Exceptional Cantonese and Sichuan Dining at Sun Kitchen
Sun Kitchen is a revelation in Melbourne for its finery, exceptional Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, wine and beverage offerings, and stunning views by the lake (notably the city skyline). Not to mention top notch service. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to experience Sun Kitchen signature dishes from the a la carte menu. This was an intimate media dinner in a private room; another strength of Sun Kitchen is a selection of private rooms with views.
Unique stunning dining location in a private room by Albert Park Lake. The sleek restaurant showcases a curated collection of Chinese art, combined with plush contemporary furnishings. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows throughout the main dining hall, Grand Lakes Ballroom, Bamboo Hall and all private dining rooms will give you a breathtaking view of the Albert Park Lake and Melbourne city skyline.
Sun Kitchen brings modern Chinese fine dining with flair. Also strong is the wine and beverage offerings including Moet & Chandon to start our dinner journey.
Pretty from above.
Cocktail brilliance and compelling peanut snacks with XO sauce. Fine tuning my chopsticks skills.
Golden Crispy Tofu is a rewarding dish with squares of tofu melting in your mouth. Another highlight from the cold dish menu and a vegetarian's delight.
Braised beef tendon with Chilli sauce, made complete with the green chilli sauce.
Hot and sour Mung bean noodle, a silky cold dish with kick of spice that is addictive. Hand made noodles are a highlight.
Chef Chan Kwok has 40 years of international culinary experience and numerous accolades. Cooking skills are elite but also he shines with use of premium ingredients and stunning presentation. Also kudos to Annie one of the team who provided exceptional service.
Double boiled chicken soup with Chinese Yam is comfort heaven.
Sizzling fish fillet in hot chilli oil sauce is a revelation. Hot oil is poured over tender Barramundi fillets, with the infusion of dried chillies and Sichuan peppers bringing an addictive element. Three types of dried chilli are used, which all have different flavour profiles so when they are fried in oil they become fragrant and bring layers of complexity. The theatre of chilli being removed from the top layer was entertaining. Spectacular in every way.
Golden Prawn with coconut ginger is another hit signature dish featuring large plump prawns perfectly cooked (crispy outside juicy inside) with coconut and ginger nuance.
French Chablis perfect with the prawns and fish dishes. We also enjoyed Yalumba Cabernet 2014 with the meat dishes.
Incredible traditional "Bian Lian" face changing dance a feature during our meal, a sub genre of Chinese opera, with Roslyn and Cleo entranced.
Wagyu beef with black truffle and garlic was one of the best wagyu dishes I have experienced as the cubes of high grade Wagyu (MS9+) exploded with flavour in my mouth.
Mao’s braised pork belly Dongting-style was Chairman Mao's favourite dish and this rendition is top notch. Slow cooked pork belly slow cooked in dark soy is a specialty. The soft gelatinous pork packed with flavour is arguable the best pork belly dish in Melbourne.
Chicken with ginger and onion oil is another addictive dish.
XO seafood fried rice featured juicy seafood with plump prawns, a generous sprinkle of char sui (Chinese BBQ Pork), finished off with house made XO sauce. Comfort food heaven.
Stir fry country style mixed vegetables was a fabulous dish in itself with fresh vegetables of various textures and flavours.
Desserts featured Mung bean cake, Red bean cake and Osmanthus jelly. Over 300 years of history in the Osmanthus scented jelly and the osmanthus flower is used in many Chinese desserts.
Sun Kitchen expansive wine cellar, features a 6,000-bottle collection, comprised of 888 labels worth around $1.5 million with some rare treasures such as the Macallan 30 years Sherry Oak, a 1945 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1st growth and a rare limited edition, along with collector’s favourite 50 years Kwei Chow Moutai. Elite wine cellar and dedicated sommelier Ben Luk.
MOUTAI Chinese spirit featured in one of our cocktails.
Exciting exceptional dining in a stunning setting. Thanks to Rosslyn Foo and Cleo Carr for the evening. Highly recommended by the lake in Albert Park. Kudos to Executive Chef Chan Kwok and the super impressive team at Sun Kitchen.