Ape Chilean El Dieciocho

Âpé Chilean Nikkei Restaurant is celebrating El Dieciocho on Sunday 20 September, and it's a full day of food and music that runs from breakfast through to lunch. For those who don't know, El Dieciocho — the 18th — is one of Chile's biggest cultural dates, marking the formation of the First Government Junta in 1810 and the country's long road to independence from Spain. At Âpé, the day is built around chef Nic Pedemonte's connection to his home country; as a Chilean chef living overseas, he describes the date as bringing a little piece of Chile to Australia through food, flavours, traditions and memories.

The morning starts with a Chilean-inspired à la carte breakfast, created with Romi Gardella, a Blue Mountains resident and founder of a traditional Chilean micro-bakery known for her cakes and alfajores. Lunch is the main event, limited to 60 guests and including an Âpé Pisco Sour. Throughout the day, Nano provides the live music. After lunch, the restaurant returns to its normal dinner service.

It's a long day, so you can drop in for the breakfast, stay on for the lunch, or do both. The ticket is A$125 per person, and the lunch is capped at 60 people, so you'll want to book your spot early if you're planning on the full experience. You'll find Âpé in Honeysuckle, Newcastle.