Waitan - Media Launch Party Oct 2013 (含中文简介)

WAITAN: A NEW CONCEPT IN LUXE ASIAN DINNING WHERE EAST MEETS WEST AND OLD MEETS NEW LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Located at the heart of Sydney Chinatown, Waitan has emerged in Oct 2013 with a promise to deliver the ultimate Asian foodie experience. Waitan is the first Australian venture for Asian hospitality groups, Xiang Er Qing and Tung Lok, with Patrick Tian as the local managing director and Aaron Ching as the Chief operating officer. Together with over $10 million spending and a stunning 2,500sqm venue, Waitan has certainly set its impression to bring a new and exciting vibe to the old Chinatown.

"My Hunger will go on" was really grateful to be invited to this party at Waitan, and we knew what we were going to see on the night would be amazing and memorable. We arrived just before the sun went down, and there we saw the colourful Lamborghinis sitting glamorously at the entrance and attracting many attentions from the public. At that instant, we couldn't wait to walk up the red carpet and check out this new giant inside Chinatown.

With an overwhelming crowd, rows of red lanterns and the traditional antiques, we felt that we have been teleported immediately into the old Shanghai back in the 1930s where it was known as "The Paris of the East, the New York of the West".

If Shanghai in the 1930s represented an era of class, style, elegance, romance and the classics, this world-class interior designed by Thuan Teh (previous works including Chef's Gallery and boutique hotels of The Kirketon and The Diamante) has certainly brought it all back. Waitan consisted of main dining hall with an exhibition-style kitchen, intimate laneway, 14 private dining rooms, Waitan's O Lounge, and even member-only spaces like the Library.

On every corner of Waitan, you can find statues that resembled people from ancient China. With a combination of red and blue lighting shinning down on them, it almost felt like they were to come alive in any minute and enjoy a delightful meal with you.

Going into the bar inside Waitan and staring at this faux opium bed, it reminded me of all the movies and dramas I use to watch about old Shanghai when I was a kid. My impression of nights in Shanghai was full of neon lights, melody notes floating inside the Paramount nightclub, gangsters with money to burn on cigars and beautiful women, and wealthy ladies walking on the street with Qi Pao and short curly hair. The voice of the live music band has dragged me back to reality from the chain of thoughts, and I quickly took a snap of this dark, mysterious, yet addictive scene. I wondered if the illustration on the wall was to depict a deep sea, where people drown themselves into their most fascinating dreams.

With John Rankin (worked for Quay, Astral and Sean's kitchen) taking on the lead of the kitchen, Waitan will offer something different to the crowd, something that redefines your expectations, and bring back the "French Gourmand tasting menu with a unique eastern twist".

With these in mind, we took a journey around the kitchen area to find little surprises that Waitan seeks to offer, and we spotted fresh oysters, fried buns, spring rolls, prawn sticks, Wagyu beef buns and the famous Peking duck pancakes.

The master Peking duck chef Mr Yuejin Ma has been flown to Sydney for this special night at Waitan, and prepared these ducks pancakes from the signature oven to please the crowd. We constantly heard "Mmm this is really good!", "I love it!", "Absolutely amazing!" phrases from the crowd, I guess a bunch of exclamation marks just popped out of everyone's head.

We loved the traditional dark wooden tables and chairs, the silky cushions full of flower patterns, and the flawless dinnerware.

If these weren't exciting enough, an amount of $10,000 will buy you a VIP ticket to access the second floor members-only areas, where Sydney's largest circular table measuring 5.2m is located, and the $50k bottle of cognac will be available to indulge.

This venue at Sydney Chinatown will be the first of an international chain of Waitan restaurants, the second of which will open in New York next year. There are two more planned for Australia including another one in Sydney and one in Melbourne.


用了千万*资金打造的Waitan，2013年十月在悉尼中国城开幕了。Waitan拥有占地两千五百平方米的豪华场地，其中包括了十四间私人包间，展览厨房，酒吧以及VIP会员专区等等。主厨是曾在Quay, Astral, Sean's kitchen工作过的John Rankin, 这让人很期待Waitan会带给我们什么惊喜。当我们走进Waitan时，感觉像是穿越时空来到了三十年代的旧上海，每一个角落都散发着古典美与神秘的气息。 在酒吧里还摆设了模仿旧时代的鸦片床，不由让人想起了那个灯红酒绿，纸醉金迷的老上海。当晚我们品尝到了生蚝，炸虾棒，Wagyu牛肉包，北京烤鸭等等的精致派对美食，值得一提的是Waitan的特殊烤鸭炉和准备了三天的烤鸭，很让人惊叹不已。如果这些惊喜还不够，Waitan还有会员费一万块*的VIP专用区，包括图书馆和悉尼最大的圆饭桌，人们还可以品尝到Waitan价值五万块*的白兰地。然而，这只是Waitan的一个开始，第二家Waitan餐厅准备明年在纽约开幕。(*澳币)


Again we are really thankful to be invited to this great event, and we can't wait to visit here for a delicious meal soon!


