Chinese restaurant Lee Ho Fook has opened in the Sydney CBD, with chef-owner Victor Liong bringing the Melbourne favourite to the Porter House Hotel Precinct. “Lee Ho Fook is very near and dear to me, so the opportunity to bring it to Sydney was super exciting,” says Liong.
Since opening in 2013, Lee Ho Fook has been at the forefront of new-school Chinese cuisine in Australia, earning an impressive reputation in Melbourne for a menu that draws from all of China’s regions and showcases premium Australian produce, as well as a precise technique informed by Liong’s diverse culinary career, which includes Marque and Mr Wong.
For the most part, Sydney’s menu echoes that of the original restaurant, with a slightly deeper focus on seafood and premium meats; the famed crispy eggplant in spiced red vinegar makes an appearance, delivered by head chef Brad Guest. Where Melbourne’s Lee Ho Fook has an all-Australian wine list, Sydney diners can expect international producers as well.
With Lee Ho Fook opening shortly after Young’s Palace by “Big” Sam Young, and Grandfather’s by the Neptune’s Grotto and Clam Bar crew up the road, it’s fair to say that Chinese food is having a moment in Sydney. “Chinese is an exciting cuisine,” says Liong. “It’s one of the great cuisines of the world.”
“I describe the style of food at Lee Ho Fook as modern Chinese – sometimes it might come across as obscure or unintentional, but a lot of it has been me figuring out how to express my inspirations and experiences from China, and all over Asia, to an Australian lens,” he says.
Victor’s sister Nianci Liong is restaurant manager, bringing a deep understanding of her brother’s approach in the kitchen – and family anecdotes: “People don’t realise she comes from a pedigree of great restaurants too,” says Liong. “She’s worked at Momofuku Seiobo, Fred’s and King Clarence. When I’m at the table I’m always telling stories of family memories, like eating at my grandma’s house… but we have the same grandma, so she can tell the stories for me.”
While it wasn’t intentional, the site for the Sydney restaurant shares similarities with Lee Ho Fook’s Melbourne location. “It’s got the same bones as the Melbourne space with exposed brick, it was built around the same time, and it was an industrial building before it was a hospitality building,” says Liong. The bare brick walls and hardwood floors will be dressed in a rich palette of red, black and brass, with ambient neon lighting.
Lee Ho Fook serves lunch Wednesday to Sunday, and dinner Monday to Saturday.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Blackbird has officially flown south
