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He’s Sydney by birth and Melbourne by choice, but the Lee Ho Fook chef loves both cities equally. When he finally takes a night off, here’s where he heads.
Award-winning chef and restaurateur Victor Liong is living a tale of two cities. While his two-hatted contemporary Chinese restaurant, Lee Ho Fook, has become a Melbourne institution since opening in 2013, he recently opened a second venue in Sydney’s CBD, in Porter House, a heritage-listed former tobacco factory.
Liong, who grew up in Sydney but has called Melbourne home for 12 years, now hops between the two capitals to manage operations. For him, there’s no rivalry, only appreciation.
“I’m a Melburnian for sure, but since opening in Sydney, I am drawn to it again. They’re both charming. Sydney’s got its energy; Melbourne’s got its energy, and I love operating in both,” he says.
The challenge now is to adapt the menu to reflect these different energies. While diners in Sydney can still find beloved Melbourne dishes such as prawn toast, crispy eggplant and lacquered duck, Liong is planning a subtle regional shift.
“The new restaurant is 80 per cent Melbourne DNA in its identity, but with the weather being four degrees warmer in Sydney, the dishes will start to reflect that change,” he says.
When he gets a moment away from his own kitchens, here’s where Liong loves to eat.
EATING OUT
Favourite hometown restaurants
Flower Drum. They make a very simple stir-fry of pearl meat, which is the scallop bit of the pearl oyster. It has a great texture, very light and subtle. I remember eating it for the first time as a young chef, seated in that grand dining room and feeling a bit intimidated. Now, I’m a regular.
I love to order mussels at France-Soir. The hot seafood entrees, steak tartare, steak main and duck are what I usually order. And I always finish with the creme brulee.
When I’m in the city, it’s the steak tartare at City Wine Shop. I also love the spaghetti vongole at Di Stasio Citta. [Owner] Ronnie Di Stasio’s got a black belt in hospitality, in my opinion. I love the snacks at Di Stasio, too – the mortadella sandwich is unbeatable, and the chicken liver crostini with a pickle on it is also very good.
I also love sitting at Cumulus Inc. and having an Aperol spritz at the right time of day. It’s where I went on my first date with my now-wife seven years ago; we shared oysters and other snacks at 3pm. It’s a beautiful memory for me.
Favourite hometown cafes and bars
St Ali for the coffee – it’s either a long black or a double espresso – always standing and never in a paper cup.
I don’t drink as much as I used to, but when I do, Caretaker’s Cottage is a favourite – the atmosphere and their approach to cocktails are excellent. I’ll order a wet martini, heavy on the vermouth, or even a reverse martini, where there’s even more vermouth in it.
Favourite takeaway meal
In [Melbourne’s] Ivanhoe, close to my home, there’s a pizza place called Little Naples. I love a margherita pizza, but they also make a pizza called Mister Billo with salami, ham, sausage and pancetta, plus San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella. It’s delicious.
Favourite spots in Sydney
The atmosphere, the food and neighbourhood feel are great at Pina in Potts Point. They used to make greens on toast; think braised greens on a slab of sourdough toast with stracciatella and soft curd cheese. It was amazing.
Cafe Paci in Newtown is very approachable. It has really beautiful food, precise cooking, a great vibe and nice wines.
I’ve been twice now to Grandfathers, a Chinese restaurant in the Sydney CBD by the Pellegrino boys. The dim sum selection is very good. They have a husband-and-wife salad – a traditional Sichuan-style dish with tripe and veal tongue in a tingly mala dressing. I also ordered a poached red emperor with green Sichuan peppercorns. It was delicious. I recommend the sticky date pudding – it’s like a mash-up of steamed sticky rice and pudding.
I love the look and feel of Fratelli Paradiso – it’s stylish and an example of personality-driven hospitality. The food is amazing – simple, precise, consistent. The scampi pasta is a must-order.
I visit PS40 in Sydney for a wet martini. They also make a signature drink called an Africola, which I enjoy. It’s a hot and cold drink that plays on the concept of the upside-down Irish coffee.
For coffee, it’s The Grounds of The City. It’s such a cool vibe in the heart of the city. Yes, it’s filled with tourists, but it’s worth going.
ON THE ROAD
Favourite place to eat in Australia
I ate at Infinity by Mark Best in Sydney recently. Mark Best has been a mentor of mine, and the restaurant has amazing views. It’s beautifully designed, and the wine list is all-Australian, with a focus on female makers.
I ordered the stinging nettle risotto with slightly charred squid. The sea urchin crumpet snack is excellent, and he has made a new version of a Mark Best classic, grilled seafoam oyster. I was so impressed. For the main course, I ate a local beef short rib with celeriac truffle and fermented baby potatoes. The baby potatoes tasted like salt and vinegar chips because they’d been lacto-fermented.
Favourite food city
I was in London two summers ago and loved it. I came back so poor!
One of the best places I visited was The Clove Club, an amazing two-star fine dining restaurant in the Shoreditch Town Hall. It’s best to go at lunch so you can enjoy the room. They do a short lunch tasting menu, and whatever they serve will be great.
A. Wong is an outstanding fine dining Chinese restaurant in London. Chef Andrew Wong does a “collections of China” tasting menu. The dim sum are incredible here. You’ll find highly crafted snacks, too.
Go to Dishoom Covent Garden for the breakfast menu. The bacon naan roll, bottomless chai, and porridge with banana and dates are generous, and there’s a real vibe.
Sollip is a cool modern Korean restaurant in Southwark. I tried a savoury daikon tarte tatin with roasted potato and it was awesome. I also ate black pain perdu, a great dessert with black soybean and burnt vanilla mousse.
Order the salt beef bagel at Beigel Bake with extra English mustard, extra pickle and a strong cup of tea.
EATING IN
What’s your go-to dish at home?
It’s always steamed seafood like oysters and scallops in a Cantonese-style stir-fry with spring onion, XO sauce, chilli black bean and some green vegetables. I blanch the vegies and then quickly stir-fry them altogether.
My guilty pleasure
I love dark chocolate – the richer and more bitter, the better. It’s always Lindt or whatever is on sale at the supermarket. I also love a doughnut for breakfast – if I’m walking by, I’ll stop at Laurent Bakery in Ivanhoe and get a custard doughnut.
Best kitchen wisdom
Season at every stage of the cooking process, especially if you are doing a braised dish. Throwing salt in at the end won’t work because cooking with salt draws out the moisture, and then you cook it down [to intensify the flavour]. All the good chefs I’ve worked for would always say taste as you go.
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