Chef Haojie ‘Jacky’ Chu, manager Renee Zhang and another of the talented chefs at Lilong Canberra. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Popular Sydney franchise Lilong has opened its doors in Canberra with Lilong by Taste of Shanghai.
After a quiet opening in March, they’ve already amassed a following of Chinese-Canberrans and loyal office workers around the casino-end of City Walk.
Lilong manager Renee Zhang has been running restaurants in Canberra for many years and told Region that Lilong is offering something new.
“Shanghainese food isn’t so well known in Canberra, but it’s considered a very delicate and romantic food with its own style. The flavours are well balanced with sweet and sour. It’s also important for Shanghainese food to be very good looking,” she said.
“Shanghai is quite high fashion, appearances matter, so the food is the same.”
The emphasis on appearances has carried into the fabulous design of the restaurant, which evokes the vintage era with neon signs and warm fabrics.
And although looks are important, the food at Lilong is incredibly tasty too.
The fish’s head is facing up to represent good fortune. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Chef Haojie ‘Jacky’ Chu is Shanghai-born and has over 25 years of experience working in high-end hotels and restaurants in China and Melbourne.
He moved to Canberra recently to lead the kitchen at Lilong. He told Region that while some of his dishes look deceptively simple, there are many techniques involved in the state-of-the-art, all-electric kitchen to get the flavours balanced just right.
Abalone and pork belly are simmered for two full days in a rich pork and chicken stock to create an intensely flavourful dish. The pinecone barramundi – named for the way it is cut – requires precision skill and a deft hand to get the presentation perfect. Fried and doused in a sweet and sour sauce, each nook and cranny creates surface area for the flavours of the sauce to soak in. This dish was a standout for us: the sauce was moreish and the fish sweet and tender. Renee said that this dish has been incredibly popular so far. The plating and the sweet/sour combo feel a little bit retro – in keeping with the surroundings – but the flavour is absolutely spot on.
All the dumplings are also made in-house: the team is particularly proud of the pan-fried pork buns, which are made to order. The result is a crispy bottom, pillowy-soft dough and juicy filling bursting with flavour. We also enjoyed the sticky rice dumplings and the savoury flaky pastry of the Shanghai Croissant, which was filled with radish and prawn ham.
Chef Jacky has many favourite dishes, and we also particularly enjoyed the flash-fried wagyu steak in wasabi. The mustardy sauce was perfect and the steak beautifully tender. Handmade Shanghainese noodles are also highly recommended: the noodles are super fat and chewy and are delicious with pork mince and crunchy greens.
The extensive menu is also thoroughly labelled with allergens, so it is easy to cater for those with dietary requirements, including plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. A list of mocktails can be made alcoholic with the addition of a shot of your choice: I enjoyed the refreshing Yuzu Glow.
The wasabi beef, dumplings in chilli and handmade noodles were all very tasty indeed. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
We were very fortunate to taste so many dishes, but there are many more on the menu that I’d return to taste! Their $25 lunch special is also astonishingly good value.
Although the large dining room is quite large, there have been queues of customers on weekends, so booking ahead is recommended. Their opening has flown under the radar, but with food this good, they won’t stay unknown for long!
Lilong by Taste of Shanghai is located at 190/264 City Walk, Canberra. Book ahead, and follow them on Instagram.
