Lotus Dining has opened its first inner-west venue, in Summer Hill. There’s nothing like it in the neighbourhood – maybe because of the bounty of outstanding Chinese eateries down the road in Ashfield – but the fact it’s already booked out for a fortnight before officially opening suggests the eatery will do very well in the charming suburb.
“Before we decided to open the restaurant there we did a lot of research, and we found in Ashfield there are many places serving Shanghai cuisine. We decided to focus on Cantonese to offer something different,” group head chef Steve Wu tells Broadsheet.
As with every Lotus menu, such as those at (Barangaroo, Galeries, Dumpling Bar Walsh Bay, and Gardens By Lotus), plenty of thought goes into the eating experience. For example, plump scallops are served on the shell with a generous helping of house-made XO sauce that’s prepared slightly more liquid than usual. Mindful that no-one will want to let that sauce go to waste, Wu serves slices of crisp-chewy yu char kway (Chinese doughnuts, youtiao in Mandarin) on the side – ideal for mopping-up duty.
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SIGN UPA variety of vegan and vegetarian options were developed for Summer Hill. There are dumplings stuffed with five-spice tofu, preserved olive leaf and baby spinach; crisp tofu with roasted sesame sauce topped with handfuls of coriander; and a textural san choi bao of mushrooms (although you can add pork if you like).
The menu has a good balance across dumplings, starters and entrees. Crisp tea-smoked duck is served with springy pancakes and hoisin sauce; the fluffy dough of the Black Mountain barbeque pork buns is mixed with charcoal for a midnight-coloured exterior; and Wu has included a Lotus signature dish of glossy prawn cutlets with chilli and sweet Thai basil.
Theatre is important, so the kitchen is partially open. Dumplings are prepared earlier in the day, but you can still see (and smell) dishes like dan dan noodles getting a wok hei treatment. “The noodles are quite complicated. We make the sauce from a Sichuan-style red bean sauce slowly cooked in oil with garlic, ginger and shallot, then we add pork mince and noodles. The wok gives a smoky flavour, and we finish with dry chilli sauce and a lot of refreshing cucumber,” Wu says.
Drinks encompass a range of complex cocktails, including the Summer Hill Sour featuring a riesling and grenache float. “The drink has a sorbet feel that refreshes the palate before you jump into your next order of dumplings,” says beverage manager Matthew Stewart. The wine list showcases up-and-coming Australian producers, with plenty of options that balance the heat and spice of the food. The Lotus Australian Rice Lager (a collaboration with White Bay Beer Co), is similarly well-paired with the menu.
The moody bar is a welcome addition to the high street. Chevron timber floors extend the length of a room adorned with hunter green banquets, timber tables, rattan-backed chairs and a mural of mountain-top pagodas painted in inky black brushstrokes.
Summer Hill Lotus is a close cousin to the group’s Walsh Bay dumpling bar, but where diners there seek a quick bite before or after a show, the inner-west location is a destination to settle in for an evening, or a place to fill your belly before heading to Smith Street’s small bars. “I think it will be totally different. Our customers here will be our neighbours,” says Wu.
Lotus Dumping Bar Summer Hill
26 Lackey Street, Summer Hill
Hours:
Wed to Thu 5pm–10pm
Fri to Sun 12pm–3pm, 5pm–10pm
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