's nostalgic, comforting and very much in keeping with Don't Tell Aunty's playful approach to Indian food.
Book your table here.
El Camino Cantina, Trent van der Jagt
El Camino Cantina: The El Jefe Feast
If your idea of a great meal is a table full of dishes to share, you'll want to know about The El Jefe Feast at El Camino Cantina. The generous spread brings together Mexican cooking traditions, Tex-Mex flavours and Texas barbecue influences in one colourful platter.
The feast includes chorizo empanadas, a brisket tamale, a chicken birria taco, birria broth, aji verde, mole negro, refried beans, arroz verde and blue corn chips. There's plenty happening across the platter. The brisket tamale pairs traditional masa with slow-cooked beef brisket, while the chicken birria takes the rich, spiced flavours of slow-cooked meat and serves them El Camino-style in a taco, with birria broth on the side.
Elsewhere, mole negro brings depth through a combination of chilmole paste, Mexican chocolate, caramelised onion, ancho chillies and guajillo chillies. Aji verde adds freshness, acidity and heat, balancing the richer elements of the feast.
The kitchen's approach was to start with recognisable Mexican dishes and techniques, then bring in the Tex-Mex and Texas barbecue influences that define El Camino.
As the team explains, "We started with dishes and techniques that have real roots in Mexican cooking, then brought in the Texas barbecue and the Tex-Mex flavours that suit El Camino. The brisket tamale sums it up best. It's Mexican at the base, Texas through the brisket, then turned up a little in true El Camino style." It's a generous, shareable feast that brings several different flavours and preparations together, making it ideal for a group dinner when you can't decide what to order.
Book your table here.
Ananas, Trent van der Jagt
Ananas: Merlan Colbert
Fish and chips gets a French-brasserie makeover at Ananas, where the Secret Dish is a Merlan Colbert.
The dish begins with a whole Australian whiting, carefully butterflied and deboned before being crumbed and fried until golden. It's served with a warm spring tartare featuring peas, asparagus, celeriac, cornichons, capers and fresh herbs, finished with smoked salmon roe. Fine, crisp pommes allumettes complete the restaurant's take on the much-loved fish-and-chips combination.
The Whiting Colbert preparation comes from the old French culinary repertoire. It's a technique that takes care and precision, creating a distinctive presentation and space for sauce. The Amex Secret Dish is a playful meal, pairing classic technique with Australian seafood and seasonal produce, bringing a little old-school restaurant theatre to a dish that's usually associated with a paper-wrapped takeaway.
For the team, the appeal lies in keeping things simple while getting the details right. "For us, the best French cooking has always been about taking amazing local produce, presenting it simply, and underpinning it with strong technique, particularly in the sauces. We're not trying to reinvent fish and chips; we're just looking at it through the lens of a French brasserie and having a bit of fun with something everyone already loves."
Book your table here.
Hello Auntie: Thịt Kho Katsu With Nanban Sauce
At Hello Auntie, an Amex Shop Small venue, the Secret Dish brings Vietnamese and Japanese cooking influences together in a cross-cultural creation: Thịt Kho Katsu With Nanban Sauce. The Secret Dish reimagines thịt kho, the traditional Vietnamese braised pork belly preparation, through the Japanese technique of katsu frying. It is served with a nanban-style sauce made using boiled eggs, adding another layer to the combination of familiar flavours and techniques.
Thịt kho is known for its rich, slow-braised pork belly, traditionally cooked with savoury and sweet elements. Katsu, meanwhile, is all about a crisp exterior and a tender centre. Bringing the two together creates a dish that draws on the comfort of Vietnamese home cooking while introducing the texture and technique of Japanese fried food. It is a fitting addition to the Amex Secret Dish line-up, celebrating the creativity behind Australia's dining scene and giving diners another delicious reason to book local and support the small businesses shaping it.
Book your table here.
Where Else Can You Discover Amex Secret Dishes?
Sydney is just one part of the line-up. Amex Secret Dishes also brings together participating restaurants in Melbourne and Brisbane, with each venue creating its own dish specifically for the initiative.
The first wave of Amex Secret Dishes launches on Friday, October 23 2026, with participating restaurants serving up exclusive dishes until Monday, November 23, 2026. A second burst is still to come on Monday, November 23 2026, so keep your eyes peeled for more dining experiences dropping soon.
Whether you're booking a table at a long-time favourite or exploring somewhere new, these limited-time dishes offer a fresh reason to make a reservation and experience new dining destinations.
Discover Amex Secret Dishes and find a participating venue near you. And as an Amex Card Member, explore ways you can access more across travel, dining and entertainment.
Amex Secret Dishes is only available at participating Amex-accepting venues in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
