Snapshot: Walsh Bay

Boy, does Sydney love weekends (I sure do anyway). A time to delve into those first world problems like, "Pinot or Sauv Blanc?" or "Where to go next?". Walsh Bay, a veritable arts hub by the harbour is the home of a new swathe of eateries to cater for all your pre-show cravings. Home of yet-another-branch-of-Fratelli-Fresh, here are a few others you should give a whirl.

The Theatre Bar at the End of the Wharf

Level 2, The Wharf Pier 4

Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

A mess hall with style, taking advantage of the magnificent vantage point and light. Interiors by Studio R Architecture

There are no prizes for the naming of this bar but it was also the obvious choice. At once descriptive but the task of finding this joint was epic. Google maps was even befuddled telling us we were walking on water...awesome. Basically, just go upstairs into the Wharf Theatre and trace your way down the STC's Hall of Fame. The Bar at the End of the Wharf is your all purpose venue for drinks, nibbles and more drinks. Lap up the sunset and enjoy the company on the balcony over a share plate or many. 

Sydney casual cool at it's very best Credit: Concrete Playground

The bar/restaurant is a pretty brilliant business move if you ask me. It's open 6 days a week and caters for the theatre crowd and walk-ins. The interiors are simple with a dash of Melbourne but with sweeping views of the Harbour Bridge (take that!). I'm so glad I came because it's been on the list for an age (totally worth the pilgrimage haha). Prepare to while away the hours, watching the sail boats go by with a whopping big smile on your dial. 

Lotus Dumpling Bar

3/16 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

A rather slick interior taking notes from Mr Wong in the city Credit: Good Food

If you have the need for speed before a show, then Lotus Dumpling Bar is your answer. Chef Lucy Luo takes the reins in the kitchen offering a neat selection of dumplings to whet your appetite. They also have the famed xiao long bao (which I've saved for another day) as well as larger mains to share: roasted BBQ duck, steamed fish with ginger and shallot and stir-fried noodles. All of this sits alongside a drinks menu that's enough to make you weak at the knees. Cocktails at lunch? You might feel so inclined at Lotus.

Jade seafood dumpling - fresh dumpling with prawn, king oyster mushroom and snow peas in spinach flavoured dough. Pretty little morsels filled with fresh prawns. The dipping sauces were pure magic; a mix of soy, vinegar and chilli XO style sauce with sesame seeds

Mixed mushroom dumpling - fresh dumpling stuffed with fillings crossing the European king oyster and Chinese mushroom with fresh vegetables. Lovely translucent dumpling skins with the perfect texture

Scallop & vegetable shu-mai - open dumpling stuffed with scallop and fresh vegetables and king oyster mushroom. Handmade and so delicious

Crispy eggplant with honey & Serrano chilli - topped with pan fried sesame seeds, dried onion and Chinese coriander. This dish was the crowning glory for me, the crispy fried outside with a sweet honeyed glaze in contrast with the gooey eggplant which is almost molten. This is the winnerrr...

If you've got the time (and the room), there's Gelato Messina on the dessert menu (because we're all screaming for ice cream right now). Lotus is a great lunch or dinner option - just be aware the place errs on the teeny side so there could be a wait ;) So there we are, Walsh Bay in a nutshell. A relatively quiet spot on the harbour with panoramic views just like this...

Not too shabby! The view from the Bar at the End of the Wharf Credit: Broadsheet Sydney

Thanks for reading!

xGourmand

Chow Bar & Eating House

Sydney's dining scene has become a game of musical chairs. A fickle beast, that's for sure. Chef Chui Lee Luk of Claude's fame (R.I.P. and case in point) is the latest to venture into more casual dining, a glaring sign of the times. Chow Bar & Eating House sits flush on Crown Street at the former Bentley restaurant site (who has upped stumps to the Radisson Blu Hotel in the CBD) - it's hard to keep up some times! This is an exercise in getting back to basics.

