It’s been a long time between visits to Billy Kwong, Kylie Kwong’s famous Chinese restaurant in Surry Hills and it’s not for lack of trying. Their no bookings policy means that you either have to eat very early (i.e. line up at 5.45pm and eat when doors open at 6pm) or leave your name at the door and come back in a couple of hours-neither things we wanted to do. This year for my birthday, we are trying again and as we’re eating early there should not be a problem in theory. Outside there are posters advertising the Fair Trade Fiesta as Kylie Kwong is involved in environmental and social causes and since 2005, they only serve Biodynamic, Organic and Free Range produce. Billy Kwong is said to be the first carbon neutral restaurant in the State and the “Billy” in the name is from Kylie Kwong’s partnership with Bill Granger (my interview with Bill is here).
There’s a touch of nightclub queue in there where at 6pm the staff are looking at everyone in the queue hands resting in chin and pointing. We’re not quite sure what they’re pointing at and at 6.03pm the doors open and we are ushered in. Service is friendly-ish-you get the impression that should you misbehave they’d boot you out and by 6.15pm all tables are taken in this tiny establishment. Decor is all about dark lacquer and flower arrangements and the lacquered “walls” are cupboards that house things from peanuts to soy sauce and a handmade drum shaped lantern sits above the room.
We’re seated at our table which brings me to a point that traumatised us last time 9 years ago when we last ate. The stools are three legged stools and that combined with the hard lacquered floor meant that when we sat down those many years ago, the waitress advised us to sit squarely on the chairs as some people had been known to fall off. Indeed one of my dining companions back then had fallen off one of their stools a few weeks before. So we warn Mr NQN and Ronald that this may occur and to sit tight (Rose and I are seated on the banquettes as the more accident prone members of the dining party). The tables are tiny (and light), an unusual choice for a Chinese restaurant where dishes are shared – we presume done to make the most of the tiny space.
Service from our waitress is matter of fact rather than warm and we have some questions about the menu: the first one has her stumped. We ask about the White cut chicken and she describes it and when we ask if it is like Hainan chicken rice she says that she doesn’t know as she’s never heard of Hainan chicken-hmmm, not a good sign. Menu items err on the high side with most main dishes being $47-$49. I’m ecstatic to see the Duck with Mandarin on the specials menu-we’re told that it’s always on the specials menu but it changes according to the fruit in season which may be plums as it was last time I dined many moons ago.
Homestyle Fried Biodynamic Eggs with Organic Soy & Homemade XO $19
Our first entree arrives and it’s the Homestyle Fried Biodynamic Eggs with Organic Soy & Homemade XO. I adore XO chili sauce (a heady mix made with dried scallop, seafood, chili, onion and garlic) and the homemade XO in this is delicious. The fried biodynamic eggs has some liquid egg yolk throughout which gives it a creamy texture against the fried egg whilst the hot chilis, oyster sauce and spring onions give it a spice and flavour. It doesn’t come with our rice and needs it and the maitre’d notices and brings us a bowl of rice quickly. I loved these so much, I found the recipe on her site and now include this in a regular weekly meal rotation.
Yabbies with XO sauce $39
Our second dish is the Yabbies with XO sauce (can you tell I like XO sauce?) which is on the specials menu. It;s a large plate with a tangle of halved yabbies. One thing you’ll need to eat this is the ability to extract tiny amount of meat with your hands.
Yabbies are tiny creatures with very little meat in the body and the sweetest meat is in their small pincers-and beware when you crack these as the sauce can go everywhere. Whilst the flavour was great, pulling apart these tiny little things proves a little tiresome and we’d probably opt for prawns next time.
Special fried rice $15
The Special Fried Rice comes out and as it has Lup Cheong (Chinese sausage) I’m a happy camper being a big Lup Cheong fan.
Free Range Duck with organic mandarin oranges $46
The dish that I loved so much last time and I tried to recreate at home with some success is the Free range duck with organic mandarins. It’s as delicious as I remember it with the duck first marinated with a salt and pepper mix, then twice cooked -first steamed and then fried with an aromatic spice mix including star anise, cinnamon and tangy fish sauce and lime. It’s the table’s favourite and every piece is gone within a flash.
