Canton Kitchen, Castlecrag

Jason Chan (Former Queen Chow) has opened up a new venue in Castlecrag  called Canton Kitchen which showcases modern Cantonese cuisine. The venue has taken over where Holy Duck! used to be.

Canton Kitchen has a colourful and artistic decore which is reflective of its food. Matt and I attend the launch with my fellow media and influencer food lovers.

We are treated to some dumplings to start with chilli oil, soy sauce and chilli paste condiments.  The steamed dim sum platter ($28) is only available on Saturdays and Sundays. I enjoy the mix of the chilli and soy sauce along with the steamed xiao long bao, the pork and prawn siu mai and the prawn dumplings. Dumplings are best enjoyed with some tea on the weekend.

Canton Kitchen also has the Silken Tofu with Vegetarian XO sauce ($14) it's topped with soy bean floss and crispy wonton skins. This is my favourite dish of the night. The cold silken tofu is smooth on the palette with a rich sauce and crispy soy bean floss just comes together. The bitter shiso leaf also balances out this dish. This dish is probably the most balanced in a very much rich and salty menu.

Next up are the Garlic Prawns ($32) on a bed of vermicelli noodles. I absolutely love garlic prawns although I'm feeling particularly lazy this night and can't be bothered peeling them. So I only end up eating one. There is a thick layer of garlic mince spread across all the prawns.  This is a bit too much for my palette but I see some of the others devouring all the garlic.

Matt devours a few of the Hot and Numbing Chicken Wings ($15). The chicken wings are well marinated in a spicy and salty soy sauce. He enjoys the wings and says they're not too spicy so don't be too concerned about the "numbing" reference in the title.

Next up are the Typhoon Shelter Style tempura Vegetables ($24). With tempura eggplant, sweet potato and carrot. This dish is a nice contrast to the other dishes so far in texture and flavour. The tempura is light and crispy which is enjoyable to eat. 

Canton Kitchen also has classic flavourites such as Special Fried Rice ($18) with prawns, char siu, corn and mustard leaf. The rice is a must order to soak up all those rich and salty Cantonese flavours. I also recommend ordering the Braised mushrooms ($22) with tofu, basil and greens. The mushrooms are a simple dish but simply delicious.  I enjoy the mixture of tofu and mushroom flavours.

Summary: Overall, I had a pleasant meal at Canton Kitchen. My favourites were the dumplings and that silken tofu dish. Matt quite enjoys Cantonese cuisine which typically has very rich and salty flavours whereas I like more balance in my flavours (probably why I enjoyed the more toned down dishes) or I need noodles/rice to complement the dishes. I think a little less use of soy and salt would make an improvement for me but it might take away some of the authenticity.

Price: Most sharing plates $25-30

Location: 100 Edinburgh st, Castlecrag

Opening Hours: 
Closed Monday
Tuesday to Thursday 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Friday 12pm to 3pm, 5:30pm to 10pm
Saturday and Sunday 11:30am to 3pm, 5:30pm to 10:30pm

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.