SYDNEY - Celebrating Chinese New EVE 2014 @ Waitan Restaurant - As I'm in the midst of applying for my PR in Sydney, I forfeited my air ticket which I bought to return back to Singapore. I really miss my family and Prince Royale in Singapore but celebrating Chinese New Year with my friends in Sydney has been very much enjoyable too. I celebrated Chinese New Eve with my Lumiere apartment neighbors who have become my very good friends and we visited the most talked about Asian Restaurant - Waitan Restaurant in Chinatown.
Waitan Restaurant
Address: 405, Sussex Street, Haymarket, Sydney
Phone: 02-82181000
Opening hours: 6pm -12 midnight
Website: www.waitan.com.au
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WAITAN Restaurant - This swanky new 2-storey Asian restaurant is newly opened after around $10 million dollars worth of investment on Sussex Street in Sydney's Chinatown. The restaurant is a joint venture between Singapore's TungLok group and China based Xiang E Qing Group. It is the first of an International Chain of Waitan restaurants with plans to open another in Sydney, New York and Melbourne. Occupying 2500 square metres over 2 floors connected by an escalator, the restaurant boosts 3 bars, a members only lounge and 14 private dining rooms with Karaoke sets. The entire place is dimly lit and decorated with red Chinese Silk lanterns to create a teahouse atmosphere/opium den. Waitan's executive chef - John Rankin has previously worked for top award-winning restaurants such as Quay, Astral and Sean's Kitchen.
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Lavishly decorated with faux opium beds, a cozy cigar room, a library and Chinese antiques and paintings, it's like stepping back in time to the Shanghai era due to its Oriental flair. Dubbed as the Chinatown's version of "Club IVY", a private membership costs a hefty sum of AUD$10,000. Interestingly, the restaurant also features Sydney's largest circular table spanning 5.2 metres and able to sit 32 people around it. If you wish to impress your guests, there is a one off $50,000 bottle of cognac. Talk about drinking in style or excess!
All thanks to my beautiful girlfriend Anna Tran who suggested that we have a lovely dinner at this posh restaurant with luxury interiors. It was an enjoyable dining experience with delicious food and of course, the wonderful company of friends. The cocktails were interesting and yummy too! I had a Lychee Mocktail :)
The total bill for 6 of us was around AUD$300 which includes food and drinks. It was a reasonable amount to dine at a luxurious Asian restaurant with fine dining ambience. We ordered a few dishes to share which includes their Sichuan Mo Po Tofu wok fried with pepper sauce ($18), Crispy Seafood Noodles, Nasi Goreng jamon serrano, fried egg ($23), Sweet & Sour Pork, lastly their famous signature Peking Duck ($88) which is baked in open wood fired oven with oak wood and cherry wood for 60 minutes which results in the smokey and crispy skin duck. The Peking Duck was served in 3 separate dishes:
First Course: Crispy duck skin: Duck skin dipped in a special sauce or white sugar
Second Course: Duck meat: Wrapped inside a handmade pancake along with fresh shallots and cucumber, topped with a special sauce.
Third Course: Duck meat with skin: wrapped inside a handmade pancake along with fresh shallots and cucumber and duck, topped with a special sauce.
I highly recommend this beautiful Waitan restaurant for special occasion dinners with a group of friends or family. A lovely restaurant for an Asian cuisine dinner with a relaxing ambience to set the mood. A must check out place especially in Chinatown, Sydney Australia!
Lora's Silver dress is from FOREVER NEW |
Not forgetting that I also met girlfriend Queenie who is expecting a baby soon. I'm feeling so excited for her :)
♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥
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