This stealth bomber of a restaurant presents a refined face to the world – moody,tactile,date night-worthy – then unleashes one bold knockout dish after another. Defying its Little Italy location,the kitchen’s algorithm isn’t strictly bound by place but consistently pings on China.

Witness the signature shredded potato,with its barely cooked stands and black vinegar backbeat. Or chewy rice drop noodles stir-fried with gutsy Xinjiang-spiced beef and chilli oil. The globe trotting wine list rises to the challenge,matched by exemplary service that might include the backstory of that Georgian tsitska or Catalan xarello.

For a less fiery,no less unique feed,white cut chicken is made into a roulade with prawn farce,prawn oil and salty outbreaks of lap cheong. It’s French haute cuisine spun through a Chinese centrifuge,mirroring the delicious essence of this surprise package.

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Melbourne’s Northern Suburbs

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