Lantern Fish brings pinot noir and Peking duck to Manly

There's been a bit of chatter about "The New Manly", what with the $30 million overhaul of the Manly Pacific M Gallery hotel, and the opening of smart speakeasy bars like The Cumberland, whose entrance is hidden behind a laneway deli.

But I'm pleased to report there is enough of the "old Manly" left for it to still be the sort of place you can change from your work gear into your cozzie in the middle of the street, using the car door for modesty.

Like Manly, this new Asian diner offers something old and something new. Lantern Fish is so contemporary it has a juice bar at one end and a cocktail bar at the other, but it also has sweet-and-sour pork and smoky fried rice in the mix.

Head chef Kevin Un (formerly of Lotus, Restaurant Hubert and Sergeant Lok) reflects his heritage and travels with a blend of Chinese, Indonesian and Malaysian street food and classic dishes.

That means spicy prawn fritters, a satisfyingly soft 12-hour beef rib served on the bone, steamy light char siu bao, and dude-foody cheeseburger spring rolls.

There's a dim sum list by day, and a steamer of four competently made mixed dumplings ($16) at night; your first clue that Lantern Fish likes to do things differently. Instead of being round, the steamer is square, like a wooden sake box. Even the chopsticks are carved at the ends, like arrows.

Another modern entry is crudo ($32), a pretty pile-up of fresh hiramasa kingfish in a bright jalapeno and coconut dressing garnished with crisp matchsticks of Granny Smith.

A cold dish of charred cabbage ($22), shredded and piled, somewhat strangely, on seaweed yoghurt, shows a north-eastern Chinese influence, while the puffed egg tofu ($24) is a savoury souffle-omelette based on Indonesian tahu telur.

Rice noodle rolls ($26) are a nice surprise, the slippery coils charred from the wok in a lovely dark soy-and-sambal sauce, peppered with tiny shrimp and lap cheong sausage.

The decor of this long, slim, window-framed corner site is also a mix of old and new, with quirky art and blocky, heavy chairs that feel too big for the small tables. There's an exotic chandelier floating above two semi-private booths that, once seen, is hard to un-see.

Lantern Fish's big order, and big drawcard, is the Peking duck, or "crispy skin duck pancakes", ($50/$90). The restaurant turns it into an event, sending it out on an impressive wooden tray with a high metal carry-handle, complete with a steamer of mandarin pancakes.

The meat is well rested and long flavoured, each slice fringed with glossy lacquered skin, and there are plenty of accoutrements, from spring onions to sauces, to pile onto the pancake, wrap and roll.

Clearly, they want to be Manly's next "local Chinese". Co-founder and Manly local, Carly Jin, offers BYO at $8 corkage (although with the ubiquity of screw-caps, should that not be screwage?) from Tuesday to Thursday. There are regular happy hour prices on drinks, and lunch specials include an $18 yum cha set.

The wine list has prices I haven't seen for 10 years ($59, $68, $45), including a King Valley pinot noir from Sam Miranda at $13 glass that would be a good fit with the duck.

"Under the current economic climate, our regular guests feel very comfortable having wines at these price points," says Jin. You can also upgrade to the 2019 Ocean Eight Pinot Noir ($98), a rich, silky red with a clingy finish from Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

Lantern Fish isn't glossy or glamorous, and is built as much for locals as visitors. Wine glasses are of good quality, napkins are paper not cloth, and floor staff are kept busy and slightly distracted.

But with diners and their dogs outside on the pavement, cocktails being shaken in the background, and windows thrown open to the night air, it's neither new nor old Manly. It's just Manly.

The low-down

Drinks Cocktails, Chinese, teas, beers, and a budget-driven wine list of Argentinian, French and Australian.

Vibe Pinot noir and Peking duck come to Manly

Go-to dish Crispy skin duck pancakes, $50/$90