Bentley Group’s latest offering presents a culture studies dissertation on the plate, and it’s a sentimental headspin. Gleaming duck tsukune, sticky with hoisin tare on a slice of shokupan, hits like a Bunnings sausage sanga with a Canto-Japanese accent. A cushiony steamed bao cossets a dashi-soaked crumbed barramundi finger in a couture-grade Filet-O-Fish complete with salmon roe. Chicken liver skewers are served with Vegemite and kombu butter toast in an intense flavour explosion, while a silky pork-free mapo tofu – packed with prawns, marrow, baby corn and Korean rice cakes – is an equally subversive standout. It’s a schtick that has thus far defined chef Khanh Nguyen’s career and perfect here, in a room that feels like a warehouse party for grown-ups – all pink neon streaks, exposed beams and mirror balls; polished to sophistication by serial design collaborator Pascale Gomes-McNabb. Playful and cerebral all at once, this is one of the year’s brightest openings.
King Clarence
Asian
171 Clarence St, Sydney, NSW
Price Guide
$$
Bookings
Recommended
Opening Hours
Lunch and dinner daily
Matty Hirsch
Verdict
Royally fun