Lucky You Darling

The verdict:

Chinese food has always had a place in Sydney's dining scene, but Chinese wine is another story. That's exactly what Lucky You Darling is setting out to change, pairing contemporary Chinese cooking with one of the city's most interesting wine lists in a vibrant new Darlinghurst restaurant from the team behind Baja Cantina and Angelica.

Leading the kitchen is Chef Fendi, whose Chinese-Indonesian heritage and decade spent working his way to Head Chef at Lotus Dining have shaped a menu built on nostalgia with a modern edge. Many of the dishes draw on the flavours Australians have grown up with, reworked using premium produce and contemporary techniques.

"Growing up, food was always how my family connected," says Fendi. "At Lucky You Darling, we wanted to capture that feeling while giving people something new to discover. The menu is familiar enough to feel nostalgic, but every dish has its own contemporary twist. It's designed to be shared, talked about and enjoyed together."

The menu covers everything from wild-caught banana prawn toast with sriracha mayo and wagyu san choy bao dusted in the restaurant's signature four-chilli seasoning to XO scallops with house-made XO and vermicelli, crispy duck breast pancakes, black pepper wagyu beef flank and XO seafood fried rice. Dessert leans into the fun too, with a deep-fried Lucky Gaytime rounding out the meal.

While the food will draw plenty of attention, the wine programme is what really sets Lucky You Darling apart. More than half the producers are female winemakers, with a strong focus on family-owned wineries, socially conscious producers and a standout collection of Chinese wines from regions including Ningxia and Hebei, giving diners the chance to explore a side of Chinese dining that's rarely seen in Sydney.

Inside, the Darlinghurst space matches the energy of the menu, with moody lighting, playful artwork and rich textures creating a lively neighbourhood restaurant made for everything from dumplings and drinks after work to long lunches that roll into dinner.

Lucky You Darling opens on Friday 7 August.

Image credit: Lucky You Darling | Supplied