Red-Braised, Caramelised Organic Pork Belly with Chinese Coleslaw $47
Our last dish to come out is the Red-Braised, Caramelised Organic Pork Belly with Chinese Coleslaw. One strange thing that our waitress asked us was “Have you tried Pork Belly before?” and we answer yes of course. She says “I have to ask as sometimes people order it and it was not what they were expecting”. It’s an unusual comment – looking around sure there’s an almost exclusively non Asian clientele but presumably one familiar with things such as pork belly but I guess you never assume. The richly unctuous pork belly cubes are delicious and well paired with the clean fragrant Chinese coleslaw which is rich in fresh coriander and mint.
We’re stuffed full and signal for the bill. There is one dessert, a fruit plate with Cocolo Organic Fair Trade chocolate but alas there’s no room. During the evening several diners are turned away and a couple stand outside so we feel that we can’t really linger. We also notice that the table of two women next to us can’t finish their meal so they offer to give it to them to take away. Whilst the price is a matter of contention for some of our dining party (Mr NQN feels that it’s expensive for such a small, noisy place with tiny tables), we mostly agree that the food was delicious and that it was worth it for a special occasion.
Billy Kwong
Shop 3, 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW
tel: +61 2 9332 3300
http://www.kyliekwong.org/BillyKwongs.aspx
No bookings except for 1 table which seats 6-8 people.
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44 Comments | Add your own
Ah, I’ve been dying to go here for so long! I live just around the corner and often when I walk past I see all the food laid out on the table in preparation for service…
It all looks delicious, and it’s alwas kind of fun to eat at a celebrity restaurant. The prok belly wins my vote – it looks stickily good.
Kylies duck is the ONLY thing that I would consider giving up my vegetarianism for, it’s just orgasmic
Wow…the waitress had never heard of Hainan Chicken. *shakes head* Ohh that duck is to die for! We made it once for a dinner party, it’s such hard work but SO worth it.
That ducks sounds very satisfying! The price does seem a bit on the expensive side for what you get, but sometimes you have to splurge for what you want
I must admit the prices are a bit dear for Chinese but… it’s Kylie Kwong (and Bill Granger-esque) so I suppose the food makes up for it?
That duck with mandarins and cinnamon bark looks so fitting for winter though! Mmmmm……
I have always thought that the restaurant was named after Kylie Kwong’s father, but there you go! Thanks for correcting that! That duck looks really good indeed, but I also had the feeling of paying too much for what it was when we went there… It was good to do just once!
I haven’t visited for quite some time but this is reminding me that I ought to pay them another visit. Expensive but worth it I agree.
I haven’t been to Billy Kwong for years, but the last time we were there, we had the duck with plums, and it was fantastic.
But I don’t understand why the prices are so high, as the food is similar to other places in, say, Chinatown, that don’t charge as much. We did see Kylie Kwong dining at the table next to us, though!
You’d think that Kylie and team could pick up the carbon neutral dollar themselves!!
Great review! very honest. I agree with the coment about the chairs and the price. i love the food when we go there but the chairs give me the sh*&%ts
I’ve not missed a single show of Kylie Kwong when it was aired on Dicovery’s Travel & Living back in India!! Gosh-lucky you getting to eat at her restaurant!! Did the place have the aroma of freshly roasted peppercorns and sea-salt(I remember her saying she loves to walk around the restaurant with it before they open the doors)?
I haven’t been there in years. Did you end up taking your folks and if so did they enjoy it? My folks only ever want Chinese food so I was considering Billy Kwong as a change from our usual options in Chinatown. Although my parents would probably poo poo the value and say stuff like you can get that for a qtr of the price in Chinatown..
i have a bit of a problem with Billy Kwong. I think the food is quite yummy and good quality but it is very expensive (especially a plate of yabbies where you get mostly shells) and I really dislike the tiny seating and tables they cramp people into which is an OH&S issue (especially if your wanting to take your older parents). As you mentioned it’s mostly non-Asian clientele so it’s catering to the more high priced Anglo market around the area, a bit like The Malaya. I also can’t believe the waitress didn’t even know what Hainan Chicken was — definitely makes the place too touristy. Mind you though if someone wanted to take me there and pay for my meal I’d be more than happy to go
what a strange comment about the pork belly! aren’t all pork bellies the same…pork bellies? haha!
