Overview
Circular Quay is changing rapidly as more and more new restaurants flock to Sydney CBD's waterfront area. Since the end of lockdowns, the Harbour City has seen the expansive Hinchcliff House kick off the slew of new openings in Quay Quarter Lanes, a heap of cheerful hole-in-the-wall restaurants arrive at Sydney Place and the revival of Jacksons on George as a huge multi-concept venue. All of that is just the tip of the iceberg — and Lotus Dining Group has now gotten in on the action with the arrival of Pearl.
Pearl is a flashy new Cantonese eatery that has opened in Quay Quarter Tower alongside other new rivals like Belles Hot Chicken's expansive eat-in-only diner and the recently unveiled Martinez. It has also been joined by a sibling venue downstairs — a Circular Quay outpost for Lotus Dumpling Bar, which offers the group's signature eats in a more casual setting.
Pearl shines by taking what's worked at spots like The Gardens by Lotus and turning the sense of luxury up a notch. The menu from Director of Culinary Cheung Shui Yip and Executive Chef Steve Wu lets big flavours and Cantonese favourites shine.
"Cheung and I are excited to launch the Pearl menu, made up of three main elements: dim sum, barbecue and seafood. We want to showcase high-end Cantonese dishes with great Australian produce," says Wu.
Must-try dishes include the dry-aged and twice-cooked Peking duck pancakes served with a side of crispy duck skin, wok-fried lobster in XO sauce, the Pearl prawn dumplings, and a side of the spiced and wok-fried green beans for good measure — all of which are available on the deluxe $128 per person set menu.
There's also a more affordable $88 per person banquet, which still features plenty of culinary delights, including Sydney rock oysters, wok-fried beef flank, steamed coral trout, kingfish sashimi, and prawn dumplings with an egg-white cloud and flying fish roe.
"Making dumplings is a labour of love for the whole team," continues Wu. "I hope guests enjoy the steamed mud crab xiao long bao. We peel it all by hand and mix it with house-made pork skin jelly before rolling them into perfect parcels."
"We treat our produce with care and respect. The pork goes through ten different cooking steps, and our Peking duck takes three days to prepare and cook to ensure a perfectly crackling skin."
A la carte is, of course, an option as well, as is popping in just for a drink — with the sweeping balcony calling out for after-work catch-ups complete with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
If you've got a birthday or Christmas party on the horizon, Pearl also has you covered — there's both a semi-private and a private dining room, which you can book for an intimate experience a stone's throw from Wynyard and Martin Place.
Pearl is now open at 50 Bridge Street, Quay Quarter Building, Sydney — access is via Young Street. It's open for lunch from 12–2.30pm Tuesday–Friday and dinner Tuesday–Saturday from 5.30pm.