Hospitality heavyweight Merivale has reigned supreme with this modern Cantonese restaurant in Enmore, offering arguably the best Asian food in the Inner West.
It’s a crisp Sunday, blue sky and bright sunshine sets the scene as we cross the glorious harbour bridge. The sunroof is open and there’s not a hint of traffic so it isn’t long before we are parking in Enmore.
Queens Hotel is home to Queen Chow and when we arrive the long glowing bar downstairs with its vast, moody interiors is completely empty. We are the first eager patrons, arriving shortly after opening but by nightfall, this lower level is heaving with activity.
Proceeding to level one we are greeted by a welcoming bartender at the Smelly Goat Bar, which runs perpendicular to the restaurant. It’s a quirky name for a quirky bar. Glass boxes are mounted above the top shelf and inside the clear prisms are carefully curated displays of taxidermy.
Taking a pew we watch the chatty bartender masterfully mix and merge flavours, then after studying the drinks menu we opt for the Chow Sour and the bar special which is served with a small dried rose bud floating on its surface.
The food menu is consistent throughout the venue but opposed to downstairs, Queen Chow’s dining space is uplifting and flooded with daylight. The tropical plantation inspired interiors are comfortable and eclectic and the menu has our mouths watering.
Our friend at the bar said the Stir-fried Mushrooms are her favourite but sadly we can’t seem to locate them on the menu. Sundays is yum cha day so we start with the Steamed Dim sum platter. We request seafood and vegetarian only and our 8 delectable parcels soon arrive. The flavours are clean and light, the salty black roe of the Steamed Seafood and black caviar is moreish and in comparison to other yum cha in Sydney we’d say the Queen Chow difference is in the freshness.
The Aromatic Duck spring rolls are flaky, crunchy and fall apart on the inside. For those who love pork, order the Shui Mai with its lazy sticky coat which it wears proudly and gleams enticingly saying “go ahead, take a bite.”
Next is Coral Trout, Chinese celery, cloud fungi in supreme sauce, with a side of Vegetarian Fried rice. Wow, you know there’s something special about a dish when you’re even eager to eat the celery. Supreme sauce is an apt description too, the clear viscous dressing has an intangible intrigue, the flavours distinctly Chinese but what exactly is in this sauce remains a secret.
Almost satisfied we inquire about the highly recommended Stir-fried Mushrooms. We learn it was a recent special but is now only available on request as apparently it wasn’t so popular. We will be the judge of that!
It arrives and it delivers. Good lord this dish is an all time stand out. It appears to be fried not stir-fried however staff tell us that’s because it’s coated in duck egg yoke before it’s stir-fried. Holy moly that joyous yoke must be liquid gold as this dish alone will win your hearts forever, so Queen Chow if your reading this, please save the mushrooms don’t you dare let them disappear!
Outfit guides for Queen Chow is be daring if you desire. Enmore and Newtown is known for drawing creative types so if you’ve got a dress or top that’s perhaps a little unusual, well now is the time to wear it.
Outfit guides for Queen Chow is be daring if you desire. Enmore and Newtown is known for drawing creative types so if you’ve got a dress or top that’s perhaps a little unusual, well now is the time to wear it.
Angela
I knew the upstairs dining space was bright and bursting with greenery so I wanted to wear something light in colour and Autumnal in spirit. Truth be known I’ve been on a strict budget of late and this outfit is the perfect example to illustrate you don’t need to spend a fortune. The $20 bag and $10 sunnies were found scouring the outlets at Birkenhead Point and once paired with my investment piece (the Valentino shoes) the whole look is elevated and looks more expensive.
Point is, I felt fabulous and that’s the main thing.
Margarita
Queen Chow is an amazing collision of two worlds! A gorgeous opium den style Chinese venue mixed with an old English pub plus a splash of safari to boot.
When it comes to clothing inspiration for this one, I think it’s all about patterns, prints and bold decisions. Where else is better to don an outfit which clashes and thrills than in Enmore? However, ladies remember, you will want to eat the whole menu so please, make sure your fit is relaxed and casual for the day time.
Food wise, I for one can’t wait to take my Chinese husband here, I guarantee he would give it the seal of authentic approval. My favourite dish is was the secret egg fried mushrooms. Order it. Do it now. Leave work, your home, your bathtub or where ever you happen to be and go right now! You wont regret it and will be thanking us profusely.
