China Lane

Completing the China Doll and China Beach trio is this laneway hideaway, tucked indoor-outdoors just off Martin Place. Inside it's all retro-meets-space-age, with sleek light fittings and notes of cream, tomato and pistachio. The Chinese-flavoured menu is broken into cooking styles (raw, steamed, spicy and wet dishes, vegetarian) to ensure balance across your order. Mulloway is served in shiitake ginger dashi, while prawns tossed with lemongrass and baby corn drift into Thai territory. Pork and prawn salad sits under fresh coconut sauce, while snowpeas pair with tiny, smoky, Chinese sausage chunks. Pig's ear in master stock has the requisite crunch factor, and mushrooms with asparagus are turbocharged with a hit of preserved beancurd. China Lane also ups the ante on Chinese desserts. caramelised pineapple hides under licorice crisp foam, adding an unexpected contrast. Service is swift and friendly, the room seductive and sexy - modern Asian the way we love it.