Drunken mussels with beer, galangal, lemongrass. A very similar dish featured in Claude's - quick, hot and moorish

As with so many venues in Sydney these days the emphasis is placed on beverages (you know what I mean) where the margins are much higher. Food is often an afterthought as a result (fried chicken and burgers get a bit old after a while) but not so at Chow. Luk's menu is an homage to her Malaysian roots and classical French training and technique. Seated at our long table with mahjong tiles inlaid, we soaked up the relaxed Sunday afternoon vibes. And to the difficult task of choosing from the menu, with a good range dishes  for sharing. Happy days.

The interiors by Giant Design remind me of a sort distressed version of the ritzy Mr Wong's on Bridge Lane. A den for drinks and snacks aplenty, this is a parlour without the seedy underbelly

First, some bar snacks to whet the appetite

Cannon Shot Dumplings filled with roast pork, shiitake, yam bean (L). Chilli dipping sauces (R). The dumplings were delicious morsels, delicately fried. So tiny you could easily polish off a bowl yourself but save room for what's to come!

Xin Chow Bao - DIY goat sausage, lettuce wrap. This dish was one of my favourites, a play on the traditional sang choi bao - this version uses goat (but you would never know, to be honest). The sausages are house made and boy doesn't that make a difference; juicy, succulent and begging you to go in for more

The main event

Fried cauliflower, seeds, hot mustard. This came in second for me, the heat from the mustard is a nice combo with the humble cauliflower. However I would have to say some pieces were a bit bitey and undercooked :/

Whole fish, black bean, capsicum, garlic. This dish is a total staple in traditional Chinese cooking. The fish was steamed to perfection and the black bean sauce a perfect complement - this one was gone in a flash

And Sweetie, darling

Avocado blancmange with cocoa jelly, pear, caramelised white chocolate. Wowsers, another beautiful Chui Lee Luk dessert. Thrown together with panache this dish is the perfect union of textures and flavour. The avocado blancmange itself was a  heavenly soft mousse, the dusting of white chocolate just in the right proportions. Miam-miam!

Egg custard tart (dan tat), a dish referenced from the hallowed halls of yum-cha. This Frenchified version served warm is no match to the original I'm afraid

Chow Bar & Eating has its sights firmly set on the bearded hipster Surry Hills set. Not taking itself too seriously and shaking the fusty rep of fine dining, this bar slash diner is all about a warm welcome, fun times and full bellies. Enjoy this one.

Numero uno, the mahjong mats set into the tables. A nice touch along with the joss stick (incense) inspired chopstick holders

Thanks for reading!
xGourmand

Mr Wong, Mr Wong!

Oh man, this ad cracks me up. Produced before I was born actually, it plays on almost every Chinese cliché there is!

"What kind were they?!"

If you hadn't already guessed it, I'll be reviewing my visit to Mr Wong - the new mega-restaurant opened up by none other than Merivale group (set on world domination one bar/restaurant at a time). This is their third venture in 2012, it was only last month that I posted about the Fish Shop (right here). The 240-seater venue is tucked away in Bridge Lane, in the basement of the Establishment Hotel. The space was previously incarnated as Tank Nightclub and at the snap of his fingers, Justin Hemmes has wrangled the cavernous space into a multi level Chinese yum-cha bonanza. Good for him!

Hemmes, with the help of stylist Sibella Court has done it again fit-out-wise. Reportedly costing $4 mill (loose change, really), the restaurant speaks to the colonial stylings of the 1930s Photo credit: Broadsheet Sydney

Upon stepping inside (no queuing for lunch service today, thank goodness), we were welcomed with the hustle & bustle of the kitchens x2. Not surprisingly, Hemmes has roped in Dan Hong and Jowett Yu (BFF chefs from Ms G's) to run the 36 strong kitchen. Dim sum is taken care of with a little help from Eric Koh from Michelin starred Hakkasan in London. We were shown to our table down yonder, taking the staircase winding around the massive glass elevator shaft of a wine cellar (a massive whiff of modernity there!). It soon became clear how important alcohol is to this business...give me a pot of Chinese tea however and I'm a happy camper. The bar takes up a good spot on the lower floor, the ridiculously-good-looking bar staff (what did you expect :P) doing their job with a hospitality-grade smile.