Address:
405 Sussex Street Sydney

Phone number:
02 8218 1000

Opening time:
Mon - Sun 6pm - 12am


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Old town - Hong Kong cuisine

We have randomly come across this restaurant in Chinatown, and we noticed it specifically said it was Hong Kong cuisine.

We walked inside and found ourselves being teleported to the busy streets in Hong Kong. The BBQ duck hanging on the hooks, the small metal chairs and the wooden decorations have all reminded us of Temple Street in Hong Kong.

We remembered the restaurant (Tsui Wah) displayed on the sign inside this picture on the back of the wall (our favourite restaurant), and of course the lovely beauty store of SaSa lying everywhere in Hong Kong.






Apart from all those nostalgic moments, we spotted a lot of familiar dishes on the menu. Both of us picked the Hong Kong milk tea (cold = $3.50, hot = $3.00) and enjoyed it slowly while waiting for other dishes to arrive.


Curry Beef brisket with noodle in soup $9.80

Originally Bun thought it was curry beef noodles, but instead the noodles and curry beef came in separate bowls. We found the noodles and soup were too light, and the curry couldn't match really well with them.

Peking duck with bun (2pcs) $8.00

No doubt the look of this entrée immediately reminded us of the pork buns from Ippudo. The soft and thin bun hugged onto the piece of duck tightly along with spring onions and sauce, and the oil on the duck skin felt like it's about to explode and shoot out. Yeah, no kidding it was absolutely delicious! The moment the duck arrived our mouth, our lips were immediately moisturized by the dripping oil. It was such a surprising little dish, something different with the usual Peking duck pancakes.

Mini BBQ pork rice $5.80 (limited time from 2.30pm - 5pm)

One unique thing we found out about this place was that they offer mini dishes for a limited time in the afternoon. The bowl was quite small, more like kids' size, but I found they were good enough to fill in the hungry stomach in between lunch and dinner. I picked this BBQ pork rice, where I got 7 pieces of decent sized BBQ pork, small amount of vegetable and white rice underneath. The BBQ pork was juicy and tasty, and it really satisfied me as I was not hungry enough to eat the full size of that dish at the time.


If you haven't been to Hong Kong, try this place and you will get the feel of what some of the typical restaurants looks like in a street setting. They also offer Yum Cha dishes, range of desserts and beverages, and as well as selling little traditional Hong Kong sweets at the front of the restaurant. We liked the idea of Mini dishes, and the staff members were generally friendly.



Address:
10 Dixon Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Phone number:
02 9426 4888


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Zilver Yum Cha (Groupon Deal)

On last weekend, we decided to go Yum Cha. So before we head out, we spotted this $35.00 voucher on Groupon. It's a 10 course meal for two at Zilver, so we figured it was a pretty awesome deal!

Zilver was awarded the "Best Yum Cha" in 2012 "I Love Food Awards" and featured in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. We thought this would be a good chance to finally visit this hidden gem in Haymarket, and we were amazed to see the incredible amount of people even at 1.30pm.

WOOOHOOO! VIP Seats?!!?! LOL



Here's a full-shot of our food for the day, I just totally enjoyed the outstanding colours when they were combined together.



Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce (1)

This was the first dish and it was served to be shared between two people. These vegetables always gave me nostalgia as I use to eat them when I was still a kid. I love the oily leaves and the crunchy stems, as they had a taste that reminded me of family.



Prawn dumpling (1) (top) and Chives dumpling (1) (bottom)

How could you say you've had Yum Cha without having one of those classic prawn dumplings? They were no doubt one of my favourites! I loved how this filling was completely satisfying, with that bite sunk right into the juicy and transparent prawn. As with the Chives dumpling, I wasn't really a fan of Chives...but I actually quite liked this one! Maybe because the clear skin just went so well with the filling, in which made me enjoy it just like all others.

MUHAHAHA! Close-up shots!



BBQ pork bun (1) (top) and Signature custard fondant (1) (bottom)

I was telling Bun how much I loved this photo above, the yellow colours just contrasted so well with the white buns! I can't believe how fresh both of those tasted, it was simply amazing. The custard inside that soft yellowish coat was absolutely stunning, and it was sweet and mushy just as it should be. I also loved the moment when I split that pork bun and watched the steams squeezing out, the filling was very flavoursome.

