Chairman and Yip

One of the first degustation dinners I ever had was at the Chairman and Yip, more than 10 years ago. I was still a uni student, my partner had just moved to Canberra as a young grad, we couldn't afford to see each more than a couple times a year.

So for a special occasion we headed to Chairman in the city, which was then so raw that one half of the Canberra Centre hadn't even opened yet. The Atlantic salmon with cinnamon is still one of my earliest Canberra food memories.

Now, more than 10 years later, things have changed, and the Chairman and Yip has moved into the old Malamay quarters in Barton, a shift that owner Josiah Li describes as a merging of the two restaurants.

The crews are blended - the chefs in the kitchen and the team on the floor. Yann Mengneau's wine list is still strong, and beautifully varied by the glass as well.

There's little outward sign of the Chairman in the new digs, though, which still sports that dimly lit, glossy black decor with red accents. The terrace has been covered over, and filled with tables, ferns, and a banquette down one side of the glass enclosure. It's a far cry from the white linens and wood accents of Bunda Street. 

On the menu, there is again a mixture of dishes from both restaurants, with plenty of mainstays from the Chairman. Tang's dumplings ($20.50) are delicate little parcels in a puddle of vinegar and soy in just the right amounts so that the umami and the tangy notes sing.

The Peking duck pancakes ($18.50), brought to the table and rolled in front of us, are thick and soft, filled with chopped mushrooms and smoky roast duck chunks. 

A plate of barramundi is tenderly moreish and brightened with chunks of pineapple, capsicum, and spring onion with a caramelised sweet-and-sour sauce. In lesser hands this would be a cliche Asian dish but it's simply well executed here.

Likewise with the Shantung lamb belly ($34) - crisp outside and fluffy soft inside, piled on top with sharp spring onion and chillies as a fresh counterpoint. 

The 36-hour slow-cooked oxtail stew ($36.50) makes a complete contrast to those brighter dishes – the oxtail rich and dark with all the meat in super shreds like a Texas chilli con carne. It's sprinkled with crisp fried curry leaves and deepened with port and spices, a dish that we'll all warm our hearts to when winter comes. 

Finish with a spicy ginger cake for two ($16.50), served piping hot in a tiny cast iron pan, topped with maple ice-cream and studded with walnuts. 

The Chairman and Yip's loyal fans – and there are a fair few of them – might grumble because they have to cross the bridge to get their fix of mushie and duck pancakes but once they get here they won't find too much amiss.

A soothing mix of their favourites served up by familiar faces, with the same quiet, polished Chairman flair.