An interesting departure from tradition was their à la carte menu. Luckily I had already read a thing or two so I knew what dishes looked like. I was pretty keen to order the Dim Sum platter, but sadly that's only available for dinner. It felt slightly odd ordering what was 'apparently good'. It's true what people say, you do eat with your eyes. Call me old-fashioned but I love being able to look at what's available from the trolleys being pushed by the little Asian ladies at yum-cha. And of course 'the requisite' chair legs being crashed into mid meal by out of control trolleys...whoops! And what about the cards that you get stamped with each dish? I'm such a tragic, I know.

Wonder wall: so much effort has been put into the details in this restaurant. For example, the curtain downstairs is hand-strung with beads sourced from Ecuador, yikes. This wall is very Chinese herbalist (all we need is a set of scales). 

Sydney Rock oysters, fried shallots and ginger vinaigrette. These were scrumptious, fresh oysters with minimal interference can't be beat. I managed to snag one before one my dining buddies demolished up the rest!

Mr. Wong's drunken chicken. As a galantine?! I think they Frankenstein-ed that a bit too far. Chicken bones contain so much flavour, it should be cooked as a whole. I know that many people have a thing about bones in food, but seriously!

Chueng Fun (steamed rice roll) with prawn - this was rather yum. I liked the addition of the asparagus slices, which gave it a nice crunch. The garnish here is really not necessary ;)

Abalone chicken shumai: a delicacy in Asian cuisine it was good to see that this was a popular choice. 

Prawn har gau ($9) - plump mouthfuls of prawny goodness. The skins of these dim sum were nice and delicate. Eric Koh's influence is a clear winner on the dim sum front

I distinctly get the impression that Mr Wong is trying to teach an old dog new tricks. The dim sum here are rather refined, slightly smaller sized and done with some delicacy (read: $$$). The garnish is more an afterthought, there's absolutely no need to trick up anything here. Posh yum cha is clearly not my thing. With daily covers of up to 850 (scary) and queues snaking down Bridge Lane come dinner time, the hungry masses beg to differ.

Don't mind the flailing chopsticks, it's the Chinese Roasted Duck (half). A labour of love, this duck takes 3 days to prepare. At a tidy $34, this was surely the highlight of the meal. Crispy skin for days (hah) and beautifully juicy duck meat - so so good with a bit 'o' plum sauce! That 3-tonne custom duck roasting oven was obviously a good investment...

Mr Wong's westernised version is basically an entirely different experience to traditional yum cha. The first thing I thought when I sat down was, "Where are the trolleys?". They do actually serve a purpose to keep the bamboo steamers piping hot, so when they get to the table they're not luke warm (like our char sieu bao, damn it)! Whilst the food was very decent, there was something about eating here that I sorely missed. Yum-cha is a cultural institution that has been ingrained in me from a very young age. Half of the experience is that raucous energy that you get from eating in a massive hall that quite literally, seats hundreds. The noise, the heady aromas floating in the air and the authenticity (not quite HK, but you know - we do try).  This version has been sanitized and prices jacked up for the Aussie market. Okay, I'll stop ranting now.

This one is set to be a downright crowd pleaser, particularly to the Western audience who might find Chinatown yum-cha a little intimidating (may I suggest carting your Asian friends along!). It's location also suits the business lunching type down to a T. In case you didn't already know, Mr Wong has been heaped with praise in the press. Time Out Sydney gave it an adoring 5 stars. Even chef David Chang of the Momofuku empire has also given it his stamp of approval - must be a'ight then.

Thanks for reading! x