Canton! Canton! Is the CBD's New Home of Yum Cha and Hong Kong-Style Roast Meats
The luxe Cantonese diner has taken over the former Tim Ho Wan site — and has a dim sum master at its helm.
Sydney is set for a new dose of traditional Cantonese cooking next week when Canton! Canton! opens in the CBD. The restaurant is by The Jewel Pantry Group, a dining group focusing on cuisines from the Asia-Pacific, which has taken over the old Tim Ho Wan Sydney outposts (and nabbed its chef) on George Street and Pitt Street Mall.
Tim Ho Wan — the world's cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant — launched in Sydney in late-2015, before suddenly closing last year. While the Jewel Pantry Group has taken over the chain's former CBD outposts, there's no word yet on what will happen to Tim Ho Wan's Chatswood's store, which is also closed.
The first of the dining group's venues to launch is Canton! Canton!, which has taken over the George Street site. The 68-seater has Executive Chef Jacky Chan at the helm, who used to run the kitchen at Sydney's Tim Ho Wans. He boasts 28 years' experience cooking Chinese fare, with a focus on dim sum — he's trained with top Hong Kong chefs and held the title of head dim sum chef at Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, too.
Nikki To.
Expect yum cha, barbecue pork buns and the restaurant's signature Phoenix Claws (bean curd skin topped with braised chicken feet and abalone sauce) from 11am, followed by eight different congees (one topped with a preserved century egg), roast duck, pork belly and char siu all roasted in-house daily on the Hong Kong-style barbecue. For dinner, there are mains like braised pork belly with preserved veggies, alongside a compact wine list and a signature caramelised Malay cake for dessert. Three banquet menus ($33/45/58) are also on offer.
The fit-out is courtesy of interior designer Dorian McCartney (Hydra Design) and architect Raymond Teo. The design is inspired by the street markets of Canton, with opium bed-inspired booths and antique tea crates previously used by Chinese shipping merchants.
The hospitality group's second venue, Mr. Fatt, will open in the Pitt Street Mall site later this year as a 12-seat takeaway joint. While Canton! Canton! leans towards tradition, Mr. Fatt will instead offer a modern fusion of Singaporean and Malaysian fare. And you can expect more restaurants to join The Jewel Pantry Group's portfolio in coming months, with a Hainan rice specialty on the menu.
Find Canton! Canton! at Shop GD04, 580 George Street, Sydney, from Monday, February 18. It's open from 11am–10pm daily.
Images: Nikki To.
