Zilver: Chinese cuisine in sumptuous surrounds
Ascend the escalators to the first floor of the Sydney Central Building and the illustrious Zilver, a sumptuous temple of Chinese cuisine and a veritable mecca for lovers of Yum Cha.
This immense 550-seat restaurant is positively lavish, boasting an extremely expensive fit-out replete with bronze mosaic pillars, red lanterns, a sleek granite bar and a crimson and gold feature wall with an air of imperial decadence. The dining chairs are upholstered in silk and there’s a wall of stone clad fish tanks showcasing the Zilver chef’s speciality – live seafood.
Come at lunchtime for one of the city’s most popular Yum Cha gorge fests. Doors open at 10 and if you’re much later, expect to spend some time queuing outside with a numbered ticket in your hand. The Yum Cha sessions are clamorous, but don't quite have the frantic pace or the gruff staff and overexcited diners that define the city’s older, more traditional Yum Cha establishments. Here, the staff are by-and-large quite friendly and helpful, and the Yum Cha dishes are top shelf, if a little on the oily side.
Trolleys trundle by stacked high with the full array of Yum Cha favourites as well as some of Zilver’s unique Asian-fusion creations. There are some 60 different dim sum plates available– including Peking duck pancakes, barbecued pork, salt and pepper squid, scallop dumplings and rice paper prawn rolls.
At dinner, the kitchen dishes up a huge selection of classic and contemporary dishes, with a typically overwhelming Chinese menu divided into sections such as “fusion dishes”, “barbecued specialities”, “premium soups” and “hot pots."
Zilver is the place in the Chinatown-Haymarket area to splurge on seafood. Try the deep fried mud crab tossed in salted egg, stir fried lobster with ginger and shallot, or baked oysters in Chinese wine. You can also indulge in whole Peking duck, roast pigeon, flaming pork ribs and a wide selection of vegetable and tofu dishes.
HelloSydney Tip: The wine list is unusually extensive for a Chinese restaurant, but, during Yum Cha hours at least, the food is best paired with hot jasmine tea and smooth Tsingtao beer.
Posted by Fiona Davies
