DETAILS
This mega restaurant can accommodate an impressive 750 diners at any one time. The traditional Chinese attraction to bringing good luck is a motif featured throughout - wait staff don lucky red Chinese tunics, blending harmoniously with the vibrant scarlet carpet alongside simply laid large round tables topped with traditional cutlery.The Eight specialises in a modern style of Chinese dining, offering classic dishes with contemporary twists. Favourites such as sweet-and-sour pork to more authentic and interesting creations such as braised fish maw with sea cucumber and prawn roe feature on the menu. Live seafood graces many tables with selections such as pippies, Murray cod and the special lobster sashimi. From huge parties to quiet dates, every meal is effortlessly catered to at this exciting new Sydney Chinese restaurant. The wine list is relatively short, but does offer some interesting imported beers.
Sydney's largest and most exclusive contemporary Chinese restaurant has opened its doors with style. Proud owners Henry and Chilli Tang owners of the successful Zilver Restaurant in Haymarket for 5 years emanate the hallmarks of success.
The Eight restaurant's main objectives are to cater for the growing demand of the Chinese, Asian and western communities for quality Chinese food and professional service. The Eight will specialise in modern fusion and traditional Chinese cuisine with a focus on live seafood. A team of 18 highly trained chefs has created an enticing menu with over 70 selections. Specialties include Peking Duck sliced at the table, Stir Fried Lobster with egg white and Crab Roe, Wok Seared Wagyu served with Foie Gras and Roast Suckling Pig with Hoisin Sauce. The venue created by status Hong Kong designer Danny Chan is impressive with a gleaming textured glass wall entrance and seating capacity for 750. The décor is a sublime blend of eastern and western classical styles with a unique colour scheme of copper gold, clear red with white clothed tables and straight back modern chairs, There are two stages, spacious dining areas and fabulous terrace smoking rooms.
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Awash in red and named with the number of prosperity, The Eight is the lucky charm of restaurants. The huge open space is lined with large circular tables, perfect for fitting many of those fragrant cane baskets or whole-cooked fish in the middle. Chinese classics are given some contemporary flair while delicious favourites and unusual creations are all on the extensive picture menu.
Every creature of the sea can be plated for your pleasure here with oysters, pippies, crabs, lobster, squid and fish cooked and dressed in a hundred and one ways. Lobster sashimi makes a statement to the table at $188 a kilogram, or you can seal the fate of that day's fresh catch that swims within the wall-mounted tanks.
Waitresses dressed in lucky-red pinafores glide between tables with trolleys towered high with cane baskets - the containers puffing with steam as the lids are lifted to reveal the goodies inside. At lunchtime, an array of mature couples and families come for the never-ending yum cha of puffy pork buns, glossy ribs, dim sims and dumplings. At night however, the menu extends as far as the tables to cater for its seven hundred and fifty seating capacity. Diced duck meat is cupped by crisp iceberg lettuce in the sang choy bow, wok-seared beef is dressed in thick black pepper sauce and lobster is braised with ginger and shallot and served on golden E-Fu noodles. While many tables feature a whole fish steamed or fried as the centrepiece, grilled meats and with crispy edges come sizzling from the barbecue.
The Eight embodies prosperity - now if only you could get your fortune cookie to do the same thing.
Edwina Storie