Longrain

When Longrain came onto the Sydney dining scene, it really changed the game for South-East Asian food: Longrain is one of the first restaurants to elevate Asian food to a hip and sophisticated meal in an industrial-chic setting.  The dishes are designed to be shared, and the cleverly-curated wine list includes a few sneaky cocktails with a South-East Asian spin.

A word of warning though: Longrain makes you sit with strangers on long, communal tables as though you were at second-rate Hogwarts, even if you book. I have seen some private tables, so if you are planning for a celebration or a date, make sure you let the venue know at the time of booking so you won't have to rub shoulders with randoms.

Acapulco Gold, $19; Siamese Spritz, $16

The cocktails at Longrain are incredibly creative, all with an Asian flair. The Acapulco Gold is a refreshing, tart, tequila-based hit of lemon with a kick of chili, while the Siamese Spritz is light, bright, with a plum twist. I will say, however, that the alcohol kick isn't very strong - you could have a few of these and not really feel their effect. I reserve judgment on the generosity of alcohol, but the balance of flavour is superb.

Betel leaf with squid, $6 each

Food wise, we start things off the traditional way: with Betel leaves. Wikipedia helpfully tells me that there are reports suggesting that betel leaf by itself has adverse health effects - including chromosome damage in human leukocyte cultures. It's all very comforting. However, I'm sure that 1 leaf will be unlikely to mutate me in any discernable way, so I happily popped this parcel into my mouth. The tumeric-infused squid is juicy and soft, not chewy at all. The betel leaf has no taste, but adds an interesting texture to the dish (I'm eating leaves!), as well as being quite a convenient vessel of food delivery.

Filled eggnet, pork, prawn, peanuts, cucumber relish, $23

The eggnet was the highlight of the meal for me. It is essentially a bean sprout-based salad encased in an omelette cage, and even though I am certainly no fan of bean sprouts, I found the flavours of the eggnet absolutely irresistible. The cucumber relish is light, tangy, tart, complimenting the crunchy freshness of the sprouts to perfection. Highly, highly recommended.

Peanut curry beef brisket, bullhorn peppers, Thai basil, $38, rice, $4

This is a disappointing dish. The beef was tough, dry and stringy, and not even the lovely curry flavours could save it. At this price point, this is unacceptable. The rice is also of a lacklustre variety.

Chilled egg noodles, tofu, pickled bamboo salad, yellow bean dressing, $14

The egg noodles is very much 2-minute noodles, which is not a bad thing - I love myself some Mee Goreng. However, though the flavours are complex and interesting, it is too similar to other menu items, so by the end of the meal things have grown tiresome.

Score: 2.5/5
Each individual aspect of the meal is delicious (apart from the beef, which is just awful), but I think Longrain leans on one flavour too much so that the menu does not have the requisite variety to be a truly satisfying experience.
Price: approx $80pp. You can find equally satisfying Asian food at a much cheaper price.
Address:  85 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills
Website: https://longrain.com/sydney