No Flight Necessary: A NYC Chinatown Restaurant’s Drunken Fried Chicken Is Coming to Sydney

Paul Donnelly made a name for himself in the early 2010s, cooking at Merivale’s Cantonese diner Mr Wong and Asian fusion spot Ms.G’s. Then, in late 2016, he swapped the Harbour City for the Big Apple, captaining the just-opened Chinese Tuxedo in an old Chinatown opera house and theatre.

Next month, for Broadsheet ’s debut Dine Out festival, that slice of NYC is coming to Sydney – for just three days.

“It feels like a full-circle moment,” Donnelly tells Broadsheet. “It’s where so much of my journey started, and to bring this concept home, even just for a pop-up, is something really special.”

Donnelly’s planning “a bit of a greatest hits affair” for Sydneysiders, during a residence at Rekodo, Barangaroo’s Japanese listening bar.

“[It’s] the dishes that have come to define Chinese Tuxedo over the years, alongside a few special additions pulled from the archives. We’ve spent the last nine years building something pretty special over here, so think of this as a little preview without the 24-hour flight.”

The banquet menu spans Tuxedo signatures. That means a fresh start featuring a spicy sesame-doused salad of cucumbers and green tomatoes, then zingy marinated mushrooms. Plump wontons and a crudo dressed in brown butter follow, along with fire-licked satay skewers with caramelised XO. There’ll be Tsingtao drunken fried chicken, a beautiful, steamed Murray cod and Shanghai noodles laced with delicate crab meat. Plus, a special take on strawberries and cream to finish.

Chinese Tuxedo started as a place for New Yorkers to dine on dishes with the Australian-Chinese edge, but the subterranean spot has only evolved in the near-decade since.

“While the Aussie influence is still in our DNA, especially in how we approach hospitality and flavour combinations, we’ve pushed further into exploring the depth and diversity of Chinese cuisine. We’ve stayed within our realm, but we’ve matured in how we tell that story. It’s not just about what people expect from ‘Chinese food’ in America. We’ve made a conscious effort to move beyond stereotypes like General Tso’s or sweet and sour pork, and instead highlight the regional, and often unexpected beauty of Chinese cooking.

“Educating our diners has become part of the experience, helping them see just how vast and soulful this cuisine really is,” says Donnelly.

Expect vinyl DJs on the decks all night, and a drink on arrival too. “Great food, good energy, a bit of buzz. Sydney’s got top-tier Chinese food already, but this is something different. It’s Chinese Tuxedo, NYC-style, coming home for a guest appearance.”

Chinese Tuxedo is taking over Barangaroo’s Rekodo from Thursday August 14 to Saturday August 16. Bookings essential.