Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:49:54 +1000
Subject: China Lane
From: Not Quite Nigella
To: Gaynor
“Hello gorgeous!
How are you? I hope you are well! I just have a quick question for your re: China Lane. I need to take my parents there but I’m worried that it’s too hipster for them from looking at the website. What do you think? Is it parent friendly?
xxx”
In a twist on the kid friendly restaurant, I wanted to take my parents to a parent friendly restaurant. That is, I wanted to spare them a hipster environment in which they weren’t comfortable. Gaynor responded that it was a bit hipster along with a bit of a hit on the hip pocket but she would take her parents there. I figured that since my parents had enjoyed their meal at China Beach in Manly (the same owners), they might like it here.
Angel Place is a small laneway just off George Street and Martin Place. Somewhat fittingly, there is a display of 180 metal bird cages suspended above the area outside the restaurant and lends it a somewhat Hong Kong atmosphere. The art installation called Forgotten Songs is actually separate to the restaurant and was installed by the City of Sydney to commemorate the 50 birds that used to be heard in Central Sydney before they were forced out by European settlement and is a statement about habitat loss. Interestingly, the birds heard during the day are different from the nocturnal bird sounds at night. Walking into the restaurant we notice that we’re the first diners at 6:10pm. So early that the staff are still folding napkins in the back banquette. But soon after come the rest of the early diners.
“It’s very dark, I can’t read the menu” my mother says.
“I don’t like this fizzy water” they both say. “I want some plain tap water.”
“There are no Chinese chefs in the kitchen” my dad says craning his neck.
“You know sometimes they can cook better than Chinese chefs” my mother counters.
Our waiter is very attentive and my mother is mollified when her request for a pot of hot water comes to the table in a nice teapot. He tells us that the meals are all designed to be shared by groups of four. I overhear him talking to a table of two next to us and he tells that they can do half sized portions too if they want to taste more food which is a good idea.
We need to give the table back at 8:15pm so we order quickly. I had Gaynor and Ute’s recommendations at hand. We also went with one of the specials, the whole cod served dragon style because my dad loves whole fish. We bypassed the dumplings as we recalled that they came four to a serve and at $16 I was sure that my parents didn’t consider them good value.
Crispy master stock pig’s ear $8
The first dish comes out quickly. The crispy master stock pig’s ear was served thinly sliced and crispy fried with pieces of cucumber and green onion. It’s full of flavour, even with a slight fishy taste to it (my parents are convinced that it is fried fish) but is a great little morsel to get the tastebuds going.
Sichuan chilli chicken wings $16
One of Gaynor and Ute’s recommendations ended up being one of my favourite dishes. The sticky sweet chilli chicken wings are blisteringly hot with the skin melting on the tongue followed by the spice of Sichuan chillis. There were six of these to a serve and if I could have ordered more I would have.
Grilled Kampot Crystal Bay prawns with coriander & lime $18
Light and succulent, this wasn’t really what we were expecting presentation wise. They were peeled Crystal Bay prawns flavoured with coriander and lime with a chilli dipping sauce. Nice enough but not particularly remarkable.
Barbecued lamb ribs with lemongrass, tamarind, chilli & peanuts $20
The thick lamb ribs sit on top of a thick, tangy sauce at the bottom that resembles a cross between a satay sauce and a dark, rich hoi sin sauce with crushed peanuts. The lamb ribs are fatter than I’ve had (more like a pork rib) and come four to a serve and are garnished with crispy parsnip chips.
Whole cod dragon style $70
There was a large gap between entrees and mains, about 25 minutes worth and at this stage, the restaurant has started to get very full. People waited to be seated and our plates waited to be cleared and it looked like there weren’t enough people on the floor that evening to cope with the customers as we watched our waiter whizz by in every direction. Our whole cod comes out with a flourish and it’s a lovely eye catching specimen. They have cut the skin so that the flavours of black bean, coriander and chilli can penetrate through although the flesh is a little bland where the spice hasn’t hit it so we dip those bits in the sauce. It’s actually an enormous beast that could feed six as a main. We struggle to finish it all although Mr NQN comes in and hoovers it all up.
