The Lucky Bee

Aussie restaurateurs Rupert Noffs and Matty Bennett were the toast of New York City. They've transplanted their Lucky Bee restaurant from Manhattan's lower east side to the Central Coast.

Serving everyone from Chris Rock to Salman Rushdie in New York, Noffs says they'd tired of big city living after seven years and chose the Central Coast because they love the area and its proximity to family. Bennett, who spent six years at Longrain before heading stateside, worked in the kitchen at The Fat Radish before opening The Lucky Bee.

The Aussie incarnation has a similar blend of Asian flavours, with Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese influencing its menu. Bao buns are stuffed with twice-cooked pork hock, mapo tofu comes in cups of iceberg lettuce and fish of the day is coated with Sichuan pepper and salt then fried. 

The duo believe they've hit an eating precinct on the rise. The Aussie restaurateurs have transplanted their restaurant from the Big Apple to the NSW Central Coast, taking their restaurant concept to the Coast's newest foodie precinct, Ettalong Beach.