Staring at these pictures made me wanting to have them all over again!! ><



Crispy prawn pie (1) (right) and Chicken spring roll (2) (left)

We get 1 extra spring roll per person (YAY!) and this was the plate that was full of fried goodies! Mmmm, we couldn't wait to land our fingers on them...The spring roll was more crispy than we thought and the filling was just to the right amount. However, I still loved the crispy prawn pie more, just because it's prawn :P but also the skin was fried differently with a louder crunching sound.

Nom Nom Nom....!!



Chicken dim sim (1)

It's Dim Sim time! This was probably my least favourite dish if I had to compare it, not because it doesn't taste good, but just not as special as the others. Also I think by the time I reached this dish, it was getting a bit cold already...


Note: Actually there was another dish of Coconut Jelly, unfortunately my brain and stomach must've died by then and forgot to take an individual picture of that...-__-"(top left corner of the picture with all the dishes) Although I can tell you that the coconut flavour was strong, just the way we loved.



Stir fried noodle with soya sauce (1)

Our last dish of fried noodles came not long after we finished everything, although we were pretty much dead already by that stage. So unfortunately, we were only able to finish half of this plate, but the taste was pretty good! The portion was certainly enough to share between two people! Just that I found the noodles gone a little soggy...


We were so pleased with this Yum Cha meal, and it was great to see that Groupon often have these sorts of deals. Hopefully we could find some more similar deals in the future! It was certainly worth it!


Address:
Level 1/477 Pitt Street, Haymarket NSW

Phone number:
02 9211 2232

Opening time:
Mon - Sun 11am - 3pm


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Shancheng Hotpot King and LNC Dessert House (Chinatown)

After such a long summer, we decided to go there once again to murder ourselves. The reason why I said that was because Shancheng Hotpot King is probably the spiciest, most authentic, and tastiest hotpot place that we can ever find in Sydney. It's located in Chinatown, but it's a bit hard to spot as it's not on the street, so you have to walk inside the tunnel once you see the sign to reach its entrance.



When we got there, they were renovating with all the hammer sounds around the back. The place looked so much better than our last time there. The furniture looked new and shinny, the room was bright, and the colours seemed to glow even more.



Not to mention they replaced the paper menu with ipad menu! How awesome!! Although the only thing was that we found some bits were not translated to English, but I suppose you can always ask for help (Be aware some staffs may not be as attentive and helpful as the others especially at night time).

These were what we have ordered...some crab balls, fish fillets, noodles, and lots of beef and lamb rolls! (My favourite!!!) God I was fully staring at them when they arrived!



We ordered half pot base, purely because we might die after too much spicy tastes. Although in the end, most of our foods went into the spicy side, leaving the chicken soup base quite empty. This was $15.00 and I strongly recommend it if you want to try both flavours. You can pick the level of chilliness and peppery taste, we picked normal and it was already quite suicidal. We still haven't dare to try any higher levels yet (they have 4 levels and our one was 2nd lowest), maybe one day when we build enough courage?!



Oh look at that beauty!!! NOM NOM NOM! I'm drooling when I stare at this picture...however, we could only eat here probably once or twice a year. The reason? Because our stomachs never liked extreme chilliness, and it did create a bit of tension every time afterwards. Be prepared for an odd feeling in the stomach and burning sensation on the lips and throat if you are going to pick spicy base! (But it was all worth it!!! I think our bill was just under $60 with 2 drinks)


Address:
Shop 8a, 363 Sussex St Sydney

Phone number:
02 9267 6366

Opening time:
Mon - Sun  11.30am - Midnight


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After those extreme burning feelings, we decided to cool down with some desserts...

We arrived at this little dessert shop, and found many different desserts on the menu...


Sago coconut milk with mini balls & Ice cream  $7.50 (extra topping from 50c each)

Bun picked this one and I thought it was better than mine (>.<) We loved how the little balls swam and floated inside the bowl of coconut milk, they seemed to have fun until we gulped them down. They tasted just like jelly, or those pearls inside bubble milk teas. We loved the chewiness and enjoyed fitting many of them in the mouth at once.


Bossa Nova $8.00 (Chocolate and Vanilla gelato with fruit salad base, topped with whipped cream & chocolate sauce & poco sticks, sprinkle with choc chips)

This was what I picked, although it looked nothing like what was on the menu...I loved the Chocolate gelato and these toppings. Now I think about it, I should have eaten the fruit salad first. The reason was...after you ate the Ice cream, the fruits tasted extra sour!!!