Char sui pork & prawn fried rice $24
This wasn’t too bad although there wasn’t much char siu in this dish. The fried rice had a good breath from the wok but it also needed some more seasoning.
Zucchini with lup cheong sausage $12
This dish was sadly a real disappointment with a woefully small amount of lup cheong sausage. The flavour was all in the lup cheong and the sauce which sat at the bottom of the bowl. Zucchini which really isn’t an ingredient that you see in Chinese or Asian cuisine was an odd choice and it was mainly ordered because we love lup cheong.
Pistachio and lemongrass parfait with pandan syrup $14
The disappointment with the zucchini dish was put aside with a triumphant dessert. This was another Ute and Gaynor recommendation and they were spot on. It was a round of pistachio and lemongrass parfait coated in a mix of feullitine and crunchy chopped caramelised almonds and pistachios and surrounding it was an aromatic bright green pandan syrup. There were some thin sliced cumquats surrounding it and it was the kind of dessert, like the wings that you could order over and over again.
And the question that many people are asking? How does this compare to Mr Wong? Both would be good for a business lunch and it’s a bit hard to compare the two as I mostly tried the dumplings at Mr Wong while we had more main dishes here. Mr Wong is enormous and with a mostly hipstery crowd while China Lane is smaller with a mix of patrons.
Some fortune cookies come with the bill. My father pops his into his pocket telling us “I’m saving it for later” while the rest of us open ours. They’re a mix of positive messages, like the Chinese version of affirmations-mine tells me that “my kindness and generosity will be appreciated by others.” I don’t know what my father’s said but it was perhaps “a Chinese chef doesn’t always have to be Chinese.”
So tell me Dear Reader, do you think that a chef has to be from the nationality to cook well? And do you check ahead of time if a restaurant will suit your dining companions or do you tend to wing it?
China Lane
2 Angel Place, Martin Place, Sydney, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9231 3939 ]
Mon-Fri 12-3pm and 6-10.30pm
Sat 5pm-10.30pm
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47 Comments | Add your own
That dessert! That dessert! It looks like a jewel box full of treasure
I’ve really wanted to visit this place, mainly for the birdcages! The fish looks fantastic, although I think you were wise to give the $4 dumplings a miss. Could you imagine? You’d have been hearing about it for the next year.
Well, the food looks gorgeous (not just the fab-looking desert) even though much of it seemed to be a disappointment. It must be fun to take your parents to different Chinese or other restaurants.
No, I think really good chefs/cooks can learn to cook anything. Perhaps the understanding of the food itself is different, not visceral, like a true native–minus the memories, the nuances. But the craft itself can be learned.
I am starting to see quite a lot of Indian chefs in kitchens her in Italy….and they are doing a good job.
I haven’t been to China Lane but I have been to China Beach. I really loved the food but the noise! We were a group of four and I had a hoarse voice from trying to be heard. And my friend was served a flat beer and he said that was because they washed the glass with too much detergent. And yes, it’s expensive Asian food. But, like you say, hipster because there’s great atmosphere and the place was buzzing (loudly!) Great looking wings but I agree – too much squash and not enough of anything else xx
Looks interesting, even if it wasn’t all up to scratch. Nationality is mot relevant – you can learn a cuisine. I tend to wing dinners.
I think that the chef doesn’t have to be from the country where the food that they are preparing originated. I have had too many wonderful meals where the chefs were from some other part of the world.
Sounds lovely but you didn’t say if your parents enjoyed it. Would you describe it as parent-friendly?
Lol! The last para made me laugh
I don’t think you need to be of the nationality to cook well, but honestly, certain influences do creep in, and when it comes to REALLY authentic food – nationality can matter most of the time. I just think sushi comes easier to if you are a Japanese.
