Chef Phot Arnupapdecha was living in Adelaide when House Made Hospitality got in touch. “When they started explaining Delta Rue, it was interesting to me,” she tells Broadsheet. With space for 210 across a dining room and terrace, the restaurant arrives in the revamped Sofitel Wentworth this week, along with Wentworth Bar. The chef was convinced, and she took the gig.

“They wanted me to bring together Vietnamese inspiration and French technique,” she says. Growing up in Bangkok, Arnupapdecha always wanted to be a chef. After moving to Oz, she cut her teeth with Vietnamese-French cuisine as sous chef at Madame Hanoi, and then fine dining at Orana. Together with executive chef Elliott Pinn, she’s developed a menu that keeps things “light and fresh”, with touches of French decadence.

To get straight to what that hybrid approach is all about, order the banh mi – which arrives on a bespoke trolley. Watch as a crispy, fluffy baguette is sliced open, then filled with layers of slow-roasted pork belly and satay sauce, then house-made pickles and herbs. The added French twist? A dash of foie gras.

Stay in the know with our free newsletter. The latest restaurants, must-see exhibitions, style trends, travel spots and more – curated by those who know.

SIGN UP

For a more traditional experience, try the bo la lot, one of Arnupapdecha’s favourites. “When you go to Vietnam, you see it everywhere,” she says of the tiny flavour-packed parcels. “We marinate beef mince in garlic shallots, hoisin sauce and oyster sauce, wrap it in a betel leaf, then grill it on charcoal.” The meat is popped into a vermicelli rice cake, then given a sweet-and-sour zing with a splash of pineapple sauce.

Like most hotel restaurants, Delta Rue offers steak for weary travellers – but not as you know it. Dry-aged, extremely tender filet mignon arrives with two sauces: Vietnamese shaking beef, spiced with pepper and garlic, and a French bearnaise that’s rich, buttery and laced with tarragon.

Arnupapdecha calls out the Hanoi-style John Dory as the star of the larger plates. “It’s inspired by a famous traditional fish dish from northern Vietnam. We marinate local John Dory in turmeric, galangal, lemongrass and chilli, then roast it with dill and spring onion to bring out more flavour. The turmeric is aromatic and adds a touch of spice, but it’s not like curry.”

The team’s developed a standout sweet menu, with makrut lime crème caramel joining a dessert that’s designed to share – but worth it if you’re solo. The Paris-Brest shouldn’t be missed. Pears spiced up with ginger syrup are spooned into choux, along with choc-hazelnut cream and salted peanuts. “It comes as five or six pieces, so, [if you’re with a group], you can have a bite each. I thought it was too big for one person, but I find I can go to it again and again and again.”

The blend of Vietnam and France isn’t only in Delta Rue’s food. When you walk in, your first stop is a very French champagne bar, where you’re offered a shot of complimentary bubbles. Do follow up with a cocktail – be it the Delta Daiquiri, where sugar cane spirit mixes with white rum, honey liqueur and holy basil, or the take on a French 75 using Unico Zelo’s pomelo vermouth.

Afterwards, you’re ushered into the jungle-style dining room dotted with giant pots of bamboo and striking nón lá-esque lamps. There’s space for 150 inside, which hugs a spacious outdoor terrace for 60. Look up and you’ll see the iconic semi-circular Wentworth building, built by Qantas in the ’60s and redolent of days when catching planes was ultra-glamorous (long before we started checking in bags ourselves with only a computer for company).

“It’s a beautiful setting,” says Arnupapdecha. “We want people to bring friends and family, and have fun, but also to have good quality, high-end food. There’s a lot of restaurants in the city doing Southeast Asian, but it’s not the same. We’re trying our best to do something different – to show we understand French-Vietnamese [cuisine].”

This year, hotel dining’s had a major glow-up in Sydney. And the option to order from a menu that counts dishes from Delta Rue (as well as Tilda, which the House Made team opened last week) makes a strong case for checking into the Sofitel Wentworth. Delta Rue opens on Friday October 25 along with Wentworth Bar.

Delta Rue
Level 5, 61-101 Phillip St, CBD
(02) 9228 9188

Hours:
Mon midday–3pm
Tue & Wed midday–4pm, 5pm–10pm
Thu to Sat midday–4pm, 5pm–11pm
Sun midday–3pm

deltarue.sydney
@deltarue.sydney