The humble prawn toast may not be humble for much longer if the latest menus around Sydney are any guide. On plates across town, the popular toasty treat made with Cantonese prawn mousse is receiving an upgrade, courtesy of the fresh seafood tank and luxury ingredients. In Darlinghurst, fresh arrival Wan’s Cantonese restaurant has upped the stakes with an opening volley of lobster toast.
Other opulent spins on the crunchy snack have become the accoutrement du jour at Sydney restaurants. At Mr. Wong in the CBD, prawn toast is accessorised with foie gras, while at Dan Dan restaurant in Pyrmont, the kitchen marries prawn and black truffle.
Promenade Bondi Beach went off script, substituting prawn for bug meat. But fresh lobster? That’s quite the step up for this suburban Chinese restaurant staple that used to taste like it had journeyed straight from the freezer to the deep fryer. Classic dishes retold with premium fresh Australian produce is the menu blueprint, Wan’s Cantonese co-founder Steve Wan says.
With its ultra-slick dining room of timber and marble on Victoria Street, the 12-seat Wan’s Cantonese isn’t the only new arrival in Sydney championing Cantonese food in luxe surroundings. Neil Perry’s new $10 million Song Bird restaurant in Double Bay also fixed its gaze on Cantonese after the celebrity chef initially toyed with a wider cuisine brief. Perry, who explored other regions of Chinese cuisine at previous CBD venue Spice Temple, argues Cantonese suits our c.
