Waitan, Haymarket Chinatown

After a rumoured $10 million dollar refurbishment, Waitan was officially launched last Wednesday in a flashy spectacle of lamborghinis, willowy Asian models and free flowing magnums of Veuve Clicquot. The two-level restaurant takes up much of the newly built Chinatown Centre, nestled between Dixon House and Sussex Centre.


Sculpture at the entrance to Waitan

Waitan had been trading quietly for a week prior its official launch. Tucked inside the launch party goodie bag was a $50 voucher, so I return a couple of days later with friends in tow.

Dim and moody lighting, crisp white tablecloths, hanging birdcage light fittings and dark timber furniture are a sign that this is no cookie-cutter Chinese restaurant. There's a deliberate push for opulence here, including its O Lounge with partitioned cushioned platforms - or "opium" beds - for guests to recline on.

Upstairs are the private dining rooms, blinged up with baroque chandeliers, patterned wallpaper and cabinetry imported from China. The largest private room boasts Sydney's biggest dining table, measuring a whopping 5.2 metres across and seating 32 people.


Waitan dining room

The first to arrive of our party, we're discreetly escorted to a lounge room waiting area and asked if we'd like a drink while we wait. We demur, but I'm guessing the push for alcohol spend must be part of the training, as we're asked four times if we'd like a drink within the space of about fifteen minutes.


Fancy crockery

The crockery is fancy too although presumably the budget hasn't been extended to the in-house music. Hearing Vivaldi's Spring is funny the first time, conjuring up a sense that the blushing bride is about to arrive any minute, but after four times it starts to feel more like Groundhog Day.


Wagyu beef horfun rice noodles with bean shoots and shallots $27

The menu spans all of Asia, running from oysters with Thai nam jim ($4.50) to Taiwanese 3 cup chicken ($25) to Malaysian seafood laksa ($25). "Small Stuff" include har gau prawn dumplings ($14 for 4), pork belly steamed sliders ($12 for 3) and beef cheek steamed buns ($12 for 3).

Our order of wagyu beef horfun rice noodles is the first dish to arrive, slippery fresh rice noodles made decadent with slices of wagyu. The beef is soft and tender, and although the noodles don't have a smoky char to them, they've been cooked well, with even saucing.


Sambal bravas, 62C egg, jamon serrano $17

They're not afraid to go a little left-field here either. The pork ribs ($38) are proudly listed as "sous vide, charred, sweet spiced" and the nasi goreng ($23) comes with jamon serrano and a fried egg.

We went with the oddest item we could find on the menu, the sambal bravas, although we're wondering if they meant patatas sambal instead. It's a dish that's not that far removed from a Spanish restaurant, only the potatoes would probably be crunchier.


62C egg yolk with potates and jamon serrano

The sambal gives a pleasing chilli kick but it's not dissimilar to the usual bravas spicy tomato sauce. The dish does seem a little at odds with the rest of the menu.


Traditional wood-fired Peking duck $88

There are a number of non-Chinese waitstaff at Waitan and I only mention this because when was the last time a non-Asian took your order at a Chinese restaurant? It probably also has something to do with our bungled Peking duck order above.

The traditional wood-fired Peking duck with housemade pancakes and condiments comes as either a half-bird ($47) or a whole bird ($88). We ask if a second course is included, as usually happens with a whole Peking duck, where the rest of the meat is shredded into a stir-fry or san choy bau.

She looks at us in confusion.  We explain that usually only the Peking duck skin is used in Peking duck pancakes. "What happens to the rest of the meat?" we ask.

"Oh the meat comes later," she tells us. "Ok, can you serve that on the bone?" we ask.

And that's how we get a whole Peking duck on the bone with our pancakes.


Peking duck

The duck itself is plump and juicy although not as heavily marinated as the ones you'll find from the Chinese barbecue shops.


Steamed buns and Peking duck pancakes

We're provided with a separate basket of fluffy steamed buns and Peking duck pancakes. Condiments include cucumber, shallots and two kinds of sauce.

On the next table we notice that they're served assembled Peking duck pancakes. If you order the whole Peking duck, let us know what you get!


Peking ducks in the specially built woodfired oven

Before you leave, make sure you check out the Peking duck oven along the side of the restaurant. The duck oven was built using special bricks imported from China. The flames are fierce and hanging right at the back you can see the Peking ducks, roasting quietly in the shadows.


Peking ducks waiting to be carved


View into the open kitchen


Bamboo steamer basket station


Caysorn


Butterfly peaflower drink, crushed ice dessert and sticky rice with mango

You can order desserts at Waitan (miso baked cheesecake with black sesame ice cream for $14; black sticky rice with mango sorbet $14; seasonal fruit plate $14 and more) but we skip across the road for a more casual setting.

Caysorn may be home to some of Sydney's tastiest fried chicken, but it also has a wide range of desserts. The restaurant is almost empty at 9pm on a Friday night but they happily let us in for sweets.


Crushed ice with mixed fruits $5

Our crushed ice is a pyramid of shaved ice crystals drizzled with evaporated milk, condensed milk and sala syrup (sala is similar to snake fruit). We dig down underneath for an Asian fruit party of toddy palm seeds and jackfruit with herbal jelly and basil seeds.


Vanilla ice cream with sticky rice and peanuts $5

There are no banana fritters left so we switch our order to sticky rice with vanilla ice cream and peanuts. The rice is tinted blue using butterfly pea flowers, commonly used in Thai and Malaysian desserts to tint things blue.

The G-Man also insists we try the butterfly pea flower drink, a deep blue purple in colour that changes to a pinky purple after you add a squeeze of lemon juice. It looks like a bonafide magic trick but is actually a result of the pH levels changing with the addition of acid.


Mango with sticky rice and coconut cream $6.90

But the piece de resistance is the mango with sticky rice and coconut cream. The sticky rice is deliciously salty, the plumped grains swollen with coconut cream. It's a natural foil for the sweet slivers of mango, perfectly sliced and formed into a heart. Love.


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Waitan
405 Sussex Street, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9212 7999

Opening hours:
Open 7 days 6pm - 12am


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Caysorn Thai
Shop 106-108A, Level 1, Prince Centre
8 Quay Street, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9211 5749

Opening hours:
Open 7 days 11am - 10pm


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