355 Crown St
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Telephone: (02) 9332 3300
![]( "Billy Kwong from Kylies website")
The ‘Family Table’ seats 6-8 and can be booked in advance. On the far back right, near the kitchen…it’s the best place to be.
It’s no secret that if you’re a Masterchef fan, then you’re quite the fan of
Kylie Kwong. Her cookbook was gifted to me not so long ago, and I plan to dedicate one of my dinner parties in her honour. Hail Kylie. So when I had to return to Sydney last week to do some filming, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit
Billy Kwong in Surry Hills. On July 4th this year, Billy Kwong’s reaches 14 years of age and it’s no secret why Kylie’s still in business. The food and philosphy is magical.
So, without further ado, I made a point of booking in advance to secure the ‘big table of 6-8′ – the only table for which bookings are accepted. A table of Masterchef Ex-pats rocked on in and were greeted with love, warmth, humour and the best attention I had felt in a Chinese New Year.
![Billy Kwong Nuts Lydia Guerrini Masterchef Australia 2012 Absolutely Georgeous]( "Billy Kwong Nuts Lydia Guerrini Masterchef Australia 2012 Absolutely Georgeous (2)")
A complimentary bowl of salted nuts to our table to get the tastebuds wanting more…
There’s only one thing that failed me that night, and it was a non edible object- my camera. It did not fair well under the low-lit atmosphere and whilst that’s now been corrected with some newly purchased equipment…alas…I had to revert to the iPhone at the time, and prayed that the food would be honoured in the way that it should.
However, less than 24 hours after I left Sydney, my iPhone with all my Billy Kwong food memories…met its demise in my washing machine.
{Enter a moment of silent prayer.}
So…it has taken 2 weeks to retrieve them and alas, I am prepared now to share them with the world. But- not before I say a quick word about the ambience, atmosphere, and service.
Gentry from the West may be a tad sensitive to good service. The Eastern States or abroad can bring about an impression on Perth people that they are now suddenly famous. This is clearly not the reality- just an understandable delusion of grandeur brought upon by not being recipients of the ‘better variety’ of service in the West an ordinary day. It is an known we have borne for a while now here in the West, and whilst I hear and feel we are getting better, the benchmark has already been set in the East. We must hail the East for their standards in service.
{Hail East}
What this meant for us patrons of Billy Kwong that night, is that our wait staff described the wines, offered up a tasting, and made excellent recommendations- ok…not an experience new to most but in between the purpose of this conversation was some well placed banter, rapport building and sophisticated conversation that matched the ambience as well as the wine matched our meal.
Let’s take a look at what was on the menu by clicking the following link:
I can’t tell you who else was at our table (still a top Masterchef secret)…but Kevin (Big Kev from Masterchef and
Stadium Grub) chose the Freshly-Made Flat Egg Noodles, Shredded Chicken, Organic Warrigal Greens & Chilli ($23) I chose the Duck….Lydia and her duck….Dalvinder and a couple of others from Masterchef chose Steamed Silken Tofu with Ginger, Lebanese Cress, Warrigal Greens & Shiro Shoyu ($24), the White-Cooked Free-Range Chicken with Organic Tamari, Chilli & Coriander ($48) and the staff were so kind as to deliver us some of the best Chinese pickled vegetables I’ve had in a long time.
![Kylie Kwong Steamed Prawn Wontons with Organic Brown Rice Vinegar Dressing]( "Kylie Kwong Steamed Prawn Wontons with Organic Brown Rice Vinegar Dressing")
Steamed Prawn Wontons with Organic Brown Rice Vinegar Dressing ($19)
![Kylie Kwong Steamed Prawn Wontons with Organic Brown Rice Vinegar Dressing]( "Kylie Kwong Steamed Prawn Wontons Lydia Guerrini Masterchef 2012 Absolutely Georgeous")
And a single serve close up, one per plate. Delicious.
![Crispy Skin Pasture-Raised Burrawong Duck with Fresh Davidson's Plums]( "Crispy Skin Pasture-Raised Burrawong Duck with Fresh Davidson's Plums Lydia Guerrini Masterchef 2012 Absolutely Georgeous")
And of course, no one could wait to devour the duck…not even for the dish to be photographed! Crispy Skin Pasture-Raised Burrawong Duck with Fresh Davidson’s Plums.
![White-Cooked Free-Range Chicken with Organic Tamari, Chilli & Coriander ($48)]( "White-Cooked Free-Range Chicken with Organic Tamari, Chilli & Coriander Lydia Guerrini Masterchef 2012 Absolutely Georgeous")
White-Cooked Free-Range Chicken with Organic Tamari, Chilli & Coriander ($48)
![White-Cooked Free-Range Chicken with Organic Tamari, Chilli & Coriander Lydia Guerrini Masterchef 2012 Absolutely Georgeous]( "White-Cooked Free-Range Chicken with Organic Tamari, Chilli & Coriander Lydia Guerrini Masterchef 2012 Absolutely Georgeous")
A close-up of the flavours you can taste with your eyes…White-Cooked Free-Range Chicken with Organic Tamari, Chilli & Coriander ($48)
![Billy Kwong Steamed Bok Choy Lydia Guerrini Masterchef Australia 2012 Absolutely Georgeous (2)]( "Billy Kwong Steamed Bok Choy Lydia Guerrini Masterchef Australia 2012 Absolutely Georgeous (2)")
And another…a fresh steamed bok choy dish to compliment the duck and chicken. (Complimentary!)
By the end of this, our taste buds were singing the anthem of tastebud glory. Except the void of sugar welled in my belly and the yearning for some asian inspired delicate ending had the house suggest the Special of the Day: Poached Pears with cinnamon and icecream ($15) and Oh my…light, spiced, aromatic and tender fruit rolled around my mouth against the creaminess of icecreams. Truly magic and worth breaking a heel to get to.
![Poached Pear Billy Kwong]( "Poached Pear Billy Kwong")
Poached Pears with Cinnamon and Icecream ($15)
A small dining area, and leaning on the spectrum of pricey, but cost aside, the value is there. Wth a unique balance of style and casual sophistication, beauty and innovation, and a hum of sustainablity culture, Billy Kwong will lure me back time and time again.
It’s no secret that Billy Kwong’s is a roaring success. 14 years on and still offering an innovative menu. A class act, Kylie Kwing. Take my word for it- it’s a M.U.S.T when you’re in Sydney next. And try the duck.
Tell them Lydia from Absolutely Georgeous sent you xxx
