China Diner – No Ordinary Chinese Restaurant

By Dan Hutton on February 12, 2016 in

Photo: Grant Brooks

Think Chinese food and images of wonton soup, spring rolls and chicken chow mein being enjoyed in a quiet, family-owned restaurant probably come to mind. Luckily for Bondi, China Diner has turned this vision on its head and created a den of deliciousness with an Asian flair that hip couples or groups wanting a night out will appreciate.

Brought to you by the people behind China Doll and China Lane, China Diner opened 18 months ago in the commercial nexus of Bondi, the Adina complex, so finding it is as easy as pie. The interior is more like two restaurants rather than one, with a very long bar in the front section and a more formal dining area in the back.

On the Thursday night my companion and I arrived for dinner the place was packed with happy people listening to pumping tunes and bathing in the cool orange glow that permeates the room. Welcomed by friendly manager Elliot, we settled into a bar-area booth and immediately felt comfortable, as he explained that the menu is more broadly Asian than Chinese, meaning there’s more room for innovation.

The night’s specials were explained to us by Corey, our knowledgeable Canadian waiter, whose recommendations we followed to a T. After getting set with drinks, we decided on the steamed Queensland scallops with Vietnamese shallot dressing and the crispy lamb dumplings with cumin and chilli as our starters.

The four fresh scallops, which sat perkily in their fan-shells, were perfectly cooked; eating ten more of the delightful morsels would not have been an issue. The chewy lamb dumplings added some much-needed carbs, and with a bit of chilli oil they really hit the spot.

Next up we opted for the five spice duck pancakes with hoisin, shallot and cucumber, because who doesn’t love duck pancakes? These did not disappoint. The lightly fried, tender duck slices simply melted into the light wrapping that surrounded them.

For mains we selected the wok-fried prawns with turmeric, lime and ginger and the wok-fried tofu with mushrooms, snow peas and white pepper. While the giant Queensland prawns were fabulous, the tofu was the surprise of the night, with four types of mushrooms and a delicious pepper sauce that will please even non-vegos.

For dessert we were faced with a choice between coconut and vanilla sago with spiced cherries and black sticky rice with caramelised bananas and salted peanut praline – we ended up ordering both. The sago is a bit lighter than the black rice if you’re feeling full, but neither will disappoint.

China Diner really knows how to push all the right buttons. After a evening there you’ll see why it’s one of the best eateries in Bondi and a far cry from the little Chinese restaurant in your mind.

China Diner
Web | www.chinadiner.com.au
Address | 75-79 Hall Street, Bondi
Phone | 9130 2333
Insta | @chinadinerbondi
Facebook | www.facebook.com/chinadinerbondi
Email | info@chinadiner.com.au
Open | Mon – Fri, 6pm-late; Sat – Sun, 12pm-3:30pm, 5pm – late
Prices | $100-$150 per couple
Cards Accepted | All major
Licensed /BYO | Licensed