Australian Gourmet Traveller - (12)December 2019 (1)

C

astoffthoughtsofwall-to-wall

seafoodtanks,fluorescentlights

andlate-nightindiscretions

fromthekitchenstaffofyour

favouritefine-diner.XOPPdoesnot

offerthese.Whatit doesdo,though,

is offera roll-callofGoldenCentury

classicsinamongnew-wavedishesin

a settingwithbetterdesignanda little

morewiggleroomaroundtheedges.

That’sthepitchanyway.Thisplace

is abouta comingtogetherofoldand

newsaythebriefingnotesforKengo

Kuma’sbird’snestofa buildingthat

housestherestaurantat DarlingSquare.

AndsosaysXOPP,a secondactfora

grandinstitution 30 yearsintoitslifetime,

ledbyBillyWong,thesonofGolden

Century’sfounders,LindaandEricWong.

Doesit work?Inthedesign,at least,

they’vemanagedtoavoidthefunereal

qualityoftheWineBank– theteam’s

otherrecentproject– choosingtowork

withthecircularflowofthemezzanineby

XOPP,thenextstepforGoldenCentury,strikesa balance

betweenoldandnew,writesDAVIDMATTHEWS.

Golden child

keepingthesightlinesopen,andstyling

it ina waythathappenstomatchtheNike

Savvasinstallationthathangsintothefood

courtbelow.Glasswareandchopsticksare

inshadesoforange,bowlsandplatesin

shadesofgreen,whiletheceiling–

mirroredblackwithinsetChinoiserie

fabric– recallsthepanelledfloorofthe

MillenniumFalcon, if onlyHanSolohad

hada fondnessforSchumacherprints.

Thefoodis justas considered,striking

a balancebetweentradition(aided,

nodoubt,bytheGC-trainedchefs

inthekitchen),andinnovation

(realisedwiththehelpofZachary

Ng,a chefhonedbyyearsat Sepia).

Soit is thattheporkribsserved

at thebararerightlycrunchy,and

thecrisp-skinnedchicken– served

withtwosauces– is justthat.

Ng’smoreambitiousdishes

bringsomeWesternideasintothe

fold– porkcheekona celeriac

puréetoppedwithmustardseeds,

Clockwisefrom

topleft:pipis

withXOsauce

andvermicelli;

XOPP’sdining

room;seared

scallopswith

chilliand

garlicpurée,

hamand

prawnfloss.

say– butstaytruetotheprinciplesof

Cantonesecookery,enhancingand

emphasisingthenaturaltasteofthe

ingredients.Likethecheek,siumaihave

a sweet,cleantaste,whilechicken-liver

parfait– servedwithfriedbread– is

liftedwithShaoxing.Theparfait-in-

a-jarpresentationmightbe

hackneyed,buttheflavourisn’t.

Othersreachfurtherinto

China,butlabelsaren’tthegame

somuchas enjoyment.Wong

grewupwiththehumofGolden

Century’sdiningroomas a

soundtrack,andhistrickhas

beendesigninga menuinformed

byhowpeopleactuallyusethe

restaurant,withoutjudgement.

Sydney review

GOURMET TRAVELLER 49

PHOTOGRAPHY STEVEN WOODBURN.