I usually think that you need to be that nationality to be able to cook a cuisine well, just because I think we all grow up with food and you don’t really understand the food unless you’ve grown up with it or have lived in that area for a long time
But having said that I know some other restaurant that do some great Asian dishes and the chefs are Westerners hehe ~
I definitely need to do what you do Lorraine, ask my friends and sus out if it is ‘parent-friendly’ if not my parents wont go and will nag me for a LONG LONG time! LOL
Looks like a great meal ~ ashame about the zuchinni but at least the dessert was yummy
It depends who I’m dining with. If they’re fussy then I definitely check ahead!
I think your fortune might have been planted by whoever wanted you to pay the bill!
Looks fabulous! That dessert!!
I’m sure with enough passion & practice that anyone can cook any cuisine but its always a bit of a shock.
I know an Italian place that has an Aussie chef. The food is great but not screamingly Italian. He does things my Nonna would throw up her hands over.
Some of the best Italian food places I have eaten at in Sydney have mixed kitchens though.
lol – “a Chinese chef doesn’t always have to be Chinese.” Some people need serious convincing otherwise!
20 years ago in Australia I would’ve avoided Asian food cooked by non Asians because even the Chinese restaurants served food that was not authentic. If you were lucky, there would be a separate menu for authentic Chinese food. Now, I don’t think it makes a difference as a whole new generation has been exposed to and grown up with different cuisines.
I’ve been eyeing this place out since seeing John’s review – sounds good, perhaps the service is better at lunchtime…?
love the pretty interior. that Dragon fish looks awesome, as do the lamb ribs and dessert!
That dessert looks great
I want some of those Sichuan chilli chicken wings!!
Hmmph: I feel old at the moment, ’cause am certain in ‘my day’ there were two restaurants in Angel Place, one being the then famous Bistro, where I had my first few cookery lessons as a young bride
! Love the look of this place and very much like the way the food is presented. I’m open as to whether a chef from a country other than that of the host country can cook the food as well? Am certain many in todays’ mobile world do. On the other hand perhaps it is more natural for someone who has been born into a food situation and eaten it since childhood to have a natural affinity for the recipes? And, yes, I do do my homework, especially if I am hosting 
!
You’ve got to teach us how you’ve managed to take such gorgeous photos at night?! Tutorial, please?
haha.. I don’t agree that the chefs has to be of the same nationality to be able to cook well. But more often that not, especially when authenticity comes in place, it’s preferable when the chef is of the same nationality of the cuisine! Otherwise, a lot of fusion tend to happen, not that it’s a bad thing! hehe.. Anyway, gorgeous place, and delicious food! Yum as usual! You’re the envy of us all!
Does it make me bigoted if I think that the chef has to be the same nationality as the food to be any good? That’s why Neil Perry’s Asian food doesn’t seem quite ‘right’ to me… That said, there are heaps of Chinese restos churning out Euro-fusion dishes (eg. Mr Wong) and they are fab. Your photos at China Lane are fantastic considering how dark it must be in there. PS: My mum also has to have a pot of hot water on table
My brother hates hipster restaurants/bars – the music is too loud & the lighting too dark. He’s finally got a phone with a torch so that’s one probably sorted. I love that we’re getting some restaurants in laneways…looks like a nice spot.
I would love to try the dessert. it looks spectacular!I don’t think a chef needs to be from the nationality to be able to cook well. There’s this Taiwanese chef, Andre Chiang who heads up Restaurant Andre in Singapore. His training is in modern French cuisine and it does it very very well.
I would do some homework esp if I’m taking my parents.
Dear Lorraine,
I’m not sure if my parents would like this place either and your dad sounds eerily like mine!
And anybody of any nationality can be a great chef of any nationality. That is the beauty of human creativity and endeavour.
Haha I love that there is a is-it-too-hip aspect
I really like the food choices that seem to be here and the decor! And no way, any chef of class and training can cook the cuisine
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I’d pay money for the show to sit at a table next to you and your parents.
Everything here looks WONDERFUL! problem with my parents is they wont pay more than like $10pp for chinese food lol otherwise they will be like “I can cook this better at home!”.. so it’s tough taking them out! The food looks great, love the moody lighting too. And i LOVE Angel Place!