(PS. If anyone is interested, they give you a reward card where you buy 10 desserts to receive one for free - conditions apply)


Address:
Shop 12/339 Sussex St Sydney

Phone number:
02 9283 3823

Opening time:
Sun - Thu  12 noon - Midnight
Fri - Sat  12 noon - 2am


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It's probably not the best combination to have something so spicy and followed by something icy, but we didn't really mind if it was once in a long time. Shancheng Hotpot King is something I'd definitely recommend for all the people who love extreme chilli foods, and LNC Dessert House is somewhere you wanted to go for a wide variety of desserts. On a late night in Chinatown, you just can't help it but wander around to new places, as you'll never know what kind of little surprises you may find.

Chef's gallery

We have been to Chef's gallery a few times but it's funny we never thought of taking photos before, I blame it on the fact that their food was too irresistible so you had to eat them straight away.

Today me and my friends went to Chef's gallery again, looking to try something different. I must say Chef's gallery is one of the few restaurants in Sydney in which I want to try EVERYTHING on the menu. Every one of them looked interesting in their own way, and they never seemed to disappoint me.

I loved how creative they can get, whether it's with the food...or the menu?! The interior and its designs just simply reminded you of Ancient China, back to some dynasty that's lost in time.

It was really busy today, and you can just imagine the crowd under this heat! So we started off the meal with one drink each...

 

Mango Splash (mango puree, aiyu jelly and soda) $4.90

This was the one I ordered, it totally cooled me down after drinking this. The mango flavour was strong, with aiyu jelly stuck at the top of the glass with some ice. I'd recommend this to anyone in a hot summer day, it's truly refreshing.


Crab meat spring rolls $7.90

We had our eyes landed on this particular little dish, probably because it was crab meat? Or perhaps it was the look of it, somehow just challenged our interpretation of the traditional spring rolls. This small dish actually came pretty quickly, and it was absolutely crunchy! The sauce went perfect with it as the hint of chilliness soak up the tip of the spring roll. Although the portion was quite small comparatively, we wished they were longer or they came in a serving of 6! Yeah, they can get addictive...


Traditional Dan Dan noodles with pork ribs $13.90

I remember my first time trying out Dan Dan noodles, and they weren't as great as I imagined. However, I was totally delighted with Chef's gallery's one, it was amazing! Not only that this was a popular choice and Chef's gallery is famous for its handmade noodles, but the flavour was so smooth. I found the soup had the perfect thickness, and both the noodles and the pork ribs immersed with the slight peanut taste. It was a little sweet, a little spicy, but everything was so well balanced in which made it enjoyable. I have to say this was probably my favourite out of all the dishes we've ordered!


Prawn and pork Wontons in a Sichuan Spicy soup $8.90

This evoked our curiosity with the word "Sichuan spicy soup", so we've ordered it despite the fact this could kill us in such hot weather. Sadly, it turned out not as spicy as we thought (or should I say thankfully!). But I found the filling of the Wontons were very satisfying, that whole bite of it just squeezed all the broth out. Then we got some green vegetables on the side to accompany the meat, and the sips of the actual soup were great too.


Eggplant served with a tangy minced pork sauce $12.90

We honestly thought this was Tofu when it arrived, but it was actually Eggplant!! (Serious?) I remembered this was a well known Chinese dish, so I was quite excited to try it. The Eggplant was very soft (just like tofu OMG) and the sauce went well with them. I think we all liked this little dish, it's probably not really noticeable on the menu but the taste was definitely appetizing.


Marshmallow "Totoro" coated with desiccated coconut $4.90

We all knew about the cute pig buns from Chef's gallery, but many seemed to omit the poor little bunnies! So we decided to order this "Totoro" marshmallow just to be different :P Well...it turned out they were just simple marshmallows LOL. They were nice for desserts, but I guess next time we probably still stick with the pig buns.


I would honestly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves Chinese cuisine, it wasn't just the taste but also the creativity and thoughts they put into each of the dishes. I liked the ideas they come up and how it turned out to be just like artworks, it wasn't just about the flavours but also the visual impacts. So if you live in Sydney or if you are travelling in Sydney but yet haven't been there, do give it a try!


PS: HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!!



Address:
Shop 12, Ground Level Regent Place Shopping Centre
501 George St, Sydney NSW

Phone number:
02 9267 8877

Opening time:
Lunch
Mon - Sun 11am - 3pm
Dinner
Mon - Sun 5pm - 10pm


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