Rockpool Dining Group’s new Cantonese restaurant Jade Temple opens in the Sydney CBD on Monday, 3 July.
Jade Temple’s menu will feature classic Cantonese dishes, with a little creative licence and sustainable Australian produce. The offering includes char siu and whole roast duck; fresh seafood from the tank, wok-tossed and served with a variety of Cantonese sauces; and lemon chicken. Dumplings, steamed buns and wontons feature on the lunch menu. Dishes are designed to share, with $75 and $95 banquet menus available.
Cocktails feature in-house, tailor-made ingredients, syrups and infusions add a Chinese-spin to the list.
The 300-strong wine list has a strong focus on wine regions that lend themselves to Cantonese food, including Loire Valley whites, Austrian and German whites, red and white Burgundy, and Rhone Valley reds, as well as more familiar Australian styles. The drinks list also includes beers and ciders, as well as a selection of loose-leaf Chinese teas, infusions and tisanes.
Designer Grant Cheyne has drawn on a number of influences to create the restaurant space, with cast iron Chinese guardian lions at the entrance, a western interpretation of traditional Chinese motifs and artworks, and light fittings imported from China with custom-designed chandeliers and handmade bamboo shades. Folding screens conceal the kitchen, duck drying cabinets and seafood tanks from the dining room while a mezzanine area offers additional dining space and a bar provides a more discrete space for guests to enjoy pre- or post-dinner drinks.
Rockpool Dining Group culinary and brand director Neil Perry said the group’s philosophy of incorporating world class service with a deep respect for the highest quality produce was at the heart of the Jade Temple experience.
“Cantonese food is very produce driven and at Jade Temple we will present some wonderful classic dishes – some that may even seem cliché – such as sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken, and honey prawns, but are classic for a reason,” he said. “When cooked well, with beautiful produce, they sing.”
Rockpool Dining Group CEO Thomas Pash said it was exciting to join forces with Perry to open the first new premium restaurant concept as a combined group.
“This is an amazing time for our group as we add another memorable brand to our premium restaurant portfolio,” Pash said. “We believe Jade Temple will resonate well in Sydney and will have enormous potential to expand into other markets.
“We’re very much looking forward to showcasing our exceptional Cantonese food, innovative and fun cocktails, and outstanding wine list, and showing our guests another world-class dining experience.”
