China Doll
With views of the harbour, moored yachts and the city skyline, dining at this two-decade-old stalwart feels quintessentially Sydney.
But it’s not all looks: an impressive wine list and dishes championing seafood join a menu that is a bold landscape of flavours, drawing inspiration from East and South-East Asia to create modern classics such as perfectly crisp and fiery chicken ribs with numbing Sichuan pepper, and the beloved masterstock pork belly with chilli caramel and sweet-sour-spicy nam pla prik dipping sauce.
Delicate tea-smoked duck is another standout, with lightly seared skin and cinnamon-fragrant tamarind and plum sauce. Larger groups, meanwhile, might gravitate towards the steamed barramundi with punchy chilli, garlic and pickled mustard.
Service is less informed and attentive than previous visits, but there’s still a lot to recommend, including its bang-for-your-buck banquet menus.
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Last visited: 2024
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