I’m not sure about Aussie dollars, but the price seems a little high! def not chinese take-out!
Looks and sounds delicious! We’re in Sydney for two nights in August and we have one night free, I would love to go but not sure I’m keen on lining up or eating at 6pm!
The system with no bookings sounds like a pain, especially since you feel rushed to vacate the table. You don’t want to feel like that when you’re paying so much for a special meal. It does sound like the food was good though.
For those of us with kids who like Chinese, the early lining up sounds quite normal – and the food looks fantastic! My 5 year old would adore the rice (and the chance to see Kylie – who she adores) and we’d get a great meal. Must go when next in Sydney.
Do you have any of Kylie’s books? I’m wondering how difficult the recipes are…
It sounds a bit pricey, but the food does look delicious and definitely worth it for a special occasion. Glad you were stuffed silly on your birthday!
I had a very disappointing experience at Billy Kwong’s. With the hype of Kylie’s TV series and the appearance that she is actually cooking somewhat authentic cuisine on the TV it does not translate to the experience in her restaurant. This is my opinion so obviously a reader can interpret this review as either a rant or close to truthful account of my experience.
Whilst the food was tasty you can’t help but feel this restaurant is nothing more than a rip-off when you consider you can get absolute “authentic” chinese cuisine down the road in Chinatown for a fraction of the price. This restaurant serves cuisines clearly aimed at westerners who have no idea of what real Chinese food is. Having been an expat in Hong Kong for many years you would never ever be served what is offered in this restaurant in Hong Kong, China or Singapore.
The restaurant has a bustling feel to it but this is due more to the cramped space, tiny tables and ridiculously oversized serving dishes. The service is pleasant but you can’t help but feel they are reciting Kylie’s cookbook and TV series when describing the dishes on offer.
The biodynamic/eco-friendly labelling is very dubious. How can one seriously believe the fish was line caught as indicated in the menu? A simple examination of the steamed fish showed no evidence of a hook having deformed the mouth of the fish.
The duck was dry and salty (I have never come across deep fried duck and orange in Hong Kong before). The steamed fish was very bland and overcooked. The only dish which was tasty and as close to authentic Chinese was the simple stir fried vegetable with oyster sauce.
One particular negative aspect of this restaurant is the open kitchen where I did not see one Chinese person cooking so the restaurant lacked authenticity and an instinctive knowledge of Chinese cuisine. I would not recommend this restaurant for the quality of food or the extortionate price. If you want a real Peking duck and steamed fish go to a real Chinese restaurant. Don’t be a victim of being gullible! How this restaurant got any kind of kudos from the SMH Good Food Guide is beyond me!
If you want over priced whiteman chinese food, this is the restaurant to go to. It caters to the whites and it is very obvious as there is no chinese chefs and no chinese customers go to this restaurant. Charging $19 for fried eggs that my 10 years old can cook is clearly ripping off the customers.
Hmm, mixed comments from others eh? I too hear both great and bad things about this place. Some say they are not authentic Chinese etc. But well, surpassingly I have not yet made to this place and experienced how their food is like – probably should pay a visit and find out
(but yeah, no booking policy puts us off!)
Loved your review. I like you probably haven’t been in 9 or 10 years and have been thinking about going again.
I was wondering, how do you compare your version of the fried egg dish to hers? Can you achieve the same result at home?
Hi Reemski-Ahh well if you ever feel like an early meal this is probably a good bet!
Hi Cakelaw-It is! I only wish she was there but alas it was not to be! It was very sticky indeed
Hi Em-haha yes! The Duck is fantastic-I was so glad to see that on the menu
Hi Steph-I know! It was amazing that she hadn’t. They didn’t hire her for her warmth and it seems not for Chinese food knowledge too!
