Asian Made: Randwick’s Hidden Gem

By Siriol Dafydd on June 7, 2018 in Food

Nothing but praise, by Penelope Clarke.

I don’t know about you, but when I head to an Asian restaurant, the last thing I expect to be asked is, “Are you here for lunch or to play the pokies?”
Indeed, that’s what we were confronted with as we walked into the reception area of the Randwick Club. There was a faint sound of alarm bells ringing in the back of my head as we stepped into the lift. I was just imagining me and my plus one, who I had dragged out of work just for the privilege, sitting with a couple of soggy spring rolls, gambling away our Friday afternoon in a dark room laced with beer-soaked carpets.
To my surprise and utter delight, my reservations disappeared as we stepped out of the lift into the newly refurbished Asian Made restaurant – nowhere near the pokies, on its own separate floor of the club.
We were immediately greeted by the most accommodating owner/bartender/waitress of all time. She offered us some wine (always a strong move) and showed us around the restaurant before leading us to our seats on the sun-soaked balcony.
The balcony has a handful of tables and boasts a view of the city skyline – great for enjoying Vivid from a distance away from the crowds. On the floor above, there is a cool bar that hosts an even better vantage point for those Friday evening cocktail sessions.
The food was simply divine. The executive chef created a never-ending tasting menu for us, inspired by various Asian cuisines. Having spent some time living in China, many of his servings are inspired by Chinese dishes and injected with other Asian flavours and influences.
Everything is a slight variation of what you’d normally expect. Excuse my use of the over-exposed term “Asian-fusion” but that is exactly what is on offer here – a varied menu exploring traditional and modern dishes from across a continent presented with a delightful twist.
We started with xiao long bao, which are Chinese steamed buns similar to dumplings, followed by crunchy Chinese mushrooms, which came with a mouth-watering wasabi master-stock mayonnaise (seriously, I would marry the chef for this dipping sauce alone).
Next we experienced silky tofu and some king prawn spring rolls, followed by crispy Shandong chicken on a bed of Asian vegetables and some tofu and vegetables with steamed rice.
By now we were both in heaven but couldn’t fit in another bite. If we hadn’t alerted our ever-accommodating hosts to this fact, I’m sure the dishes would have kept coming and I would have had to pop off to Kmart on the way home to buy some bigger pants.
To say the food is delicious is an understatement and the most exciting thing about this restaurant is that the best is yet to come. With new owners and a new chef coming on board only two months ago, their menu and their ideas are fresh.
Over the next few months they’ll be introducing a brunch menu, bringing your Sunday a bit of yum cha to dust off those pesky hangovers. They’re also keen to explore the health conscious aspects of the local clientele, blending healthier cooking techniques with those of the naughtier Asian indulgences we’ve grown to love.
Asian Made would make an ideal race day venue, just a stone’s throw from the main gates of Royal Randwick, and they also cater for large functions, with stunning views of the racecourse and city skyline from the fourth floor function rooms above the restaurant.
I have nothing but praise for this place. The only issue will be making sure that people know it even exists. Driving past the Randwick Club on Alison Road, you would never suspect that a top-notch restaurant with great food, fantastic service and a wonderful view was hiding upstairs. So spread the word – this little gem needs to stick around!

Asian Made
www.asianmade.com.au
Address 135 Alison Rd, Randwick
Facebook Asian Made Restaurant and Bar
Phone 9399 4188
Open Mon-Tue: closed; Wed-Fri: 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm; Sat: 11.30am-9.30pm; Sun: 11.30am-9.30pm
Prices Appetisers and entrees: $12-15; Mains: $15-30
Cards Accepted Yes (except Amex)
Licensed Yes