REVIEW
There’s bustle without the hustle, bite without the skite – Red Lantern manages to be streetwise and sophisticated at the same time. Hoist a Hoi An Julep while contemplating the extensive French and Australian wine list and the Indochine idyll, long marble tables, padded banquettes and Vietnamese bric-à-brac. The entrées are where the true power lies. Gold goes to cod sashimi with an explosion of lemongrass, passionfruit, red cabbage and micro-herbs. It’s plated to resemble a garden tapestry, with coils, strips and threads of ingredients. Silver: char-grilled turmeric chicken with white cabbage. Bronze: rice cakes with caramelised pork belly and tiger prawns fizzing with pork floss. Caramelised chicken nestles in a clay pot with green beans and lotus root, while flavour-rich wok-tossed strip loin seals the deal. There is big investment, too, in vegetarian dishes, stuffed, roasted and rolled. The dessert tasting plate? Why stop now?
Phone:
(02) 9698 4355
Website:
Bookings:
Bookings essential
Features:
Licensed
Bar
Vegetarian-friendly
Outdoor dining
Impressive Wine List
Accepted card types:
American Express
Diners Club
Eftpos
MasterCard
Visa
Chef(s):
Luke Nguyen & Mark Jensen
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Wine: ★
Gourmet Traveller’s star-ratings, which range from zero to three stars, reflect reviewers’ first-hand experiences. The best-rated restaurants form our national Top 100. Our wine ratings, from zero to three stars, are made by wine editor Max Allen on the strength of the quality of the restaurant’s wine list. View our rating key here.
