Mr. Wong - My Mr. Right... Cantonese food, but not as you know it.

I recently received a couple of Gourmet Traveller magazines from Paul and Alicia at Connoisseur. Thanks guys!
I've never read it before but now that I've had the chance I've realised that they are fantastic for people like me. Probably you too if you read my blog. It is all about travelling to new, or old favourite, places and eating out while you're there. It says go to Tahiti, while you're there make sure you eat here, here and here. I can't believe I have never been exposed to this before...

So upon reading the November issue that was so kindly given to me, I found out about a new Cantonese restaurant in the Sydney CBD. As luck would have it, I read it the week before I went on my little road trip.

View from the alley... in the pouring rain

Mr. Wong is slightly hidden if you don't know the streets of Sydney too well. It is down an alley and does not seem like much as you stare all the way down and get a glimpse of the windows. As you approach you start to get a clearer picture of what is in store. The small windows become clearer and you can see the people inside enjoying their meals, the kitchen behind cooking up a storm and as you enter you begin to realise the magnitude of what you have just entered. Standing at the entry, the restaurant looks huge. It's spans off to the left and right with the bar directly in front of you. There is an open storage cage filled to the brim with every wine you could possibly think of.

Between the bar and the wines there is a staircase leading down... To more seating. The waiter said they can fit around 250 people. As I was being seated I was told the place was fully booked for the evening. Fully booked for 250 people at a time, all night? I was blown away. And the whole place looks beautiful. All wood and a dark green paint, with beautiful faint portraits painted into the walls. You really felt like you had walked into a traditional restaurant in Hong Kong (I assume, I am yet to go).
I sat at my table and began to make my way through the pages of menu. Any Cantonese dish I had ever heard of appeared to be in this menu. It had everything... I had to stop myself from ordering everything, my eyes are always about 5 times bigger than my stomach.

 
I began with a violet and lychee cocktail. This purple creation was easily the best cocktail I have ever had... Ever.

Violet & Lychee cocktail

As I was sitting there taking in my surroundings, and I was marvelling at the genius of my fantastic drink, my first dish arrived. Peking Duck.
I am not too fond of duck. Everyone keeps telling me I'm missing out but I've never really seen the excitement to it. I've tried it a few times and still not really been a fan. This was another of those times where I decided to give it another try. This time I could see what all the fuss was about.

Peking Duck

This duck was amazing. Crispy, not at all fatty, just perfectly cooked. I have never appreciated duck before but I could have eaten this particular Peking Duck forever. it was delicious. Set up separately on a platter you took your own pancake and put the quantities of each component inside yourself. Genius. 

During this time I had finished my spectacular cocktail so flicked through the list to find another amazing concoction. I opted for the strawberry cocktail and it was just as pleasing as it's predecessor.

Strawberry Cocktail

My main arrived at the table. Kung Pow Chicken and Fried Rice. Just as tasty as my first dish.
The Kung Pow definitely packed a punch, that's for sure. Luckily I had my trusty cocktail to ease my taste buds.
The fried rice was just divine. Not oily, but full of flavour.

My bowl of deliciousness

With this I was stuffed. I know I am usually much more greedy when I order food but I had just come back from the biggest lunch of my life at Watson's Bay. Ill tell you what though. Next time I'm in Sydney I will not be eating at all before visiting Mr. Wong, purely so that I can sample as much of their menu as humanly possible.

Fried Rice

I could have stayed there all night, but my table was booked after 2 and a half hours so even if I didn't have prior plans I would have been ushered out in a timely fashion. In future I will be booking a large time slot in order to facilitate stuffing my face.

Kung Pow Chicken

Visit Mr. Wong's website