Willy Ho closes Sentosa at Crows Nest

In a blow to the "restaurant capital" of the North Shore, Crows Nest is set to lose one of its food pioneers.

When Sentosa swung open its doors in 1985, Neville Wran was Premier of New South Wales and Crows Nest was bustling with a lunch trade fuelled by the tax-deductible business meal.

"It has dropped off, we don't have the TV industry and advertising business anymore," says Sentosa owner Willy Ho.

The Crows Nest restaurant will serve its last signature chicken curry and roti on October 5.

"We used to get through about 40 chickens a week, that's down to about 20," he says.

Competition has also played a part, Ho estimates the 20-40 restaurants and cafes operating when he opened in Crows Nest has nearly tripled to about 120.

A 1994 review of the restaurant, by Kim Terakes in The Sun-Herald, illustrates how scarce good south-east Asian food was in Sydney 20 years ago.

"I know a lunatic foodie who sends a taxi from Tamarama to Crows Nest to pick up Sentosa's Kari Ayam," Terakes noted.

Ho says Sydney's tastes have matured during his 29-year stint, arguing he'd never have considered putting fish head curry, a current staple, on his early menus.

Ho argues rising rent and the temporary closure of Crows Nest's multi-level car park were the final straws, but he may yet rise again.

"I'm looking at St Leonards," he says.