I love those bird cages, beautiful and poignant. We have a quandry here as the government has stopped some immigration from India and Pakistan the restaurants are saying that they are short of chefs as it’s a cuisine that is learnt from being brought up with it from birth. I think it’s hard to learn the nuances of foreign dishes but not impossible. GG
I don’t think you need to be the nationality of your restaurant to do justice to the cuisine – think David Thompson and his exemplary Thai food.
A thin chef though – not so sure. But Anthony Bourdain and Marco Pierre White are pretty thin, albeit due to enormous amounts of nicotine etc, so maybe that theory doesn’t work.
I love the photo with the bird cages. I walked along George Street almost everyday while I was in Sydney, back in 2009, but somehow did not discover this place. After reading this post and Nic’s post over at Dining With A Stud, it’s affirmative that I need to make a trip down to visit my buddy and go on a food trip. I think there a couple more stuff. I must check out Adriano Zumbo’s pastry shop too, and hop over to Donna Hay’s shop. Love your travel and food write ups Lorraine. Makes me want to travel whenever possible. Cheers!
The food looks nice – but expensive!
Love the location, the bird cages are sweet
Those prawns look amazing!!! Love that you checked if it was parent friendly! I always think about that myself, but I’ve never thought to call ahead.
If we are dining with my parents then yes we always check ahead. If a Chinese restaurant looks too upmarket then my parents will start complaining that everything is too expensive. Have never brought them to a Chinese restaurant where the chef is not Chinese, I would never hear the end of it…personally I don’t think it matters.
The lamb ribs sound amazing, and the fish certainly does look spectacular indeed!
I think anyone who truly loves a cuisine and is determined to do it justice has earnt the right to cook it and serve it to others- just look at David Thompson!
“my kindness and generosity will be appreciated by others.” – Ah, Lorraine, a truth was never better spoken! I think many of us have preconceived notions of who should be in the kitchen cooking, but the real test, in the end, is the food, isn’t it? And the food here – even overlooking the minor disappointments – looks like it was fabulous! It all looks so fresh and well flavored. Fun meal!
Everything looked scrumptious, but really: the fish and the dessert totally knocked me out!
My father sounds just like your father!
Food looks good and very upscale, the presentation really nice (Dessert looks super and from your description, pistaccio/lemongrass/caramel/cumquat flavour, even if it looked like rubbish I’d totally gobble it up!)
Also really like that middle message from the fortune cookies: tongue sharp as a dagger, heart soft as tofu… haha!
I’ve been wondering about this place as well! Wasn’t sure if I should take my parents but the food looks pretty good and I’m sure they would enjoy it
I want that Pistachio and lemongrass parfait with pandan syrup now, no doubt it must be awesome!
Seeing the design and speciality of the restaurant, comparing with the price I d say its a good value. Sometimes we pay the same amount here for dishes that r not that good, and thats goa, not australia.
My husband had the same dilemma recently. He wanted to take his elderly father out for sushi. But the first place he thought of was way too trendy looking. So, he opted for one in the suburbs that was a little more low-key. Glad his Dad — and your parents — had such a marvelous time at places that are comfortable enough for all generations.
The pistachio and lemongrass parfait sounds amazing. Glad it made up for the Zucchini dish
Hi Lorraine. Loving your blog! I save them up for 5 min respites in between looking after my crazy life with boys! A technical question though… In the comments the same picture keeps reoccurring. It’s a picture of a red meat dish – looks like a loin. The phenomenon started with your South African review. Any suggestions/thoughts re causes or solutions?
This place does look fun! I love the birdcages
And I think the nationality of the chef doesn’t really matter in the end, as long as he/she has a genuine love for food and has tasted the real thing + has an appreciation for it!
I had to giggle when I read that email – I’m always on the lookout for parent-friendly restaurants too!! They’re middle aged Chinese-Malaysians (I imagine around the same age as your parents) and are fussy fussy fussy about food and value!
the Pistachio and lemongrass parfait looks amazing! the pandan sauce wouldve made it so good.. I really love pandan cake
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