Sun Kitchen: A Fresh Update to an Iconic Melbourne Location

In 2019, it has become increasingly more difficult to find a traditional and authentic dining experience in the heart of a big city, amid a plethora of tourists traps laid out for hungry said tourists and locals alike.

However, opening in Melbourne this week is a restaurant that, by all means, is sticking true to its roots – and the proof is in the pudding!

Sun Kitchen, beautifully located at The Point in Albert Park, brings to Melbourne an indulgent, one of a kind dining experience that explores traditional Cantonese and Sichuan flavours using premium ingredients of the highest quality.

Before doors open to the public, we sat down at the new Sun Kitchen restaurant for an intimate chef’s dinner to explore the unique menu in detail.

The restaurant

Spanning two levels, Sun Kitchen offers different levels of intimacy for different dining experiences. On level 1 you will find an informal dining setting, perfect for bigger groups of family and friends. Level 2 is subtly more intimate, with dining tables designed for small groups or couples.

Sun Kitchen is ideal for special occasions, private banquets and corporate functions; an all-in-one destination.

The open-air deck overlooking Albert Park Lake is perfect for the warmer weather, whilst each level features premium views of this iconic Melbourne’s location.

Shrouded throughout Sun Kitchen is an array of colourful art that pays homage to its heritage offerings: such as the Cantonese and Sichuan Bian Lian masks that represent an ancient Chinese art form, an in some parts, Sichuan opera.

Signature dishes

The menu at Sun Kitchen is carefully curated with an attention to profiling the best of Chinese fine dining coupled with unique Cantonese and Sichuan offerings.

To start, we were served golden crispy tofu; braised beef tendon with green chilli sauce; and hot and sour mung bean noodles. Flavours were rich and bold with hints of chilli elevating the dishes entirely – the hot and sour mung bean noodles were simply exquisite!

Golden prawn with coconut ginger sauce was enticing, tasty and proved the perfect prelude to the main meals of the night.

For mains – the showcase of Sun Kitchen’s offerings – the sizzling fish fillet in hot chilli oil was not just mouthwatering, but quite possibly one of the best Asian plates we have ever experienced. Flavoursome, spicy (but not too spicy), rich in texture and uniquely different, it was this dish that had us going back for seconds and thirds.

Hard to beat this traditional fish hot pot – which was a perennial favourite dish among Qing dynasty emperors – wagyu beef with black truffle and garlic came in at a close second, which featured a marbly, oily cut of meat that literally melted in our mouths – delicious!

There was Dongting-styled braised pork belly that had us licking our lips, as well as pan-fried chicken with mushrooms to compliment the sweetness of the pork.

These are just a glimpse of the dishes on offer at Sun Kitchen.

Serious about wine

It’s not just about the food at Sun Kitchen – it’s the whole dining experience, which, of course, features an enviable wine & alcohol list.

With dedicated sommelier Ben Luk on-hand to guide you through the extensive wine collection, Sun Kitchen boasts a dedicated wine cellar that features some of the most expensive and extensive wine selections in Melbourne. More than that, it is a space that can offer an intimate wine and dine degustation for up to 6 people.

With 888 bottles of wine in storage (with a value of up to $1.5 million dollars), Sun Kitchen has a bottle to match any occasion or mood, including the Chinese rice wine Moutai, and one of the finest whiskeys in the world: a 30-year-old Macallan Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Sherry Oak (pictured below).