Photo: Nikki To
“You have to try the eggplant!” says everyone of the signature dish at Lee Ho Fook. A doppelganger of the celebrated Melbourne restaurant has just opened on Sydney’s Castlereagh Street, and on this visit, every table seems to have got the message. Plates of the stuff are flying out of the kitchen.
The good folk of Melbourne might engage their pitchforks at any real criticism of one of their city’s most emblematic dishes, but I’d argue that there are better options on the Lee Ho Fook menu than these stickily sauced, battered veggie batons. To me, chef Victor Liong’s cooking shines brightest when the flavours are more distinct and packed with contrast. The pickled black fungi entrée is a fine example: I love the texture marriage of ruffled, crunchy-soft, ginger-pickled mushrooms and the gelatinous ribbons of mung bean noodles. Cucumbers and red-skinned peanuts add snap, chilli oil brings the heat.
Liong knows the contours of Chinese cuisine better than most. Ever since the original Lee Ho Fook opened in 2013, his food has presented layers of crunch, slipperiness, hot and cold. Modernity versus tradition, east versus west. It’s this balance that propelled him to become one of the most beloved chefs in the country and those contrasts are still working hard at his Sydney newcomer.
Yunnan-style Murray cod arrives fragrant with cumin and warmed with the exact right numb-hum of Sichuan peppercorn. Super-crisp fish skins are a hallmark of Yunnanese cooking, and this version has been grilled in a charcoal oven so it puffs and crunches very satisfactorily at either end of the generous fillet. The middle part of the skin is more gooily elastic, another cherished Chinese mouthfeel. These kinds of texture tussles are a lot of fun. The Peking duck is well lacquered, the urchin topped prawn toast is fluffy, and
I’m very keen to return to find out how the steaks (rib eye on the bone, wagyu striploin and Angus porterhouse) play with their rice and condiment accompaniments. Add fruit-forward German riesling to pretty much any of it and you get more yin and yang: savoury meets sweet.
It will be interesting to see how the location works for the Sydney LHF, on the first floor of the quirky Porter House Hotel. It feels a little odd to hide a restaurant of this calibre away, and it’s certainly a departure from the gritty, graffitied laneway address of the Melbourne OG.
But when the elevator doors open, the greeting is warm and immediate, which goes a long way towards making up for the awkward beginning. In life, as in Chinese cooking, you can always counter one thing with another, and land on something that feels like happiness.
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