China Doll

By Franz Scheurer

China Doll at Woolloomooloo immediately convinces with consistency. The Halliday design takes an antique blue and white Chinese plate as the cornerstone to build a laser edged glass feature wall. The same design is watermarked on the menu and wine list, used on fixtures and on the restaurant stationery. The restaurant offers dining upstairs and downstairs and chairs and tables spill out onto the wharf’s walkway where awnings protect the diners from adverse weather. The view back towards the CBD with the ‘playground of the rich’ harbour in front is fantastic and the clientele supplies the necessary buzz to make this place work.

Linden Pide, a very capable maestro barologist, has put together a mouth-watering and exciting cocktail menu. His ‘honey & salt margarita’ is challenging, at once goose-pimply sour and saliva-drippingly salty with a hint of amaretto holding it all together. If you’re a fan of Dry Martini’s you’ve come to the right place. Not only is the choice of white spirits exquisite but the servings are such that one actually is enough. Try the ‘laughing budda’ with your dessert, it’s almost incense-like flavours are enticing and enchanting. It’s made with blood orange juice, crème de framboise and star anise, riddled with Belvedere Pomerancza vodka and fresh lemons.

The food is modern Asian. We tried the ‘White Cut Chicken Coleslaw with Pickled Ginger’ ($18), the ‘Steamed Pippies in XO Sauce’ ($18), the ‘Prawn Wontons with Nuoc Cham’ ($18), the ‘Braised Eggplant with Fish & Water Chestnut Stuffing’ ($16), the ‘Malaysian Style Son in Law Eggs with Tamarind Sauce’ ($15), the ‘Salt & Pepper Silken Tofu’ ($14), the ‘Crispy Pork Belly with Blood Lime, Caramel & Chilli’ ($30) and finally the ‘Stir Fried Sugar Snaps with Sambal’ ($12). A lot of food, but we were indeed ravenous!

Punchy flavours presented with excellent balance prove that chef Tané Malcolm has a deep understanding of Asian spice combinations and flavour profiles and he certainly knows about textures, too. This is excellent Asian food with exciting and very strong flavours leaving you happily sated and satisfied. Presentation is simple but stylish, tableware and glassware very upmarket for an Asian eatery and the napkins big enough to shield you from any stray chilli.

The wine list is terrifically eclectic and well priced. I recommend you try the Gunderloch ‘Jean Baptiste’ Kabinett Riesling from Rheinhessen in Germany. It’s a perfect match with the majority of the dishes. My only criticism would be the choice of wines by the glass. I’m not sure I want to drink a Veltliner, Chardonnay, Chablis or Cabernet Sauvignon with the chilli-forward flavours of the food.

Peter Curcuruto runs the floor and service excels. Friendly, professional and passionate floor-staff manage to make you feel ‘special’. Lots of familiar faces have ‘migrated’ to this restaurant, hi Matt, hello Solange…Value for money is excellent and as a special bonus, there’s never a shortage of taxis at the front of the wharf. I’ll be back!

I reckon this is the perfect place for a ‘girls’ night out’! Try it; you’ll love it.

Score: 7.5/10

For more information or bookings:

China Doll

4/6 Couper Wharf Road

Woolloomooloo

Tel.: 02 9380 6744