Hi Anita-Yes it’s not for yoru every day Chinese takeaway but once every 10 years isn’t bad
Hi Trisha-I think the food is great and worth it but the room size and pokiness isn’t what I’d call commensurate with the price
I know, I think I’ll tru and make it again!
Hi Sandie-I assumed that too when I first heard about it! I had forgotten how expensive it was, it makes Spice Temple look like a bargain (which it is comparatively and has a nicer room).
Hi Mike-Oh cool! yes for a special occasion worth it and if you get a banquette and not one of those stools
Hi Belle-That was my last memory of that dish too, we had it with plums. I think it’s part of the celebrity chef restaurant thing. Really, she was sitting down eating at her own restaurant?
Hi Craig- that is very true!
Hi Craig-Thankyou! I know, the off chance that you could fall is surely a lawsuit waiting to happen?
Hi Sweta-Ahh you sound like a real fan! Sadly I’ve never seen her show! Hmmm not really, I didn’t see anyone walking around with them! What a shame
Hi Forager-I think everyone liked it although some thought that it was a bit expensive for what it was. It’s funny that you say that as there were mostly non chinese dining. Chinese families might think that it’s too expensive for what it is.
Hi Simon-I think that’s what a lot of people would say. I’m amazed the stools are still there although a friend of mine whose flatmate worked there said that the stools cost an absolute bomb and needed to be imported from somewhere overseas at great cost! Yes the waitress was a disappointment.
Hi Sophia-I know, so odd!
It’s definitely expensive for Chinese here. I think probably the amongst the most expensive Chinese restaurants in Sydney?
Hi Gab*-If you have a group of 6 of you could book the big table?
Hi Arwen-Exactly, that’s why it’s been so long between visits
I hate feeling rushed and uncomfortable!
Hi Ellen-Hehe well then you wouldn’t mind then!
Oh really? She sounds like quite the budding gourmet 
Hi justJENN-I don’t I’m afraid but there are recipes floating about on the internet and she has some on her website. From what I understand there are quite a few ingredients needed which some people say is a negative but the eggs I made were amazing and simple
Hi Betty-Hehe thankyou! Yes I was looking forward to it!
Hi ausmithglenn-Yes I can see what you’re saying, it is expensive and a couple of members of our dining party also thought it was very expensive. Interesting about the line caught fish! Ahhh yes SMH judging of Chinese restaurants is often very interesting!
Hi david-Hehe you don’t mince your words do you!
I have to say that the eggs are incredibly easy to make from first hand experience!
Hi Yas-Hehe it seems so!
As far as authenticity goes, I think it’s pretty authentic and she puts a different spin on things which is not a bad thing but there are some things that people could validly gripe about 
Hi Kristy-Thankyou!
hehe it’s that booking policy isn’t it! It might be another 10 years til I go again 
My version didn’t have XO chili sauce but other than that, it was pretty much exactly like hers!
The duck at Billy Kwong remains one of my favourite dishes in Sydney. So aromatic and full of flavour. Just reading this has made me crave it!
i do hate when the waitstaff can’t answer my questions. the food looks tasty, i’ll give it that.
Yeah, the duck I guess is her ‘signature dish’, but yeah I agree that this is overpriced for Chinese food. And some of it like the more non-fusion dishes I find better at a traditional chinese restaurant. But I guess a reason towards the price being so high is that it is a very good quality of produce, using organic produce would set them back alot hence the greater price. But I guess its up to you to justify whether or not its ‘worth’ it.
That pork belly 0_0 loooks soooooooo good! I would go just to try that dish…
Are those handwritten menus?!?
I’ve only seen Kylie in tv shows, would love the try her dishes though since her dishes look so amazingly tasty on tv =) The duck and pork looks yummy.
I have walked past this restaurant many times. Always put off by the cramped space, rickety stools, and no booking policy. On the no booking policy in general, there are so many middle grounds that are possible…
1. If the concern is that bookings won’t turn up, thereby reducing revenue – ask for a credit card at booking which can be charged for a nominal amount in the event of a cancellation.
