Tucked away on Darlinghurst’s Burton Street is Restaurant Ka, a pint-sized venue whose name is the Cantonese word for home. Owner and head chef, Zac Ng, imbues the place with all the sense of comfort and belonging you’d expect from a place called home, but he’s also bringing experimentation – the type he does in his own kitchen.

“There’s no limit on what you cook at home,” Ng tells Broadsheet. “There’s a lot of rule-bending that goes on in my kitchen – I like having the freedom to change things up, and I’m always playing around with new flavours and ingredients”.

There’s a strong East Asian influence throughout the menu – flavours and techniques Ng honed during his 10 years at the legendary Sepia, followed by stints at XOPP and Flying Fish. Combining his Cantonese heritage and contemporary-Australian tastes with a love for all things Japanese, the eight-course set menu takes its cues from omakase-style dining. But here, too, Ng has his own set of rules.

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Restaurant Ka’s dining experience is essentially a chef’s table. A polished marble bar is at the heart of the venue, hosting just 10 people per seating. The menu is seafood-driven, but don’t expect to find the same dish on it for long.

“I want to create a tailored experience for everyone,” Ng says. “If someone comes back the second time, they shouldn’t eat a single thing they have eaten on their first visit – there should be something new for them to taste every time.”

Dishes might include seared bonito with cucumber and ginger, Aylesbury-Pekin duck with soy and cherries, buffalo-milk yoghurt with heirloom tomato and salted shiso granita, and a crowd favourite: Port Lincoln calamari cut into delicate noodle-like strips and served with a deviously inky and fragrant burnt-shallot sauce. A wine and sake pairing is also on offer, peppered with local options and specially sourced sake – all chosen by Ng.

The tiny venue is imbued with a feeling of home. Black and white prints of Ng’s children blend in with the wallpaper; a sense of shared experience bonds the diners. Seated close, sharing a meal, it’s easy to be pulled into deep conversation with your neighbour and your host. And with food like this, there’s a lot to talk about.

Restaurant Ka

13B Burton Street, Darlinghurst

Hours:

Tue to Sat, seatings at 6pm and 8.30pm

restaurant-ka.com.au
@restaurant.ka