Now Open: Double Happy Is the Empire Hotel's Nostalgic Australian Chinese Restaurant That Celebrates Casual Cuisine
Gold trim, vermilion leather seating and familiar flavours all add to the vibe at the first venue from new hospitality group Linchpin Hospitality.
Serving up nostalgia-infused cuisine within the revamped confines of the Empire Hotel, Double Happy is a playful take on Australian-Chinese dining that made these down-to-earth restaurants such a hit in the 1980s and beyond. Bringing fresh ideas to a host of familiar flavours, this new encounter guided by Linchpin Hospitality carefully balances casual eating with just enough polish, ensuring gatherings around the table with family and friends feel a little bit special.
As you might expect, the menu is heavily inspired by beloved Australian-Chinese dishes, such as beef and black bean, sweet and sour pork, and honey and lemon chicken. Like the restaurants of old, Double Happy's kitchen offers its fair share of creative ideas too, like prawn toast tostada or BBQ pork pizza, featuring three-day fermented dough with house-made char siu pork, shaved Chinese broccoli, stracciatella, and a drizzle of oyster sauce.
"The Australian-Chinese style of restaurant has a nostalgia that resonates with so many people, and we thought it was the perfect fit for the community. Seeing the locals embrace it has been incredible – we've already been packing out 100+ diners on Friday and Saturday nights during our soft openings," says Linchpin Hospitality Culinary Director George Calombaris.
Drinks are also a highlight, with the selection of cocktails including frozen lychee martinis, mango pancake pina coladas and yuzu-shu sake pop. Beers like Tsingtao, Tooheys Old and Yulli's Rice Lager come in tinnies or longnecks, while Young Henrys House Lager is poured fresh on tap. Finally, there are over a dozen tasty wine options available by the glass, starting from $10. If you're keen to feast, banquet menus dish out the restaurant's best in $60, $70 and $80 per person options.
Delivering a classic, neighbourhood experience in the front space of this Annandale pub, Double Happy was conceived to feel like a decades-old local spot. Wander through the stand-alone entrance and you'll be received by a space rich in character. Proudly rough around the edges, the main dining room is adorned with dark timber doors, vermilion leather banquettes and blue tabletops.
Plus, a 28-seat private dining room evokes fun-filled shared meals with round tables topped with lazy susans.
Find Double Happy at the Empire Hotel, 103 Parramatta Rd, Annandale. Head to the website for more information.
Images: Steven Woodburn and Alana Dimou.
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