“You just don’t know how to hold the reservation and that’s really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.” A quote from Seinfled is usually how I like to begin my days and on this sunny Winter’s Day on Woolloomooloo wharf, my dining companion Carbon Debit has called me while I am on my way to China Doll for our lunch with Soph. They seem to have lost our reservation. Thankfully, unlike Seinfeld, there is no issue getting us a table outside. We deduce that they probably misspelt it and possibly have it under the wrong name. Seinfeld moment over.

It’s a long time coming this visit to China Doll. It was spurred on by the recent apperance of the chef Frank Shek on the Australian version of Masterchef.  I was not an instant convert to the show. I disliked the way they seemed to wring every bit of emotion or tears out of the contestants and play the sappy, emotional music to bring out what little emotion there was. Where was the cooking? Finally after the selection process, they started the real show and I’ve been glued ever since (did anyone catch the appearance of the Brad Pitt of the foodie world Adriano Zumbo the other week?). I’ve even gotten used to George Calombaris’s comments like “make the food look as if it had fallen on the plate like autumn leaves” and now find them endearing. Then there’s Matt Preston’s incongruous pleasure face – you know the one where when he eats his facial expression looks as though he’s repulsed by the food, only for him to say how wonderful it is.

I disgress, we’re back to China Doll on Woolloomooloo Wharf and for the Russell Crowe fans, yes Woolloomooloo Wharf is where his apartment lies (although we miss out on any Russ sightings). This is one of Sydney’s nicer looking Chinese restaurants and when I sit down I see familiar blue and white plates that just happen to be the exact ones that we use at home every day. This blue and white plate pattern is echoed throughout the whole restaurant with a wall in the same pattern and the small version of the plates on the toilet doors.

Our waiter is friendly and comes back a few times for our order as we’re busy catching up. We ask him for the specialties and he gives us about half a dozen and we choose among them. The menu is a pan Asian one with Japanese and Malaysian influences but since it’s supposed to be a Cantonese restaurant we try and go for the Cantonese dishes (with the exception of the sashimi). Service is good throughout the day from him although there is one waitress who seems determined to follow the Chinese waiter’s version of service and without finesse, dumps the plates on the table wordlessly.

Hiramasa Kingfish & Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi w Blackened Chilli Dressing  $25

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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

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“The Spice Girls” writes Gourmet Traveller’s Pat Nourse

A name is very important. It can make or break a person or an item. Think of the person who was called Tony Esticles, Hugh Jarse or Vijay Jay. So when Christie, Y and I are seated at the swish dark wood panelled and red accented Spice Temple, Neil Perry’s latest venture, and we’re staring at the extremely tempting sounding yet unusually named dishes we realise we have a big task ahead choosing dishes. Spice Temple has enjoyed mostly positive reviews but with some sceptics, but we’re interested in trying Neil Perry’s take on Chinese cuisine ourselves. If anything he seems to understand the basics of Chinese numerology where the number 8 is considered an especially lucky number – it’s no coincidence that the restaurant phone number is 8078 1888.

The sometime door

It’s a strange sort of entrance downstairs to Spice Temple. A subtly signposted door which, at times, shows a computerised image of a door with curtains blowing. However when Christie and I get there it looks like a regular door. We accidentally go upstairs to his Rockpool Bar and Grill (and there’s no sign of any sort of recession there, it is full to the brim) and when we go down the windy stairs to the restaurant we’re greeted with a serene, glowing scene. Panels of rough hewn wood are placed to resemble bamboo and there are photos of stunning asian women on the wall dotted throughout the room. Their presence carries through to the menu and the cocktails, a heady and inviting mix of flavours with home made syrups sound intriguing and are named after creatures of the Chinese Horoscope.

Menus

Cocktails

The menu features items with intriguing names such as “Three shot chicken”, Beef fillet in fire water” and “Hot and numbing white cut chicken”. The hotter menu items are in red typeface and we ask the waitress what she recommends and she’s knowledgeable, polite and friendly. Interestingly, they are the dishes that we were leaning towards so our task is over. We choose 1 item from the “red” i.e. hot range and the rest from a mix of items. Our waitress does warn us that the fish we have chosen because of the name “Fish Drowned in dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns” is actually one of the hottest items on the menu. We consider ourselves warned!

Steamed Eggplant with three flavours: garlic, coriander and sweet pork prior to being mixed $18

We’re not kept waiting for long, despite the fairly full restaurant. It’s a Thursday lunchtime and there are all sorts of groups, mainly male business types enjoying the food. Our first dish arrives and it’s in three sections. There is the pork mince, the eggplant in soft slices, chopped coriander and the garlic, yes the garlic is the pale plentifully doled out item on the plate.

And before you think that we’re off to battle rogue Vampires in our very own Twilight moment, they assure us that the garlic has been blanched three times so that it is relatively mild. I hope so as I have a trip to the dentist later that afternoon. It’s ambrosial and very strongly flavoured, so much so that we ask for our rice at the same time to help balance out the strong flavour. The pork mince is reminiscent of the Mapo Tofu pork mince with strong black bean tones.

Cat’s Ear noodles with pork, peppers and chili sauce $14

Our second dish, from the Northern Chinese region is the Cats Ears Noodles made from potato and whilst being square shaped, they are indeed reminiscent of a flat spongy gnocchi. They’re silky smooth and delicious and the pork is tender and flavourful. I had a similar dish at Uighur Cuisine and whilst it was huge, spicy and filling, this one is more refined.

Hunan Style crispy pork belly with fresh and dried chillies and mushroom soy $26

Our third dish, and by now I am feeling impending satiety, is the Hunan Style crispy pork belly with fresh and dried chillies and mushroom soy with little cubes of pork belly. There are some batons of garlic chives and dried chillies on top (the chilies are fairly mild and delicious to chew on) and underneath there are lots of finely chopped garlic chives. The pork is lovely and soft although after too many pieces it can be a touch dry and the tiny garlic chives bits are a little difficult to pick up with chopsticks so they get largely left behind.

Fish drowned in dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns $29

The last dish, the Fish Drowned in dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns arrives in a huge bowl. All we can see is literally a sea of those dried chillies. There are oodles of them in fact. Our waitress offers to take some out for us and we let her know that we can do it ourselves as I wanted to capture how many chillies there were. We spent some time fishing out the chillies and Sichuan peppercorns, of which there are many, a whole bowlful’s worth, until we get to the fish.

It’s sitting in a soup that is very light in flavour and we take a piece of fish, cognizant of the warning we were given. Gingerly we take a bite expecting an extreme chili hit but…nothing. An ever so slight tingle from the peppercorns but we’re certainly not the fire breathing dragons we expected to be. In fact if anything it’s quite bland, particuarly when preceded with the other flavoursome dishes. It’s mostly left behind although Y likes the fish.

Four dishes for three girls is probably a bit too ambitious but we were amazed at the serving sizes – they’re indeed generous so we all make mental notes to take our menfolk, happy in the knowledge that they won’t starve. And if you can figure out how the toilet locks work, you’re smarter than the three of us!

Spice Temple

10 Bligh Street, Sydney, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 8078 1888
Open: Monday-Friday noon-3pm
Monday-Saturday from 6pm