2. If people are turning up late – allow a 15 min window and turn the table over to what is apparantly a never ending line of diners who have just showed up hoping for a table
3. If the concern is that, people will go off the restaurant because they can get bookings, well then have a no booking policy for one weekend night, catering to both ends of the public.
I am sure a clever restaurateur can come up with many more ways than these. My point is that there are alternatives.
In my comment above, point 3 shoud read “because they canNOT get bookings”.
Hi SarahKate-It’s great isn’t it! I was so relieved to see it on the menu
Hi grace-It’s annoying isn’t it! Especially at an expensive restaurant
Hi Paul-Yes the price of organic and biodynamic would contribute it to being more expensive. To some, yes it’s worth it but to others, perhaps not.
Hi FFichiban-Yes you should! Oh yes you should
Hi Blond Duck-Just the specials menu hehe
Hi pigpigscorner-Defintiely give her recipes a go, some of them are more complicated but I’m sure you’d have no problems with it!
Hi Shants-True true, I don’t like the non booking policy. I know why restaurants do it but I just don’t care for it. much like I don’t care to queue to get in a nightclub!
Like your suggestions!
Hi NQN, I don’t quite understand people who insist that this is not quite the real thing because there’s no ‘Chinese chef in the kitchen’; nor do I understand the point that its ‘expensive for Chinese food’. I guess these same lot does not like Longrain for the same reason. However, would they quibble about Chui Lee Luk at Claude’s, or Tetsuya with his French techniques or Harunoki at Blancharu or Daniel Hong at Lotus? Somehow I doubt it. Far be it for me to call them hypocritical …
Great review, i am going to take my friend from Melbourne when she comes and visits!! i’ll show her this and she’ll be even more excited!!
Yes, I would say the price is expensive for the food in such a place. But with the type of stools, they hurt my back, i wouldn’t go near a place like that.
Hi gobsmack’d-Hmmm you know that’s true. I suppose if they make that point one way, they have to make the point the other way. Interesting and thanks for making that point!
Hi sydneyguyrojoe-Oh how cool! So glad that you liked it and I hope you both enjoy it
Hi ArtemisIII-yes I was so hoping the stools were replaced by now in my 10 year absence!
I’ve always wanted to try Billy Kwong. However Kylie Kwong I have to admit rubs me up the wrong way! I’ve watched her show a couple of times and she seems very disrespective of Asian culture, talking about how it’s “eww so gross!” and wincing, I don’t know, it makes me uncomfortable, and I’m 5th generation Australian-Chinese myself…
I am very curious about her food though. I understand that she gives it a different spin so I’ll try it out, some day!
Hi Nat-I must confess that I’ve never watched her tv show as I don’t have cable although I’ve heard similar things said!
Kylie Kwong can’t cook, simple as that. The kind of tricks she shows on the tv show is a disgrace to real authentic chinese food. Add a bit of sea salt, chinese wine, oyster sauce and bbq sauce and you are there. What a joke !!! She can’t even cook proper fried rice! Fried rice should be fried thus it should be DRY, not WET. If I want moist rice I will have steam rice. Funny she says she has seen many restaurant does not cook the rice properly and she is here to do show us how to do it nicely. I really cannot understand what is the fuss about her cooking skill.
I agree, Kylie Kwang can’t cook authentic chinese food. Her style is more towards a fusion of western and so called Asian cooking in disguise. Her recipes and restaurant are catered for the western market, not Asian. Yes, she can’t fry rice. She doesn’t even use the chinese cleaver. I only watched 2 episodes and gave up. Hyped up, stereotyped and melodramatic.
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[...] decide to go to the bathroom. Kylie Kwong, swings past me on her way out, this feels surreal – as I walk out again I glimpse Mark Best from [...]
[...] and mains. Chef Hamish Ingham is behind the counter and we are directly facing him. Formerly with Kylie Kwong at Billy Kwong, the menu has an Asian influence to it (and the tables and stools are tiny, much like those at [...]
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